AüR Audio Ascension
Disclaimer
The Ascension is my fourth IEM from AüR Audio, I bought it with a very small discount. All impressions are my own subjective thoughts after having used them for a good time. I am a customer of AüR, I get nothing for writing this. These are my thoughts at this moment, and as time moves I might change my opinion.
This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you.
While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.
Ranking System:
1 Very bad or unlistenable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce
My rating system highly values what is musical, so my rating will always be a subjective opinion.
About me and my gear used for the review
My audio preference is neutral with increased low end, mids can be forward but not too much. I can also handle some treble spikes if it is not excessive. I am a believer in having different tuned IEMs for different genres or moods instead of chasing the single perfect one.
Main music genres I listen to are Metal, Electronica, Jazz, Indy rock/metal, R&B, Pop. I am a music lover, and can also listen to almost all the genres out there. I have been into music gear since the mid 90s, gifted some big speakers at an early age. Then moved more and more into headphones with the Koss Porta Pro and a Sony Discman and Minidisc.
I have also tried playing many instruments over the years from piano to sax and have a feel for what's a natural tone, but not the biggest patience in learning to play. My wife has also played many instruments from string to wind instruments and also piano.
My current standard in Headphones is ZMF Verite Open and Beyerdynamic T1 G2.
My current favorites in IEMs are AüR Audio Neon Pro, Sound Rhyme DTE900 and 634ears Miroak-II. The NEON PRO has 10 BAs, and has a near perfect tonality for me on the brighter side. DTE900 is a tribrid with 1+4+4 config, tuned W shape being energetic and lush. Miroak-II is my favorite single DD, it has a warm and bassy sound that is also very natural sounding.
Gear used in the main rig is Topping E70 DAC together with the Topping A90 Discrete headphone Amp. I also have a Schiit Lokuis I can swap in if I want to do a little analogue EQ.
Portable gear used during the review is HIBY R6 Pro 2, Colorfly CMA M1P Cayin RU7.
I have a good range of cables from Clan Audio, Penon, NiceHCK, XINHS, DUNU, Effect Audio and Gladiator Cables.
Who is Aür Audio
AüR Audio is a Singapore brand who makes in-ear monitors and is founded by two friends, Nicholas Teo and Abel Hsu. It is a small business where Abel handles the research and development while Nicholas manages the sales, marketing and distribution.
The IEMs are now 3D printed and handmade by Abel from start to end, carefully ensuring that everything is perfect with a quality control that is above the usual chi-fi market. The earlier models from before Aurora were not 3D printed and is a new way for AüR to have higher QC and productivity forward.
https://www.auraudio.store/
Allure 6 BA (Discontinued)
Neon 10 BA (Discontinued)
Neon Pro 10 BA
Aure 8mm DD and 6 BA (Discontinued)
Alita 12 BA
Aurora 2 DD and 6 BA
Ascension 1 DD, 5BA and 2EST
Allusion Configuration unknown
So what is the Ascension
The Ascension is AüR Audio latest IEM release, it will be the fourth IEM in their current lineup.
This is their first Tribrid, meaning it's a hybrid IEM with 3 different driver technologies. It is also their first product with an EST driver.
10mm Dynamic Driver in PU+PEEK material driven by a N54 magnet
5 Balanced Armatures, 4 E-Audio Improved RAB Dual Drivers and 1 Knowles Tweeter
2 Sonion EST
They have focused on selling the Ascension in the cheapest way possible. Accessories and cable are not much, but enough to get you going. The cable is the same as on the Alita and Aurora, a much nicer cable than the Neon Pro and Aure cable. Silver plated copper with soft and flexible blue fabric, you also get a hard case with some tips.
The form factor is very ergonomic and the shells are medium/large in size, they are also very light. AüR knows how to make comfortable shells, same goes for the nozzles having good length while not too long. If there is one design problem, the nozzle is on the larger side. Good for me as I normally use large tips, this just means I have to use medium.
https://www.auraudio.store/product-page/ascnesion
Taken from the product listing:
Timbre
First off, what is Timbre?
