[size=10pt]Intro[/size]
[size=10pt]This is a review of the Future Sonics Atrio MG7. This model of Atrio carry’s the latest MG7 drivers (I also recently realised the "MG" in the driver names is probably the initials of FS founder, Marty Garcia LOL), which are said to be a great improvement over the previous MG5pro driver (which was one ahead of the older MG5 driver), retails for $199 but I got mine for AU$160. This puts them at somewhat upper mid-level IEMs in terms of price but in terms of sound, IME they are much higher up the scale. In fact, it is very hard to find a negative review of these IEMs, the majority of negative statements about these is fit problems. I will talk about this later.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Out of the box, they sounded pretty good! Like any other dynamic driver IEM, the bass was pretty big and not so textured to begin with however, the Atrio still didn’t have much mid-bass bloat, which shows just how well tuned these things are! I allowed them to burn-in for about 50 hours before I started properly reviewing them. Please note that the Atrio’s really do need ~100 hours before the sound matures.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Packaging & Accessories[/size]
[size=10pt]The packaging is very simple but I like it. It comes in a brown, recycled paper box with a cardboard sleeve around it. I love this move towards certified recycled packaging (I have always hated non-recycled packaging since I was very young!). Inside the box, the IEM cable is coiled up in the case with just enough of the cable leading out of the case to the IEM drivers which are in a small plastic cover.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]The package includes: Atrio MG7 IEMs, zip carry case (really fantastic case, my favourite out of the ~12 cases I have laying around!), S/M/L bi-flange silicon tips, 2 pairs each of standard and large cream foams, 2 pairs each of standard and large black foams, cleaning tool. It’s a nice set of accessories and I like the recent introduction of the black foams.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Comfort & Isolation[/size]
[size=10pt]I find the Atrio to be one of the most comfortable IEM ever. It might be due to their shape which sort of moulds to the shape of the outer ear and fitted with the right tips, the isolation is fantastic where it can block out traffic noise on one of Sydney’s busiest arterial roads!!![/size]
 
[size=10pt]Tips about Tips:[/size]
[size=10pt]I tried a few different tips on the Atrio’s, here is what I found:[/size]

1. [size=10pt]Atrio stock bi-flanges: I believe these were used as torture tools in Ancient History. I think I remember reading about them in History class back in high-school!!! They are shockingly uncomfortable for me but the pity is that they actually sound great! They are “purpose built” for the Atrio’s. A lot of people put non-Atrio tips on and complain about sound quality, well I can confidently say that most non-Atrio tips change the sound signature intended by FS![/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]Atrio stock foam tips: I use the standard size as the large are way too large for me. I absolutely LOVE these tips. They are super comfortable, sound awesome!...better than the stock silicon tips because the foams project the exact sound FS intended and the sound stage is noticeable wider with the foams too. These are my tips of choice and I made a bulk purchase of these years ago with my old pair of Atrio’s. Yes, they are bloody expensive but I wash them in warm water, let them dry and they are as good as new (just don’t squeeze the water out of them as they will be ruined!)[/size]
2. NOTE: The black stock foams are denser than the yellows. This means the sound stage reduced a little, the highs are not as sparkly and the bass is not as open, the overall sound is a litttle "thicker", compared to the cream foams. The blacks do provide slightly better isolation but I prefer the cream foams. The blacks IMO will last longer and seem more dirt/wax resistant.

 

1. [size=10pt]Klipsch eargels: OK, here is a tip which is non-Atrio but definitely compliments the sound signature. The bass is not a tight as with the stock foam but pretty close. The mids and highs are retained to near perfect levels. The sound stage is definitely not as wide but isolation is great! Overall, these are my silicon tips of choice with the Atrio.[/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]JAYS silicon tips: I used these with the Monster eartip adapters. They sound decent enough but they somewhat lose out on the balanced/natural Atrio sound sig, which, let’s face it, is one of the major advantages with the Atrio! These are also the least isolating out of this entire comparison.[/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]Shure black foam (“olives”): These are the best foam tips ever made! They are super comfortable, last FOREVER, are washable but they are not the best with the Atrio. They will bloat the bass, push the mid-range forward and the highs take on a strange sparkle…not a natural sparkle, it’s kind of difficult to describe.[/size]

 
[size=10pt]I believe most people who have a negative experience with the Atrio is because of the fit. The shape of the driver casing means they are limited compared to other IEMs which can go much further in the ear canal due to their shapes. Negative comments are normally due to having fit problems with stock tips and replacing with other tips which don’t project the Atrio Fidelity.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Build & Cable[/size]
[size=10pt]The build quality seems excellent, just like with the previous Atrio’s. The cables are fantastic!!! Nice and solid, not rubbery and dont tangle very easily either. FS also call them “QuietCables” which seems quite true as microphonics are relatively much less on these.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Sound[/size]

