This was a shameful, stupid, wrong-headed impulse buy… and I’m awfully glad I made it.
Having only recently published my review of the Rhapsodio Solar—a CIEM that still feels new and exciting every time I put it in—I had zero intention of buying another top of the line earphone anytime soon. I suppose the origins of this adventure lay somewhere in the dreadful knowing the Solars needed to go back to Hong Kong for another refit: a process that took two months the first time and a month and a half the second.
Which meant, for the foreseeable future, Angie would regain her place as my main IEM, and thus my main headphone.
Why did this not thrill me? I love Angie’s sound. The notion of returning to her smooth, warm, lush notes held great allure, yet I couldn’t shake this feeling of anxiety. I didn’t want to be stuck with her for a month or two. She’s too big and awkward. For a year I used her as my daily driver, and I loathed to suffer like that again.
It’s why I ordered Solar in the first place. I sought to replace Angie. As it turned out, Solar has little in common with the young Siren, and I couldn’t get rid of her. She possessed a sound I lusted for. Perhaps more so than Solar, with its brighter, brilliant, more detailed treble.
I knew something was up when one day I noticed how I’d been wandering into certain threads with bizarre regularity. Rereading reviews and impressions. The warning signs were apparent. I had shifted into research mode. Experience told me the next stage was deal-hunting, followed swiftly by a purchase. It was inevitable. I was doomed.
Of all the fanciful curiosities out there, the 64Audio ADEL called to me the loudest. Of course I’ve been interested in the Ear Lens for a long time now. No doubt that’s true for all of us. Also, the A12 came in 3rd place in the Fit for a Bat round-up, a fact that’s stayed with me since I first read the article. Actually, based on how it was described, the A12 always fascinated me more than the earphones which took 1st and 2nd place. Now that I have an even finer understanding of the sort of sound I desire, the 64 ADEL looked ever the more my kind of bag.
As coincidence would have it, the entire ADEL line was on Massdrop during this period, with only a few days to go until the Drop ended. We’re talking outrageous prices! Phenomenal deals! Clearly providence was on my side, as the good lord of Abraham watched over me. So I hit BUY and… the U12 had already sold out.
Alone I am in the universe.
A part of me, one that was not actively fashioning a noose round the ceiling fan, took this as an opportunity to save money. I dove back into the forums, searching instead for everything I could find on the U8. After all, Angie is eight drivers. Perhaps this would prove the perfect solution.
The more I read, however, the more obsessed I became with hearing the U12. The reviews I found throughout Head-Fi, and across the net, convinced me this was the IEM to finally replace Angie. If anything could.
But $1599 is outside Pinky’s budget right now. If need be, I could wait until Black Friday for 64Audio’s über sale.
Yes, I could wait, but that is never my first choice.
Head-Fi is a remarkable place. Within a few hours of posting a WANTED ad, I had two Privet Messages. One of which led to the final transaction. For $1050 I acquired a used U12 with the Head-Fi-preferred B1 ADEL Module.
I’m not one for going into the whole unboxing thing. The only time I write about the packaging and each and every accessory is when it’s stipulated as part of my admittance on a tour for a new product. As long as there’s one YouTube video of some kid unboxing the thing, you don’t need me talking about it. Suffice to say the package is nice, simple, and bordering on elegant. I don’t use the protective case it came with, as I have a superior system which better serves my needs.
Upon first holding the 64Audio ADEL U12, I am struck by how small and light it is. It’s closer in size and weight to the ATH-IM03 than it is to either Angie or Solar. I had to peer at the fine embossed writing on the shell and read “U12” before I would believe this was indeed the flagship model. Depending on the tips I use, they can fit flush with my ear. How they got twelve drivers in here, I’ll never know. Must be Time Lord technology. No other way to explain it.
Comfort is top notch. Between the size, weight, and shape, when worn the U12 vanishes from your thoughts. Angie, being so big and heavy, constantly reminded you that her fat bottom hung from your ears. These are far less obtrusive than I dared hope for.