From the Wikipedia:
The
Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Acoustical Terminology definition 12.09 of timbre describes it as "that attribute of auditory sensation which enables a listener to judge that two nonidentical sounds, similarly presented and having the same loudness and
pitch, are dissimilar", adding, "Timbre depends primarily upon the frequency spectrum, although it also depends upon the sound pressure and the temporal characteristics of the sound"
First minutes of trying a new set of gear, what I always listen to is how natural and musical it sounds. Much of this goes down to how I perceive the Timbre.
Organic is my first word on how Ascension timbre is, it's quite effortless sounding with warm but natural sound. I have another IEM that I also would categorize as organic, that is 634ears Miroak-II. The Miroak-II also has been my favorite single DD and maybe my overall favorite IEM, for me this means that Ascension has nailed the timbre in a similar way.
Warm low end that is not overly boosted, with excellent textured quality. Mids that are rich and lush, with very natural portrayals of both voices and instruments. Highs that are not veiled and not peaky or exaggerated, with an airy and good extension.
Going to use the ranges here in review:
Details and soundstage
The soundstage is rather wide and deep, with good imaging qualities of the stage.
Ascension has a 3D like soundstage, the soundstage feels wide and also reaches to the sides and backwards slightly. Its also the first IEM from AüR where I get a bigger sense of the height in the music.
Very easy to position elements in the music as in where they are located, and has also good height. For me a very dynamic soundstage, just remember that stage is very personal due to anatomy of the ear.
Bass
The low end on Ascension is excellent, it has the best textured bass of all their models.
People were maybe expecting a basshead IEM having heard about the extra strong N54 magnet, this is not the case. The bass amount is warm, but it's still within what's natural so it has a good balance with the rest.
Sub bass extends low and has good elevation, music or movies that use sub bass take good use of it. Can both give you a nice rumble in speedy electronica or when the pipe organ goes low, and it always sounds real in a way that BA drivers never can.
Mid bass is very fun and natural, the speed is just right. It's not unnaturally fast with speedy decay, and it's not slow and dulls down music. Just have a good balance in the speed, I also believe this matches the qualities of the driver material. The driver material is similar to the Aurora, it's very textured and nimble. But it takes it up a notch with more quantity of mid bass that also blends deeper into the midrange, much more to my liking.
When Ascension wants to slam it slams, when it wants to portray the double bass strings resonate it does that. The slam is not visceral, but it's also not dry or wet. It's back to why I also call it organic, it just sounds correct. It excels at natural playback and is also very resolving, this is maybe one the Ascensions main strengths. The bass notes are always textured and resolving, BA drivers can never touch this and same goes for many other dynamic drivers.
Some that are used to speedy bass from BA IEMs or just a super fast DD will maybe be letdown, if so give it time to adjust.
Mids
After my glowing words about the bass, the midrange will just sound like I am a total shiller.
The first thing that struck me was DD, this sounds much more DD like in the midrange. Aure had a midrange that was very lush and natural, this due to the driver also going into the midrange. I have not been able to confirm this about the Ascension, but to me it does sound like the DD enters the midrange together with the BA drivers.
Vocals have a natural sound to them, that I most often that only DD drivers manage. Both male and female vocals have extra body to them, this is to my preference. People who prefer vocals with no weight or soul added to them should avoid Ascension, but even so I would categorize the vocal as clear and open sounding. I find both male and females to be equally good, very nuanced and lush.
Then over to string instruments in jazz and orchestra, they are so detailed and emotional. Same goes for electric guitar and other instruments, I like this forward and rich way of presenting the midrange. At the same time as it's forward it's kind of smooth and forgiving, so I don't get fatigued as easily.
It also remains shrill free on most brass instruments, and should be very safe unless you really can not handle instruments like sax or trumpet. But even if its not sharp its also not veiled, it has a good balance in my opinion.
Treble
The treble range is well extended and airy, without being peaky or unnatural, the EST is probably what is making the air so shimmery and smooth.