1. [size=10pt]Out-of-the-Box:[/size] [size=10pt]Straight out of the box, the IEMs didn’t sound as “bad” as others, which was exciting. Although the bass was not as textured as my burned in older Atrio’s and the highs were not as smooth. I put them on the burn in process for 50hrs.[/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]Treble:[/size] [size=10pt]To start with, the highs didn’t present much smooth sparkle but as time went on, the sparkle came out more and more and the harshness decreased. I agree with other reviews stating there has been a significant upgrade with the high end where it is now much more forward and present compared to the older versions, this is a very welcome upgrade indeed! The highs carry fantastic energy, not at all shrill or harsh but still very clear, defined and sparkly…I love it![/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]Midrange[/size]: [size=10pt]Mids are extremely well presented. Vocals sound great, as if the vocalist and guitarist are right there with me or like a front row seat at a concert! As with the older Atrio, any stringed instrument, piano and chimes are absolutely magical, truly amazing![/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]Bass:[/size] [size=10pt]At first, the bass is not as textured like my older Atrio but the one thing you notice right away is the lack of mid-bass bloat and absolutely no mid-range bleed! As burn-in continues, the bass settles down but also gains an ability to produce amazing texture and separation e.g. notes on a double bass can easily be followed due to the texture and the separation between e.g. a double bass and the kick drum is very easy to define with the Atrio.[/size]

[size=10pt]Many people already know of one other quality unmatched in the IEM industry…the sub-bass. The Atrio drivers move so much air, the sub-[/size][size=10pt]bass can be felt and this is one of the most satisfying characteristics because you not only hear your music but you feel it, just like with a full size hi-fi system! I have yet to experience this with any other IEM! The TFTA 1XB come the closest but the speed and texture of the sub-bass on the Atrio can’t be matched.[/size]
 

1. [size=10pt]Soundstage and separation:[/size] [size=10pt]The sound stage is wide but with the stock foams becomes much wider and is quite impressive for a closed, dynamic driver IEM. The separation is fantastic, very clean and natural. This is the philosophy FS have about using dynamic drivers and not multi-BA with crossovers and this is quite evident when you listen to them.[/size]

 
[size=10pt]Overall[/size]
[size=10pt]The Atrio MG7, at ~$160, are a fantastic purchase. These do pretty much everything right and are industry leaders with the quality/texture/separation of the low end. There is a lot of competition at this price point but I still feel the Atrio are priced well below their performance. I also feel they are suited to a wide range of genre’s as they do everything so well, they would be a safe option for pretty much anyone.[/size]
 
These are not all about the bass, the bass is just a contributor to their reputation but they actually do the entire frequency range amazingly well! [size=10pt]I hope this review will help people understand this “misunderstood creature” a little better.[/size]

[size=10pt]Intro[/size]
[size=10pt]This is a review of the TFT Acoustics - TFTA 1XB. These are TFTA’s flagship IEMs, costing ~AUD$150. This puts them at somewhat upper mid-level IEMs. The 1XB and the 1VS are TFTA’s two high end models where the 1XB is tuned to produce more sub-bass.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Out of the box, they sounded pretty open, probably due to the small vent but the bass dominated the spectrum. I allowed them to burn-in for about 50 hours before I started properly reviewing them.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Packaging & Accessories[/size]
[size=10pt]The packaging is VERY simple, just a small cardboard box with an insert holding the IEMs which had the medium size silicon tips on them plus a little bag with the small and large tips. I understand TFTA are changing the packaging shortly. This is a good thing because at this price point and in fact, at even $100, some manufacturers (e.g. DUNU) pack the box full of accessories, tips, pouches etc. I would have expected, at the bare minimum, a carry case. I mean, most people who spend $150 on IEMs will want to take care of them, which usually involves carrying them in a case.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Just like with the TFTA earbuds, I would like to see is branding on the actual product, not just the packaging. I am surprised that none of the TFTA products have any product markings on the earphone, on the Y-splitter or the jack strain relief. It makes them seem like unfinished prototypes. I hope the actual product will get branded when the packaging changes.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]One other thing is the L and R markings are difficult to read as they are very small but none the less, they are there.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Comfort & Isolation[/size]
[size=10pt]I am normally averse to the wide nozzle IEMs as they don’t suit my ears very well. These IEMs are wide nozzle but are surprisingly very comfortable. They sit nicely and are quite secure and even though they are metal and feel slightly heavy in the hand, they don’t feel like they are going to fall out of the ears.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Tips about Tips:[/size]
[size=10pt]I tried a variety of tips on these, here is what I found. The stock tips are made of soft silicon, which makes them quite comfortable however, I don’t feel they provide the best SQ or the most secure fit.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]The wide nozzle meant that I couldn’t try my thin nozzle foam tips however, I was able to try: Klipsch eargels, JAYS clear silicon tips, UE silicon tops, Meelec, Sony and Sennheiser silicon tips. The Klipsch eargels are the most comfortable silicon tips I have ever used however, due to the bigger body of the TFTA, they were not secure and felt like they would pop out any second, even though they didn’t. The sound quality was good, as expected. The Klipsch eargels tend not to change the SQ very much and I regard them as fairly “neutral” tips.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]The Sennheiser tips fit well and were similar to the stock tips, nothing special there. The Meelec and Sony tips (not hybrids) were also pretty similar.[/size] [size=10pt]The UE tips fit well and were also good for the SQ, being quite neutral. They were also very comfortable.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]The pick of the bunch for me are the JAYS clear silicon tips. They provided a very comfortable fit which also felt very secure in the ears. They were great for the SQ as the highs came out more and sounded sharper/crisper than any other tip.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Build & Cable[/size]
[size=10pt]The build quality seems excellent. They are made out of metal and seem very rugged and durable. No way for me to tell without using them over time and see how they stand up. Initial impression is of a strong build quality. The cables are kind of rubbery but not too much. They seem durable which is a good sign. The cables are kind of tangle prone and are not very easy to untangle once they have tangled.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Sound[/size]