The cable is very thin, light, and flexible. The sort of thing you forget you’re wearing. Unfortunately, I’m not using that cable. I’ve been using a balanced cable that works with my Astell&Kern AK120II’s 2.5mm balanced output. It’s what you would call an “upgrade cable”: OCC, SPC… the Pandora by Rhapsodio. It is very stiff, scratchy, and awkward to use. But it’s balanced and it sounds amazing, so I put up with it.
[Update] I built myself a far, far more comfortable cable: 2.5mm Balanced, 26AWG Litz 7nOCC SPC Now there's nothing about using the U12 that's awkward.
There were no suitable options among the stock tips, not for my ears at least. The Comply foam probably would have worked, but I prefer the immortality of silicon, so I didn’t even try those. During my head-fi journey, thus far, I’ve amassed an impressive collection of tips, so I did not worry about finding something that fit. As it turns out, no matter how many new tips I buy, none work better for my ears than the JVC Spiral Dots, which I found early on in this hobby. To keep the U12’s long nozzle from peaking out the top of the JVCs, I had to create spacers from the stems of other tips. In this configuration, using size-M tips, the U12 sits very nearly flush with my ears. Between the feather-light U12, and the perfect comfort of Spiral Dots, it’s a winning setup. JVC is still King.
So without further ado or preamble, how about we get into how these things sound, yes?
As I mentioned earlier, these used earphones came with the ADEL B1 Module, not the S1 that comes standard. Before 64Audio split from Asius, they shipped with S1, unless otherwise specified by you. Alternatively, you could choose the MAM (Manual Adjustable Module) or the B1. Explaining how all this works will bore me, but in layman terms, the B1 relaxes the Ear Lens, reducing the bass a tad and balancing the presentation.
The B1 Module concerned me. I like my bass, and I like my warmth, and I feared this module would take away everything I wanted from the U12. Credit Card in hand, I was ready to order the S1 Module if these didn’t please me.
And in fact when I first tried them on, they did sound terribly hollow. For a few minutes I thought I’d be placing that order. Then I started tip rolling, and realized I simply didn’t have the best seal. Once I achieved a proper fit, my jaw dropped.
The 64Audio U12 contains a dozen Balanced Armature Drivers in each ear. Four bass, four Mids, and four highs. With the ADEL B1 Module, the U12 is a true warmth monster, but not in the traditional sense. There is phenomenal air and an impossibly wide soundstage for an IEM. Articulation and detail are well above what they should be, given how liquid and relaxed the presentation is. Tonality and naturalness surpass in-ear technology entirely. They sound more like full-size cans than any IEM I’ve heard.
Treble is handled differently than other equipment. It’s subdued in volume against the rest of the mix. Although extension is one of the best. It’s all there, no roll off. It’s merely hushed. This took me a day and a half to grow accustomed to. At first it sounded very strange. Once my brain adjusted, I heard how clear and pure the highs really are. No veil clouds the details. I heard everything, illuminated under a soft immaculate light that felt utterly organic. These are the earphones you buy if you’re allergic to harsh treble and hate sibilance. However, if you demand bright, sparkly treble, look elsewhere. Check out Solar.
If there’s one thing I know in my audio gear, it would be vocals done right. Between the IM03, Angie, Solar, the HD600 and the LCD-2, I feel like an expert. Outside of full-size headphones, I’ve never heard the mid-range sound this lifelike, or this effortless. Again, these things just don’t seem like IEMs. I’m not saying they are as good as the HD600, but god*****t they are closer than they have any right to be. The U12 just sounds taller and wider and less strained than other IEMs. They reproduce that natural quality which makes you NEVER want to stop listening. Which you can do, since they never cause fatigue. The ADEL tech releases the pneumatic pressure every other IEM creates in your ears. Even after a full day of listening, your ear drums don't feel as if they've been hammered half to death.