Due to some early talk about how they first wanted to tune the Ascension I expected a high range to be bright and overly extended, more than what I like.
The low treble has good clarity and is not dark or veiled, no sibilance and not dull. People who know me know that I don't like huge sibilance dips. But here AüR has always nailed a good balance, I do think the dip is slightly larger than Neon Pro.
In return we get clear and detailed treble that is not fatiguing in any way, the amount is also very pleasing and in balance with the bass and mid range.
Cymbal crash or metal percussion have zing to them, but not the most I have heard. Amount is more suiting and not piercing, but still has the clarity it deserves for natural portraying. And going into the upper treble it's clear that we have a natural amount, and can clearly get a good sense of shimmery air. I am sensitive to boosted air, if it's too much like with 64audio U4s I get a headache very fast and find it unnatural. But for some this is what they prefer, can be to just preference or lack upper treble hearing in 15-18k hz. On Ascension you will get that natural amount of boosted air, that is pleasing and never fatiguing.
Synergies
A small part about what gear I have been enjoying the most with the Ascension.
On sources I have liked it on whatever I plugged it into, be it a DAP like HIBY R6 Pro 2 or FIIO M11s. It seems to scale with power and sound really good out of the Topping A90 Discrete desktop amp, helps it sound more spacious and has a more punchy bass then. Another pairing that I loved was with Cayin RU7, it just added to the richness of the sound while also keeping the sound clear.
Have also tried my usual tips, being Kbear 07, Tri Clarion, JVC Spiral Dot and Final Audio Type E.
In this period of getting Ascension I also acquired some Divinus Velvet and Eletech Baroque, both of them are excellent and do open up the sound more than the models mentioned before.
Another very good tip is the TANCHJIM T-APB bass tips, they have open highs like Baroque but a tighter but less low end. Overall my favorite is Baroque due to comfort and the fullest sound.
Music
I will just talk about some of the music I like, the music I use here are some of my reference tracks and also just some I like. When I am listening to music and not evaluating, I prefer to listen to whole albums. When comparing Ascension to other sets I have used the tracks listed here and more.
Polyphia - Playing God
Polyphia is a instrumental progressive rock group formed in Texas, earlier works were more into metal also. Often they blend different styles of music into their works.
Playing God is an instrumental track with drums, bass guitar and two guitars with nylon strings.
Since Ascension has a slower and more organic sound I had a thought I would feel it lacking on Playing God, but no it just makes the track more enjoyable. Some might prefer more clarity and less richness than Ascension, for example Neon Pro delivers that instead. But the more time I have had with Ascension I prefer it more as it's more organic and engaging. Ascension has some really nice decay that suits the drums and strings here, and it can never get fatiguing.
Søren Bebe Trio - Here Now
Jazz trio from Denmark introduced by my friend Carlos, they use piano, drums and double bass. Beautiful arrangement with great dynamic sound, nice small nuances all over. Like how the cymbals are hit or how the bass is plucked, really great emotion in everything and it is not done at random. The piano is gently played, with high resolution. This is their newest album and the first track on it, it gives you a full taste of their soothing jazz.
The piano is clean and crisp, the drums have good clarity on both the cymbals and kicks. The bass plucks has convincing tonality, but ain't as forward as the piano and cymbals. But that is also very natural in how it's in the track. But best of all is just how spacious and lively it is, this is what I call a wonderful IEM for jazz like this. Capture the emotions and richness it deserves.
Joaquín Cornejo - Say no More (feat. Wabi Sabi)
A tribalish track with nice rhythm and atmosphere, absolutely suits more analog and rich IEMs. There are nice percussion instruments like drums and wood instruments, also a hang drum.
I love the Ascension here, it's like built for the music and captures all the ambience. Drums are rich and nuanced, the hang drum is vibrant and intoxicating. This music is good on many IEMs, but there is something special on Ascension.
