This is my first review. I do not consider myself an audiophile with golden ears, so take my impressions with a grain of salt. My intention is to help others out who have not had the chance to listen to the Rockets. My impressions of the Rockets will come out of my experience from other IEMs that i've owned / auditioned at length.
I've been eyeing the Aurisonics Rockets for quite a while now, and was fortunate to come across them at the Australian AV show held in Melbourne. I even got Dale to sign my copy, pretty cool I must say. Anyways, on to the review.
Build and comfort:
I really like their build quality. I got the standard brushed titanium with white cabling (red/blue cross hatch). This is probably my only pair of IEMs which I have no intention of babying and I find it incredibly liberating. Too often I worry about damaging my other IEMs by accidentally knocking, dropping or tugging. During the Expo, I gave the Rockets a considerable tug with Dale (my arms were sore after that) and they came away literally unscathed. Knowing that these are built ruggedly gives me an added peace of mind. I can quickly stuff them into a my jeans pocket and not have to worry about them even while I sit on them. Perhaps my only small complaint with them is that the angled headphone jack is slightly too large and protrusive, so care must be taken not to bend them. Obviously time and use will be a true indicator of their ruggedness, but from what I've seen so far, I have confidence in them. Dale jokingly said that if there was only one earphone he could use during an apocalypse, the Rockets would be the one. Quite a testament.
Comfort wise, I have mentioned earlier in the Rockets thread that i’m having issues with the included SureSeal tips and this continues to be an issue for me. I find their texture too grippy and dry, causing me to exert considerable force just to insert them into my ear canals to achieve a seal. Adding a little bit of moisturiser helps alleviate this issue, but in the end, I opted for my other silicone tips as those provide a much better fit. The Rockets have a regular 5mm nozzle, so tip choices should be plentiful. I generally prefer to use them in an over-ear configuration and I find that they sit well despite not using the provided anti-loop accessory. Going over-ear also reduced cable microphonics considerably as the cable is on the stiffer side and hence, conducts sound more easily over a softer one. I am still unsure about the tri-tab collar as I do not find them very useful, perhaps i'm missing something here?
Sound:
Initial audition:
As mentioned earlier, the first time I put these on were at the Australian AV Show. I auditioned them for about 10 minutes with my HM-901. I was immediately struck by their neutrality (indeed Dale confirmed that they were tuned flat). The sound was uncoloured and there was something special about the mids, they sounded so natural. I generally prefer a neutral sound signature and with the added robustness of the Rockets, it was a no brainer for me. May I add also that the Rockets are slightly harder to drive than my other IEMs (with the exception of the ER4S).
Longer-term report:
Bass:
The rockets have very well controlled bass. Bass is quick and tight and does not ‘leak’ into the upper registers. It is slightly lean, but with this comes great texture and control. There is a lack of sub-bass though, which could do with a little bit more extension and rumble. Comparing to the ER4S however, the Rockets bass have considerably more body and ‘oomph’, which was one of my biggest gripes with the ER4S. Previous ER4S owners will find the bass very welcoming indeed. Bass heads may find the Rockets slightly anaemic.
Mids:
I would say that they are mid-centric, but the mids are where the Rockets truly shine. Vocals are rendered smoothly with great sense of airiness without sounding artificial. Being mid-centric, vocals do sound more forward sounding and the impression that I get is that the singer is performing right in front of you. In contrast, my Hifiman RE-600 has a very laid back mid signature and depending on how you prefer your music, the RE-600 gives you the impression that you’re listening to a live concert albeit standing a distance away from the stage. Mids on the Rockets are very detailed as well, being able to pick up every little detail without much effort. I enjoy the mids so much that I would go as far to say that they are up there with my upper tier IEMs.
Treble:
The treble is non-fatiguing, clear and airy, although I feel like it could use a little bit more extension to add some sparkle especially to the cymbals. As such, the treble takes a back seat behind the midrange and can make certain instruments sound less lively. Those who are sensitive to treble aggression however, will love the Rockets as they are very easy to listen to for long periods of time. An added benefit is that sibilance is almost non-existent on them, even while playing tracks that I know are prone to sibilance. I found the Rockets treble more natural sounding than its older brother ASG-2.5, which were a bit too harsh and metallic at times.
Soundstage and imaging:
The Rockets have a decent soundstage. Not 1plus2 huge, but definitely larger than say the ER4S or Westone W40 and probably on par with the RE-600 (non-balanced mode). There is a good sense of separation between each instrument which adds to the feeling of ‘being there’ in your music. Pairing with the HM-901, I am able to distinctly determine where each instrument is without much effort with a good sense of 3D-ness. The sound generally extends out and over your ears, unlike the more confined suspects like the ER4S where it sounds restricted to a bubble in your head with very distinct left-right sound directionality. Sound depth / layering is decent, but being mid-centric the treble and bass can sometimes sound 'blended' on one plane, with the mids sticking out forward.
Overall:
I am very pleased with my purchase. Not only do the Rockets sound good, they're also durable. If I could add anything to them, it would be a greater extension on both the lows and highs, but hey, you can't have everything right? Their non-fatiguing character allows for an enjoyable listen especially for vocals. These are now my go-to earphones when i'm active on the go. I was told that the best earphone is the one you have with you all the time - and I think the Rockets qualify for this.