That mid-range is lush! Silky, creamy, and warm. Yet frightfully clear. Once your ears adjust to the sonic profile, you grasp just how transparent, vivid, and detailed the sound is. The veil you may perceive at the beginning does not exist, and you long for nothing but this signature for the rest of your days.
If you’ve seen a frequency graph for these, then it should come as no surprise the bass stands front and center, so to speak. It’s raised above the rest of the spectrum. I won’t say the U12 is a basshead monitor, especially with the B1 Module. It is too well balanced for that. Not neutral. God no! But masterfully sculpted. I love bass, a lot, but I have been known to go for a completely flat response to get away from IEMs that muffle or bury the vocals. I was happier with the Klipsch X7 over the much bassier R6 for that very reason. Then I discovered the IM03 and learned I could have my cake and eat it too. I’ve been chasing that signature ever sense.
64Audio knew what they had on their hands when they chose to emphasize the bass like this. It’s GLORIOUSLY layered, with sub-frequency extension that goes DEEP and rumbles where you can feel it more than hear it. The character and texture allows every bass instrument to shine in their own unique way. I’m inspired by how diverse every song’s sub-range sounds with the U12. Excluding only the LCD-2.2f, this is the best low-end I’ve ever heard.
ADEL’s B1 Module isolates better than I feared. Not as well as a traditional IEM, but if you have music playing, you won’t hear people talking, or moderate environmental chaos. It takes a good degree of horror to bleed in. The S1 Module is meant to isolate better, as is the APEX m20. Since all I own is the B1, I cannot give you comparisons. Other reviews do that. Go read those.
Oh my god I adore the Rhapsodio Solar! Wait… what review is this again? That’s right. I just needed to get that off my chest. It’s been a few weeks now since last I listened to Solar, and as I do so now, I am reminded of how galactically awesome they are. It is bone-quaking impressive how diametrically capable the Solar is of rendering warmth, brightness, super bass, glistening highs, and full, complete mids. All at the same time. Angie can’t do that. U12 can’t, either. The U12 does warm and satiny, it never does bright. Solar does it all, and does so with exceptional grace. Did I say grace? I meant venom. The Solar is aggressive, where the U12 is relaxed. Its details shoot out at you, while the U12 articulates them in the background, not bothered whether you notice the buggers. Though be not mistaken, they are all present.
Solar is less forgiving, because of those highs. Poor, compressed recordings sound worse than with 64Audio. Solar’s treble is more sparkly and up-front, which can be nice at times, but also vaguely unnatural in quality. This is brought further into relief when compared directly to the super easy and organic highs on the U12, which places them behind the other instruments.
The mid-range and vocals on both Solar and U12 are tremendous, in spite of their significant differences. Solar puts them back a step on the stage, whereas the U12 almost seems to emphasize them, even though I know they don’t. It just sounds that way. The mids are nice and thick on either IEM, with great detail and tonality. The U12, however, adds a warm, smooth, spaciousness to them. It also manages an extraordinary sonorous effect which outshines anything my other in-ears realize. Solar’s rendering, on the other hand, comes off clearer and more detailed.
Solar’s bass is one of its biggest selling-points. It produces genuine sub-bass, which I hadn’t heard in a Balanced Armature before. The overall tone and volume of the low-end is rapturous. I honestly didn’t think the U12 could do better.
I was wrong.
First, the U12’s bass is flat out bigger than Solar’s. It’s also more agile. There are layers and textures here Solar just can’t reproduce. What really puts the nail in Solar’s coffin is how U12 goes deeper. Or at least its sub-sub-sub-bass is elevated higher, so it seems to go deeper. Either way, it’s a meaningful difference that gives 64Audio an undeniable edge.
Apart from a few things U12 clearly wins at, it’s more an apples-to-oranges scenario. Depending on your preference or mood, you could go either way. Most of the time I think I prefer the warm, lush, velvety U12. But there are moments when I get an itch for Solar’s sparkle.