Dead Can Dance - Anabasis
The vocals and spatial cues are epic and also perfect for checking soundstage and microdetail. With the Ascension the space is very large. The drum here is supposed to sound big and heavy, it is an epic experience on the Ascension. Reminds me almost of a ritual about to happen, with many drums being hit in unison.
Her vocal when it starts is powerful and clear, emotional in a way that for example Neon Pro can not do. Ascension is made for this ambience, it feels like you are in an endless large room with how the bass decays. Her voice is so vibrant and emotional, this is also where I am pretty sure the DD helps the midrange.
Alcest - Kodama
French post metal band, recently been listening to their albums a lot. More on the melodic side, but some tracks still have a good bite. While it might be less aggressive it's still much happening, and some sets can get congested. Aurora is like this where it might sound a little strained when much is happening, Ascension handles this much better but is still a step beyond Neon Pro.
Ascension is good at capturing the instruments or his vocal, it also sounds spacious with good separation of the instruments. Guitars have a nice bite but also a touch of analog sound to them, the drums are tactile and vibrant sounding.
Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing
A good old classic, dedicated this song to Nicholas from AüR Audio. Probably Dire Straits most popular track, typical rock instruments like guitar, drums and bass. He has a very cool singing voice, it suits the track.
The balance between the guitars, bass, voice and drum kit has a tasteful balance on Ascension. Not sounding too thick or lean, it also has a good balance of not making the transients from the cymbal be too piercing. For example the Neon Pro has cymbal and guitar parts here that can make me uncomfortable, but this also means that the transients are slightly softer on the Ascension.
I would say that is also one of the Ascension’s strong points, it helps music that is sharp or piercing to be more pleasurable. Especially good on older rock or pop recordings.
Eivør - Slør
Eivør is a Faroese singer-songwriter and actress, who got her on my radar since a friend from Island listened to her. This particular song also has an English version, but the original captures more emotion and nuances. Even If I don't understand much of the language.
About the dark time of the year on Faroe Islands. For people who live up in the north we are used to cold and long winters where almost no sun comes up, Eivør loves the dark and airy feeling of this time. Slør literally means ¨veil¨as in the dark veiled land.
One of Ascension's main strengths is emotional female vocals, also with the spacious sound Slør sounds quite remarkable. Eivør's voice has good depth and height, and it makes you feel like you are in a big room surrounded by sound.
Melanio De Biasio - With All My Love
Melanie De Biasio is a Belgian vocalist who mixes jazz, blues, and soul. She has a darker voice that suits this track exceptionally well, the dark background let her and instruments be very clear and separated.
First off Ascension as mentioned earlier has an emotional and rich midrange, Melandio is both rich and nuanced here. Piano has a good timbre and sparkle, same for the cymbals. The dynamics are excellent, and Ascension is very resolving here.
JEON SOMI - Fast Forward
Jeon Somi is a South Korean and Canadian artist, she has some very popular K-pop tracks like the one here. Fast Forward has energy and rhythm, a very addictive and fun track. Not the biggest dynamic range as much pop music is like these days, but is still a very good track for testing vocals and how fun it sounds.
Ascension sounds full and has great bass that really punches, full dance factor for me. She also sounds fun and clear, not too thick or thin. Before this I used Aurora for K-pop, now Ascesnion has taken over that spot as it's more fun and full sounding .
Geoff Castellucci - Sixteen Tons
Very cool singer who is a bass singer, very perfect track to check how good the mids and bass is.
For it to sound full and good you need natural decay, too fast and it gets wrong. Ascension also nails that speed part excellent, and has a very natural decay. And the midrange being so lush makes it all sound very full and epic, some real good bass also.
Hart, Wolff & Hennings - Towards the Bending of the Heart
This song is a very odd one, and it has one purpose for me, checking the amount of air in a set.
Percussions are used here making harmonics up in the air region, this shows if a set got more air up top. Unless you have reduced hearing in the upper ranges,you might not notice the air detail.
Ascension has an airy sound that is not sharp, almost so transients are slightly rounded and the air has some extra euphonic shimmery sound to it. This is also compared to some of other sets also using EST for the highs.
