Nice review... I’m a recent recipient of the U12t and likewise it has become my endgame. I am only looking at lower priced iems for work now.

Excellent review. No joke, but you're now the third person I know (including myself) that considers the U12t + HD800 their mobile and desktop endgame. Like you these two (and particularly the U12t) have doused the fire that was my audio gear addiction, to the point where I'm struggling to stay interested. In fact, once the two aftermarket cables I've ordered arrive, I'm not sure what I'm going to keep myself busy with on the audio front. Maybe I'll just listen to music!

Wonderful read and I kept nodding my head in agreement - in a very similar situation and too have found the U12t and HD800 pairing has ended my unquenchable thirst for research and incessant search for the next utopia. Also very similarly - I had an issue with the mesh in the nozzle coming out upon using the cleaning brush. Happened the very first time I cleaned it. 64 Audio assisted with the fix (some concern raised about their QC process in that they said no glue was even used in that pair) and cost a pretty penny to ship back and forth across the world, but ultimately the issue was fixed.

I had the same problem with the grill coming off when I used the cleaning tool. How did they fix it btw?

In my case glue. Lots of glue

@xenithon, isn't it a little worrying that glue's all there is holding a bit of fine metal mesh from falling into the body of your $2k IEMs? I find it strange that significantly cheaper IEMs have much better solutions to this problem.

Wow, I did not realize that the grill issue was this prevalent. In that case, it seems like a sore spot in an otherwise pretty nice construction.

Nice review! However, in my opinion, I think that there is too much hype about the u12t' bass (lows overall), especially if you are bass-head. The lows are fast, precise (in the terms of details and layering), but still lacks the DD' kick (Just my opinion, but I did a lot of listening and comparing). Of course, for the pure BA', the bass represents higher standard without doubts.

I think you also have to factor in the effect of the Apex system, which further reduces the 'pressure' inside your ears but at the cost of that 'kick' you speak of. To me it's subtle but evident, and while I've always been a DD bass fan, I don't think I can go back to 'unprotected' DD IEM bass now that I've felt the benefits of Apex for myself. For the same reason I don't think you'll find the Tia Trio or Fourte have the same kick as other TOTL hybrid DD IEMs, and from everything I've read, the U12t's bass is right up there with those two.

Any chance you got to compare them to the Campfire Audio Andromeda Special Edition: Gold ?

@gLer I think that it comes to the personal preferences anyway (as usual ). You won't squeeze the same out of 30 BA as of a DD in certain aspects, but DD can't compare in precision, etc.

Personally, I find that I like the feel of the U12t's bass -- as you said it all comes down to preference ... there is a time and place for DD bass as I first entered the hobby as a wanna-be basshead, but after a while the thump can be a bit much for my eardrums -- not quantity, but just how hard some DD IEMs have hit