Making a comparison to Angie is more straightforward. Angie does not have Solar’s treble. She remains warm and smooth, and only grows more so when you up the bass dials. At 2:30 on the pots, her low-end is about equal to the U12 in terms of quantity. Which makes that the perfect place to test her against 64Audio’s flagship.
Everything I love about Angie, the U12 does better. Angie is warm and thick, from the lows to the mids to the highs. The U12 is just as warm, and just as thick, yet breathes so much air into the mix that Angie seems stuffy in comparison. Angie is very smooth. U12 comes off infinitely smoother. I ***t you not, it’s scary how smooth. Angie’s soundstage is quite good. U12’s is on another level. Angie has superb mid-bass, but almost no sub-bass. U12 has all the sub-bass, and slaughters with the layering and agility of the entire low-end. Vocals are Angie’s strong suit. They are spot-on perfect. Yet when you add the air and soundstage and the lushness of the U12, I find I must redefine perfection. The treble Angie produces has a rich, sweet quality, like honey. That honey is possibly the only thing Angie holds over the U12. Yet the U12 extends higher, and again, gives the treble that fantastic air and effortlessness.
Forgiving all that and I still have to face the fact Angie sounds like an IEM. A great IEM, but still just an IEM: Small, narrow, squeezed, and claustrophobic. Whereas 64Audio’s U12 has a sound which shares more similarities to full-size circumaural cans. The impression of reality this creates for you is a king-hell crushing win.
It is said the whole ADEL & APEX line was tuned for high-impedance stage equipment, and any audiophile gear you may have, is very likely going to make these sound overly warm. 64Audio recommends Impedance Adapters to compensate. I’ve seen the measurements, with adapter and without; Head-Fi member Brooko performed some thorough tests and shared his graphs. In my eyes, it looks as though for the most part, all it does is lower the bass by a hefty margin. The treble is barely changed.
Because of this, I have no intention of going the Impedance Adapter route. The bass of U12-B1 is utterly splendid.
Everything I own outputs 2 Ohms or less. Even my desktop DAC&Amp, the Audio-GD NFB-28 keeps things at 1 Ohm, no matter the gain setting. All of my equipment sounds fantastic with the U12.
The FiiO X5 Classic made the U12 slightly warmer than with my other gear. The soundstage closed in a little. You could hear the quiet hints of digititis. Overall, this pairing brings more than enough pleasure to satisfy.
The NFB-28>U12 blew my hair back. Seldom do I listen to IEMs from my desktop DAC, but now I question that rationale. It sounded beyond good. The detail, the soundstage, the level of refinement, this setup put my Astell&Kern to shame.
For over a year now, 90% of my listening is done via the Astell&Kern AK120II. And most of that transpires at work. Even though I got this DAP for a hard bargain, it’s still one of the most expensive things I own. I needed a DAP which left me wanting for nothing, one whose audio quality stood above the reproach of my increasingly critical ears. Let me assure you, I bought wisely. This player is the very definition of smooth, with its neutral-warm signature and rich timbre. There are no harsh sonic edges, or symptoms of digititis. Its soundstage is the biggest I’ve found in a DAP. In other words, the AK120II perfectly illustrates the virtues of the U12. If I can’t carry the NFB-28 in my pocket, at least I have the next best thing.
I must admit, I will find it difficult to go back to traditional IEMs after this. The ADEL technology makes too great a difference. There’s no proof it accomplishes the health goals Ambrose set out for, but on a strictly sound and “feel” level, something fabulous is happening here. 64Audio did us all a favor by failing to reconcile with Asius, as they’re now free to collaborate with whomever they choose. Ambrose is already working with Empire Ears, the makers of the current God of IEMs, The Zeus. I’m terribly eager to see the fruits of that union.
In the meanwhile, I have my replacement for Angie. And much, much more. I seem to have stumbled onto an IEM that lays to waste every expectation I harbored. The 64Audio ADEL U12 with the B1 Module is god-tier, and everything I look for in life.
Thanks!