David Sanborn - Isn't She Lovely
One of my faovorite Alto sax players, he has a beautiful and smooth sound on his Alto. Having played sax I appreciate the skilled players out there like David, he has lots of skill and can play very soft and mellow to be on an alto.
I often listen to jazz with brass instruments when evaluating audio, first of just to see how beautiful and real it sounds. Secondly to hear if it's too forward and shrill, on this track David plays quite forward. If sensitive to sax playing this is a good song for testing if it's tolerable or not for you.
The Ascension has a good bite on the sax playing and it sounds very natural, maybe slightly rounded and more pleasing than what's real. I would say that the amount of bite it has should be acceptable for most people, except for the very sensitive.
Eprom - Lose My Breath
I use this track for one thing, bass amount and how good it is. It has some really deep sub bass that is textured and changing, really hard for BA to do correct.
While Ascension has no basshead amount, it's still warm and forward. And the best part is maybe the nuanced and textured bass. Ascension has good balance on the speed where both rumble or slam are good.
Comparisons
When evaluating the sets I use experience from the past and fresh comparing, it takes a long time and not done in one sitting. The most critical comparison is done on my desktop setup that is highly resolving, with volume matching through a microphone to take away loudness variance.
The spider chart is slightly exaggerated on some points to show differences.
AüR Audio Neon Pro
Neon Pro is a IEM from AüR Audio that has 10 balanced armatures per side, it is maybe my favorite set from AüR and my standard in coherent tonality from BA drivers. My version is from 2022 when they made them all by hand, so the shell is translucent and has an oval nozzle that is small and comfortable. The switch on Neon Pro is OFF during this review, even if I prefer it on.
This is my most comfortable IEM, it's like they used my ears for the design. For many other people it's not as good, especially due to the wing. This wing is not there on Ascension making it more ergonomic for more people. With the downside of Ascension comfort being the nozzle width, here NP has very small nozzles on the handmade version.
The Neon Pro is very sensitive and I need a lot less power for them to sound good, but similarly to Ascension it has better slam and dynamics when used on powerful desktop gear.
The resolution on Neon Pro is extremely good, it has a high level clarity in both the midrange and treble. Also has a good dynamic range and is never congested or slow sounding, also why it's so good with hectic metal music. Ascension is about as resolving as Neon Pro depending on the freq range, Neon Pro slightly better on mids. While Ascension has better bass and upper treble resolution. An interesting thing is that Neon Pro has an insanely black background in the music, the Ascension can not touch the same level there. I think this is one of the big positives of the all BA sets, this also adds to a more resolving sound.
Soundstage and imaging is an interesting one, originally I did find Neon Pro to have a quite wide and deep stage. It's still large but I also heard some other IEMs that exceed it, Ascension is one of them. Depth forward is very similar, the width is where the change is larger on Ascension. Ascension has a more 3D-like space that reaches higher and further behind you, both are still IEMs of course and will not have a headphone depth.
The Neon Pro has very good bass extension with very convincing BA bass, which imo sounds better than many dynamic drivers on the correct music. It's still not a dynamic driver, so the decay and texture is behind a good dynamic driver. Sub bass goes deep but would have benefited by more amount, here the Ascension has more. It also sounds better, with a more convincing sub bass texture. Especially noticeable on the Lose My Breath track where in my opinion Neon Pro gets a rating of 2 of 6.
Mid bass is good on both and has almost the same amount, the Neon pro can slam really good for a BA. The mid bass and slam is the more convincing part of the BA bass, it's really good and has fast decay. Very good on certain music where its excellent, rock and metal is one of those.
Ascension also has a good slam, but decay slower. Just more natural sounding, and has a richer tonality to it.
Midrange of the Neon Pro is highly transparent due to the drivers chosen, and also due to the pina gain being elevated early in the QDC style. Very good for having a clear and detailed midrange, but also means it can get tiresome over time or with some music. This is also why I always use the Neon Pro with the switch ON, as this balances out some of the upper mids.