Thank you for your time.
I've been eyeing the Aurisonics Rockets for quite a while now, and was fortunate to come across them at the Australian AV show held in Melbourne. I even got Dale to sign my copy, pretty cool I must say. Anyways, on to the review.
Build and comfort:
I really like their build quality. I got the standard brushed titanium with white cabling (red/blue cross hatch). This is probably my only pair of IEMs which I have no intention of babying and I find it incredibly liberating. Too often I worry about damaging my other IEMs by accidentally knocking, dropping or tugging. During the Expo, I gave the Rockets a considerable tug with Dale (my arms were sore after that) and they came away literally unscathed. Knowing that these are built ruggedly gives me an added peace of mind. I can quickly stuff them into a my jeans pocket and not have to worry about them even while I sit on them. Perhaps my only small complaint with them is that the angled headphone jack is slightly too large and protrusive, so care must be taken not to bend them. Obviously time and use will be a true indicator of their ruggedness, but from what I've seen so far, I have confidence in them. Dale jokingly said that if there was only one earphone he could use during an apocalypse, the Rockets would be the one. Quite a testament.
Comfort wise, I have mentioned earlier in the Rockets thread that i’m having issues with the included SureSeal tips and this continues to be an issue for me. I find their texture too grippy and dry, causing me to exert considerable force just to insert them into my ear canals to achieve a seal. Adding a little bit of moisturiser helps alleviate this issue, but in the end, I opted for my other silicone tips as those provide a much better fit. The Rockets have a regular 5mm nozzle, so tip choices should be plentiful. I generally prefer to use them in an over-ear configuration and I find that they sit well despite not using the provided anti-loop accessory. Going over-ear also reduced cable microphonics considerably as the cable is on the stiffer side and hence, conducts sound more easily over a softer one. I am still unsure about the tri-tab collar as I do not find them very useful, perhaps i'm missing something here?
Sound:
Initial audition:
As mentioned earlier, the first time I put these on were at the Australian AV Show. I auditioned them for about 10 minutes with my HM-901. I was immediately struck by their neutrality (indeed Dale confirmed that they were tuned flat). The sound was uncoloured and there was something special about the mids, they sounded so natural. I generally prefer a neutral sound signature and with the added robustness of the Rockets, it was a no brainer for me. May I add also that the Rockets are slightly harder to drive than my other IEMs (with the exception of the ER4S).
Longer-term report:
Bass:
The rockets have very well controlled bass. Bass is quick and tight and does not ‘leak’ into the upper registers. It is slightly lean, but with this comes great texture and control. There is a lack of sub-bass though, which could do with a little bit more extension and rumble. Comparing to the ER4S however, the Rockets bass have considerably more body and ‘oomph’, which was one of my biggest gripes with the ER4S. Previous ER4S owners will find the bass very welcoming indeed. Bass heads may find the Rockets slightly anaemic.
Mids:
I would say that they are mid-centric, but the mids are where the Rockets truly shine. Vocals are rendered smoothly with great sense of airiness without sounding artificial. Being mid-centric, vocals do sound more forward sounding and the impression that I get is that the singer is performing right in front of you. In contrast, my Hifiman RE-600 has a very laid back mid signature and depending on how you prefer your music, the RE-600 gives you the impression that you’re listening to a live concert albeit standing a distance away from the stage. Mids on the Rockets are very detailed as well, being able to pick up every little detail without much effort. I enjoy the mids so much that I would go as far to say that they are up there with my upper tier IEMs.
Treble:
The treble is non-fatiguing, clear and airy, although I feel like it could use a little bit more extension to add some sparkle especially to the cymbals. As such, the treble takes a back seat behind the midrange and can make certain instruments sound less lively. Those who are sensitive to treble aggression however, will love the Rockets as they are very easy to listen to for long periods of time. An added benefit is that sibilance is almost non-existent on them, even while playing tracks that I know are prone to sibilance. I found the Rockets treble more natural sounding than its older brother ASG-2.5, which were a bit too harsh and metallic at times.
Soundstage and imaging:
The Rockets have a decent soundstage. Not 1plus2 huge, but definitely larger than say the ER4S or Westone W40 and probably on par with the RE-600 (non-balanced mode). There is a good sense of separation between each instrument which adds to the feeling of ‘being there’ in your music. Pairing with the HM-901, I am able to distinctly determine where each instrument is without much effort with a good sense of 3D-ness. The sound generally extends out and over your ears, unlike the more confined suspects like the ER4S where it sounds restricted to a bubble in your head with very distinct left-right sound directionality. Sound depth / layering is decent, but being mid-centric the treble and bass can sometimes sound 'blended' on one plane, with the mids sticking out forward.
Overall:
I am very pleased with my purchase. Not only do the Rockets sound good, they're also durable. If I could add anything to them, it would be a greater extension on both the lows and highs, but hey, you can't have everything right? Their non-fatiguing character allows for an enjoyable listen especially for vocals. These are now my go-to earphones when i'm active on the go. I was told that the best earphone is the one you have with you all the time - and I think the Rockets qualify for this.
Thank you for your time.