1. [size=10pt]Out-of-the-Box:[/size] [size=10pt]Straight out of the box, the IEMs sounded very bassy…so much so that the mids and highs were veiled. I put them on the burn in process for 50hrs.[/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]Treble:[/size] [size=10pt]To start with, the highs didn’t present much sparkle but as time went on, the sparkle came out more and more. I really enjoy the smooth yet crisp treble on the 1XB. The high end tends to carry a lot of energy with each note and I really enjoy this aspect. It’s also quite airy as they have a small vent in the back.[/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]Midrange:[/size] [size=10pt]Mids are very well presented. Vocals sound great, although not as forward as something like Shure or TF10’s, they are very clear and definitely sound great. As burn-in continues, the mids open up and vocals, guitars, drums and upper-mids like piano also improve. Very smooth and very well presented.[/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]Bass:[/size] [size=10pt]At first, the bass is a little bit too much and does bleed into the mid range. As burn-in continues, it settles down but not to the point I would like it to be. It extends pretty low in the sub-bass so it definitely meets the “1XB” requirements however the mid-bass is still quite powerful and it would be better overall of this was tuned down in the manufacturing process however, some simple EQ at my end solved this. I really like the texture of the lower bass and the sub-bass. The texture is not as good as the Atrio’s but better than most in this regard.[/size]

 

1. [size=10pt]Soundstage and separation:[/size] [size=10pt]The 1XB have a small vent in the back which allows for a more airy sound. It’s actually very nice, I really enjoy this. Sound stage is improved and quite wide. Instrument separation is very, very good. The high end separation is very enjoyable and I particularly enjoyed flamenco music due to this characteristic. Separation in the lower end is also very good, e.g. bass drum and bass guitar.[/size]

 
[size=10pt]Overall[/size]
[size=10pt]The TFTA 1XB, at ~$150, are a decent purchase. There is a lot of competition at this price range and I think TFTA would have a real winner if the mid-bass was tuned down (even though a simple EQ will solve this) and they added more accessories in the retail pack. The 1XB will give great mids and highs along with great lower bass and sub-bass. Separation is very good and sound stage is quite wide, leading to an enjoyable listening experience.[/size]

[size=10pt]Intro[/size]
[size=10pt]This is a review of the TFTA 1200-1V. These are TFTA’s entry level earbuds, costing ~$50. This puts them at somewhat mid-level earbuds in the earbuds game. My main “open” earphones are the Yuin PK3 and the Koss KSC75. I have previously owned the Blox TM5 (long ago) and some Sennheiser buds. [/size]
[size=10pt]Out of the box, they sounded pretty boxed in and the bass dominated the spectrum. I allowed them to burn-in for about 25 hours before I started properly reviewing them. Read on to find out how they performed after burn-in. [/size]
 