Female vocals are very good and airy on Neon Pro, Ascension lacks some of that. Instead you get more rich females on Ascension, the females are more forward in the music. I would always pick Ascension for female vocalists, as it sounds more pleasing and engaging.
Males have good fullness on both of them, specially when using the Neon Pro with the switch ON. But with it off on Neon Pro the Ascension has a little more husk in the males, again that I prefer. There is also some added resolving sound on Ascension, again back to the DD that also covers some of the male voices.
String instruments like double bass and cello sound good on both, but the Neon Pro can at times sound a little less dynamic. But this is also due to the bass and the dynamic driver, very similar to what happens on male vocals.
Up in the midrange they are both good, the Neon Pro is more clear and forward. This is good for clarity but does also make some music tiresome, example can be the Isn't She Lovely by David Sanborn. It's too much for me on Neon Pro, while Ascension is a joyful experience.
There is also how the midrange sounds, the Ascension has almost a more dynamic and rich sound to it. Transients can be said to be best on Neon Pro, but it also depends what you like. The Ascension has more rounded transients, less sharp. Both sound natural, but it is musical vs analytical almost.
Neon Pro is quite airy and forward in its upper treble, still less than models that have a more exaggerated amount. I find the low treble more forward on Neon Pro, while the upper treble and air being more on Ascension. The air also has a more velvety tonality, making it more pleasing.
AüR Audio Aurora
This is a hybrid from AüR, it has 2 dynamic drivers for the low end. 4BA for the midrange and 2BA for the highs, the midrange drivers are of the same brand on both. The bass driver is also interesting, similar material on both but different sizes and magnets. So its two 7.5mm in Aurora and a 10 mm in Ascension, a very nimble and textured material.
Both have very similar shells, the biggest difference is the nozzle. It's very long on Aurora and more normal on the Ascension, and the nozzle is the other way and is maybe 1 mm wider on Ascension. I can use one larger tip size on Aurora, but even so both are very comfortable for me. They both have about the same sensitivity, but for some reason the Ascension seems to scale better with more powerful desktop gear.
Looking at resolution then the Ascension is a step above, it has more details showing even if sound is also thicker. Especially in the midrange and treble, just more that is going and it sounds more open. I would still not categorize any of them as detail monsters, they just have a good amount of detail that is good for their price point.
Soundstage on the Aurora is very 3D and extends slightly above what an average IEM does, the Ascension has more depth and width. Extend also more to the sides and behind you, so in a way more 3D than Aurora with a larger projection.
The low end are very good on both, specially in how dynamic and textured they are. They both excel at natural playback of acoustic instruments in the bass range, not sounding too fast and not sounding too slow. Both extend low with good sub bass, the amount of sub bass is very similar. On some sub bass focused parts the Aurora can seem to have more due to less mid bass, but when volume matched the amount is just about the same. Mid bass is the biggest difference of the two, here the Ascension has more in volume. This makes music sound more full and lively, and is much more to my preference.
If we look at how they slam it's actually a little different, Aurora can slam quite hard and fast due to the double drivers that are smaller. The Ascension slam is bigger, but it is also softer in the rebound making it sound slightly slower. Talking small differences here and my preference is Ascension, I have had some slow sets in the past like the Serial and this is faster than that. There is something about the Ascension that makes it seem more resolving in bassy electronica and bass rhythms, something about the decay and texture.
Female vocals on Aurora are leaner and cleaner, they have similar texture but the more weight on Ascension makes it more pleasing for maybe the audience in the west of the world, none of them have the poisonous female description. It's more about how clean the bass/mids is and not going into the midrange. This also means that it depends on the artist singing also, as some are brighter and some sing darker.
Males are also similar, but personally I find that the Aurora lacks weight to male voices. This is fixed on the Ascension where males have more body, it gives them more soul then.
There is really no winner in best presentation of vocals, and goes more down to preference.
Similar can be said when listening to string instruments like cello or double bass, the fuller sound makes it more lively and natural. I often use cello recordings as a guideline since my wife plays it, and the cellos on the Aurora can be a little soulless and thin compared to the real world.
Drums also have more girth to them on Ascension, it sounds again more dynamic and powerful versus the Aurora. Especially when listening to rock or metal the balance just sounds so much better on Ascension. Also since drums often use the bass, the decay and texture is more dynamic on Ascension.
What I find very interesting is that the midrange on Ascension is more open and less congested, even while being richer sounding. It manages busy music like death metal much better than the Aurora, so it's much easier to hear everything. Aurora has too little bass for metal, that's one thing but here I'm more thinking about how the midrange is. Aurora has been more suited to other genres than metal, and if it plays metal or rock it has to be with less complex and busy recordings.
Listening to brighter brass playing with sax they sound very similar, clear that they have similar midrange drivers. Difference is more in the weight they deliver in the rest of the frequency, due the warmer sound of the Ascension it balanced the sharp brass better. I find both exceptionally good and nuanced in the upper midrange, I love jazz and it should have bite.
Both the Aurora and Ascension have good upper midrange, and don't sound blunted or veiled. They also are not sibilant, this is a balance Abel is always good at. Some brands love to make big sibilance dips to make the sound more safe, this also kills the sound of cymbals, voices and brass instruments.
Treble is more relaxed on Aurora, for some this is perfect and makes it more easy to listen to. For others it takes away some of the music, I can like both ways. This is also one of the things that make Ascension more open and clear sounding than Aurora. What I find interesting is that while being forward on the Ascension it's not brighter or tiresome, it can be that I am not that sensitive to the 6-10k area. I can turn the volume loud on both sets without hearing it become shouty.
The upper treble or air is more forward as well as Aurora, more air and shimmer to the sound. Here the extra air has a more silky or velvet quality to it, that is sharper again on Aurora.
Sound Rhyme DTE900
This is a tribrid with 1DD + 4BA and 4EST, in my review I called it tribrid of the year. It has a warm, balanced and energetic sound. It is hard to position it as V shaped, it also has a good midrange but I wouldn't call it W shaped. In short I would say DTE900 is an energetic, clinical and warm IEM. While the Ascension is more natural, warm and musical.
Some IEMs find it very hard to say what's better when they also sound so different, DTE900 and Ascension are like this.
Dte900 has powerful and fast transients, energetic and technical. Maybe a little unpolished when comparing against some sets.
Ascension has a richer sound, more coherent. Not as technical and clean the same way. More thick transients, this also means it will sound slower. This also is one of the reasons it sounds richer, almost more like a nice single DD
Both have an ergonomic shell and a nice build quality, the DTE900 has a smaller nozzle and is longer. For me they are equally comfortable, maybe a small win to Ascension.
DTE900 requires less power and is more sensitive, for example DTE900 is low gain 35% on my A90 amp while Ascension is 44%.
The bass on DTE900 is faster than Ascension, but it doesn't sound slow on Ascension.
It's a trade with more organic and textured bass on Ascension, and DTE900 have snappier and cleaner bass.
Sub bass reaches deeper on Ascension and is more prominent, so if you listen to music that actually uses sub bass you get a more satisfying sub rumble.
Mid bass is very similar in amount, there is a difference in the texture. Both can slam good and it might be slightly stronger on DTE900, but the Ascension is more real if that makes sense.
I bet the material is stiffer in the DD on DTE900, while it's softer and more nimble in Ascension. But also due to the stronger than usual magnet it does not sound slow or fast.
Midrange on DTE900 goes far into midrange, but also due to the speedier nature of DTE900 it doesn't sound overly too thick in vocals and instruments. But it's still what some refer to as muddy midrange and makes everything thicker, this type of mids is also what some prefer as they find the clean style lifeless.
Ascension while going into midrange leans out earlier, and has more natural weight to both male and female voices.
The midrange is forward in both but is more coherent and natural on the whole midrange with Ascension, most noticeable on stuff like piano arrangements.