[size=10pt]Packaging & Accessories[/size]
[size=10pt]The packaging is VERY simple, just a small cardboard box with an insert holding the earphones plus a little bag with one pair of ear cushions (spares would be good if included). I understand TFTA are changing the packaging shortly. This is great because even though these are entry level buds, the packaging and accessories at this price are very lacking. Take the PK3’s for example, they come in a very elegant box and have a carry case, spare cushions and paperwork.[/size]
[size=10pt]The one thing I would like to see is branding on the actual product, not just the packaging. I am surprised that none of the TFTA products have any product markings on the earphone, on the Y-splitter or the jack strain relief. It makes them seem like unfinished prototypes. I hope the actual product will get branded when the packaging changes. [/size]
[size=10pt]One other thing is the L and R markings are near impossible to read as they are either way too small (on the IEMs) or the same colour as the stem, as on the earbuds. Different colours, like blue for right and red for left, would be nice.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Comfort & Isolation[/size]
[size=10pt]These buds are very comfortable. They sit nicely and are more secure than the PK3’s. This could be due to the slightly bigger driver making the housing a bit bigger. Anyway, they are comfy and sit securely. [/size]
 
[size=10pt]Build & Cable[/size]
[size=10pt]The build quality seems good. No way for me to tell without using them over time and see how they stand up. Initial impression is of a strong build quality. The cables are kind of rubbery but not too much. They seem durable which is a good sign. The cables are kind of tangle prone and are not very easy to untangle once they have tangled. [/size]
[size=10pt]This is not related only to TFTA but to ALL earphone makers…I wish they would all incorporate an integrated cable wrap like that of DUNU. This is by far the simplest and yet most user-friendly design I have seen in a long time, I love the DUNU cable wraps!!![/size]
 
[size=10pt]Sound[/size]

1. [size=10pt]Out-of-the-Box: [/size][size=10pt]Straight out of the box, the buds sounded bassy, very bassy…so much so that I was actually surprised how much bass these buds were throwing out. The mids and highs were veiled and the soundstage was “boxed-in”. 25 hours of burn-in and what do we get???...…[/size]

1. [size=10pt]Treble:[/size][size=10pt] To start with, the highs didn’t present much sparkle but as time went on, the sparkle came out more and more. I really enjoy the smooth yet crisp treble on these buds. They are not as airy as the PK3’s but carry a bit more weight due to this. This gives the smoothness I guess. There is less sparkle compared to the KSC75’s and from what I remember, the TM5’s were much more refined but again, the TFTA’s offer a great smooth:crisp ratio.[/size]

1. [size=10pt]Midrange: [/size][size=10pt]Mids are very well presented. Vocals sound great, although not as forward as the PK3, they are very clear and definitely sound great. As burn-in continues, the mids open up and vocals get better and better. Very smooth and very well presented. [/size]

1. [size=10pt]Bass:[/size][size=10pt] At first, the bass is a little bit too much and does bleed into the mid range. As burn-in continues, it settles down in quantity and, to my great enjoyment, it improves in quality. It extends pretty low (for an earbud), more than the PK3’s, which are known for their low extension in the earbud world. Extension is less than the KSC75, for obvious reasons! I really like how the texture of the bass improves with use. The texture is probably not as good as the PK3 but the ratio of quality:quantity is very favourable.[/size]

1. [size=10pt]Soundstage and separation: [/size][size=10pt]Very boxed in sound to begin with. It took at least 20hrs for the sound to start opening up. I noticed the vent on the TFTA is much smaller than the vents on the PK3. This would obviously give the PK3 a more airy sound along with a wider soundstage. This would also be the reason to why the TFTA has stronger bass and a bit more external noise isolation compared to the PK3. Separation is definitely just average on the TFTA’s…nothing like the PK3’s or KSC75’s. I am not sure if the vents have anything to do with this, maybe other members can comment. [/size]

1. [size=10pt]Overall: [/size][size=10pt]These earbuds, at ~$50, are a reasonable purchase. They compete very well with their closest competitor, the PK3’s. Depending on what type of sound you prefer, I think both are great earbuds. The TFTA will give great mids and highs but not as much sparkle or soundstage but the bass is definitely quite a big advantage in an earbud style. Separation is average but again, overall, they have more strengths than weaknesses IMO.[/size]

1. [size=10pt]If someone is looking for a great pair of earbuds for a reasonable price, I would not hesitate to recommend the TFTA 1200-1V earbuds. It’s a great start by TFTA at this price point, I can only imagine how good the high end TFTA 1101-V1 sound…….[/size]

 
[size=10pt]Tips about Tips:[/size]
[size=10pt]I tried the Yuin donut cushions on the TFTA and the highs became noticeably harsher, to the point where I didn’t like it. I had the same trouble with the PK3’s. I feel the closed cushions help to smooth out the treble and also help the bass quantity. [/size]
[size=7.5pt]Thanks for -y0- for letting me switch to his review format.[/size]