DTE900 has a very forward pina gain and upper midrange, this helps balance out some of the bass bleed. But it also makes some parts of the midrange seem less balanced, I wouldn't use DTE900 for piano playback to say it like this.
I would say the midrange is less soulful in DTE900, the Ascension has something extra making both instruments and voices have a more realistic timbre.
But this also makes Ascension slower sounding than DTE900, so for music that's technical and fast DTE900 is slightly better. But it also depends since it sounds richer on Ascension, so I still would pick Ascension more often than DTE900 for fast music.
I am not the most picky on speed as long it's not slow, and I would not categorize Ascension as slow.
Females have good clarity on both, but sound more natural on Ascension with more tasteful sound. It's forward in both of them, but also different. In a way it has more bite on DTE900 while Ascension is more rich, so listening to an airy vocalist that is close to sibilant the Ascension controls it more than DTE900.
Males are also similar and have good weight on both, and again here the added texture on Ascension makes it more natural and pleasing. This goes also for instruments like cello or guitars, they just sound more real and engaging.
Listening to instruments that make good use of the upper midrange it's clear that DTE900 is quite forward, borderline of my tolerance. But due to the bass it has been okay, but it also means it can limit the music genres.
So if I take a jazz album from Miles Davis that often has his trumpet, I will get fatigued quite fast on DTE900 and not on Ascension.
This is also since the pina gain and upper midrange is not as elevated on Ascension, a more approachable amount. It still has a good bite on brass and cymbals, but less than DTE900. So it's in no way veiled as some IEMs are, often happening on IEMs with large sibilance dips.
The highs are good on both, but extends more on Ascension with more air and has a more transparent sound. It's not brighter than DTE900, if one is brighter it is the DTE900. It's just that Ascension has more air, and it sounds more open up top.
Cymbal crashes have extra shimmery sound to them on Ascension, while DTE900 has more bite. The approach on Ascension has a better balanced high range than DTE900, and sounds better tuned to my ears.
Soundstage is very good on both, but the presentation is different. DTE900 projects the sound more forward, almost like you listen to two speakers. The Ascension also goes deep and wide, just maybe less than DTE900. What Ascenion does better is separation and more 3D in the stage, you are surrounded by the sound more. Goes more behind and to the sides, while DTE900 is projected more in front. Both are very good, just a different approach.
Resolution is a tough one, at first glance the DTE900 is powerful and highly resolving. The more I compared the two they are closer than what I first thought, the upper pina gain does add to what is sometimes called fake detail. Just means since it's elevated the details are also pushed forward, due the upper midrange is where clarity or presence is.
Listening closer to piano that often uses the whole range, the Ascension has the same amount of detail but is less in-your-face sounding. Due to the balanced tonality and air on the Ascension, I might say the Ascension has the most resolving sound. The Ascension has extra textured low end due to a more nimble driver, making string instruments in the low end more resolving.
Summary
The Ascension is my faovorite IEM from my collection, organic musicality.
Ascension has made me question what I love in audio, my collection has also been thinned after this arrival. The sound is the most organic and analogue sounding IEM from AüR, it's tasteful and the more I listen the more addicted I get. The sound is rich and engaging without resorting to energetic tuning, it's a very musical set where all my music plays well in a warm and natural way.
Is it for everyone, no IEM is. I love it and I bet many others will also do that. But it's clearly a sound that grows on you the more time that goes, a good friend said a nice quote about Ascension.
The Ascension is like eating at a high class restaurant where they serve a multi course meal with delicacies, you eat slowly and enjoy every tasteful bite. Some other IEMs will have that junk food kick that overflows your taste buds immediately, but then later on the course it's less tasteful. Quite the opposite approach of Ascension, and the more time that has gone the more I have loved it.
From my evaluation this is a 4.5 rating, but it get pushed up to 5 star since musicality is what I value the most.
Congrats again AüR Audio, another stellar one. Abel is a master at his craft, well done.
