Review Radsone HE100
First of let me start by saying I won these earbuds in the Radsone HE100 giveaway event here on Head-Fi, however the opinions in this short review are my solely my own and not influenced by Radsone or anyone else for that matter.
I’ve been a big fan of the Radsone ES100, it’s one of my first things to pack when I go on a trip and indeed always on my desk or in my pocket when I am out and about, so seeing Radsone diversify in the earbud territory made me naturally curious, if they could bring the same quality sound to earbuds.
I have two main sets of in-ears, being the Audio Technica ath-ls400is in ear monitors and a set of Klipsch x12i which I will be using for comparison.
I also have a set of Audio Technica ath-msr7 over ear headphones.
Suffice to say, I prefer a natural sound, I like to hear recordings the way the producer/artist meant it to be heard
I am a person who listens to a very varied array of music, form extreme heavy/black metal to classic rock to dance (on very rare occasions ) and so I gave these a real run for their money on very different types of music.
I used my HTC U12+ phone as a music player using Hi-Res FLAC files and connected the HE100 earbuds both directly to the phone, and of course in combination with the ES100.
First impressions of the HE100 when you take them out of their modest and stylish box is just how well build they are, no cheap plasticky fell, the materials are premium and the cable is very nicely finished.
For this review I solely used the provided tips, as I got a decent seal with them and wanted to test this product mainly as an average consumer would use them, so no fancy foam tips, just the supplied ones.
And I have to say, I was very impressed on the first listen, and after a very decent burn in period, they have only gotten better.
There is the issue of cable phonics, but let’s be fair, which pair of earbuds does not have this, and it can easily be reduced to a minimum by either going behind the ears or using a clip to clip the cable down.
The highs and mids are very clear, the soundstage is nice and wide and at no point do you feel the earbuds are compromised by using just a single driver or sound is going missing. This is especially evident listening to music from for instance Nine Inch Nails or Thom Yorke, artists like these, as they cram so many quirky sounds into their recordings, these all are clearly distinguishable and heard using the HE100 and at no stage does the sound get muddled.
They produce a very natural sound, which I really like, as you can then fine-tune them to your own listening preference using an equaliser (like the excellent ES100 eq)
The bass is solid, by no means will it shake your brain out of your nostrils, but it certainly doesn’t lack or gets muddled at any time. This is especially evident in songs like Depeche Mode’s Welcome to my world from their Delta Machine album, it just sounds awesome using these, the bass is solid, the mids and highs are crystal clear, so in all very impressed.
It is clear Radsone have put an awful lot of work in the development of their Hi-Res single driver, it really packs a punch.
I’ve never underestimated the power of single driver units as I have been a Klipsch enthusiast and have owned a pair of Klipsch x10i, x11i and now x12i so I know that if tuned correctly, they impress.
I think however what impressed me most though is the price point of these earbuds. For the quality and sound they produce, I would gladly pay more for these than the current price Radsone is charging.
In comparison to my Klipsch x12i, which were about 2.5 times as expensive, I would say they perform on par, maybe even slightly better. Although the Klipsch are lighter which makes them marginally more comfortable (if you can get used to the deep insertion of the Klipsch) I now prefer to take these HE100 with me instead of them.
The sound quality of my Audio Technica ath-ls400is is better than the HE100 but then they are driven by 4 drivers and use balanced cables. However, the sound quality of the HE100 is only marginally less than the way more expensive ls400is’s so I doubt the average user is really going to hear a difference.
However, for ease of use or if you’re going somewhere where you do not want to wear very prices in ear monitors, these HE100 are just perfect.
I’ve been blessed (or cursed, whichever way you see it) with extreme good hearing and a great love of music, a combination which makes me a very difficult customer to please.
These Radsone HE100 have truly impressed me and I think they are a great addition to Radsone’s portfolio and will help them greatly to make a well-deserved name for themselves in the audio market.
Especially at this price point, which will attract many starting audiophiles.
If you’re a seasoned veteran though, I urge you to not dismiss these and give them a try, they won’t disappoint.
Only thing left for me to say is: Well done Radsone, keep up the good work.
First of let me start by saying I won these earbuds in the Radsone HE100 giveaway event here on Head-Fi, however the opinions in this short review are my solely my own and not influenced by Radsone or anyone else for that matter.
I’ve been a big fan of the Radsone ES100, it’s one of my first things to pack when I go on a trip and indeed always on my desk or in my pocket when I am out and about, so seeing Radsone diversify in the earbud territory made me naturally curious, if they could bring the same quality sound to earbuds.
I have two main sets of in-ears, being the Audio Technica ath-ls400is in ear monitors and a set of Klipsch x12i which I will be using for comparison.
I also have a set of Audio Technica ath-msr7 over ear headphones.
Suffice to say, I prefer a natural sound, I like to hear recordings the way the producer/artist meant it to be heard
I am a person who listens to a very varied array of music, form extreme heavy/black metal to classic rock to dance (on very rare occasions ) and so I gave these a real run for their money on very different types of music.
I used my HTC U12+ phone as a music player using Hi-Res FLAC files and connected the HE100 earbuds both directly to the phone, and of course in combination with the ES100.
First impressions of the HE100 when you take them out of their modest and stylish box is just how well build they are, no cheap plasticky fell, the materials are premium and the cable is very nicely finished.
For this review I solely used the provided tips, as I got a decent seal with them and wanted to test this product mainly as an average consumer would use them, so no fancy foam tips, just the supplied ones.
And I have to say, I was very impressed on the first listen, and after a very decent burn in period, they have only gotten better.
There is the issue of cable phonics, but let’s be fair, which pair of earbuds does not have this, and it can easily be reduced to a minimum by either going behind the ears or using a clip to clip the cable down.
The highs and mids are very clear, the soundstage is nice and wide and at no point do you feel the earbuds are compromised by using just a single driver or sound is going missing. This is especially evident listening to music from for instance Nine Inch Nails or Thom Yorke, artists like these, as they cram so many quirky sounds into their recordings, these all are clearly distinguishable and heard using the HE100 and at no stage does the sound get muddled.
They produce a very natural sound, which I really like, as you can then fine-tune them to your own listening preference using an equaliser (like the excellent ES100 eq)
The bass is solid, by no means will it shake your brain out of your nostrils, but it certainly doesn’t lack or gets muddled at any time. This is especially evident in songs like Depeche Mode’s Welcome to my world from their Delta Machine album, it just sounds awesome using these, the bass is solid, the mids and highs are crystal clear, so in all very impressed.
It is clear Radsone have put an awful lot of work in the development of their Hi-Res single driver, it really packs a punch.
I’ve never underestimated the power of single driver units as I have been a Klipsch enthusiast and have owned a pair of Klipsch x10i, x11i and now x12i so I know that if tuned correctly, they impress.
I think however what impressed me most though is the price point of these earbuds. For the quality and sound they produce, I would gladly pay more for these than the current price Radsone is charging.
In comparison to my Klipsch x12i, which were about 2.5 times as expensive, I would say they perform on par, maybe even slightly better. Although the Klipsch are lighter which makes them marginally more comfortable (if you can get used to the deep insertion of the Klipsch) I now prefer to take these HE100 with me instead of them.
The sound quality of my Audio Technica ath-ls400is is better than the HE100 but then they are driven by 4 drivers and use balanced cables. However, the sound quality of the HE100 is only marginally less than the way more expensive ls400is’s so I doubt the average user is really going to hear a difference.
However, for ease of use or if you’re going somewhere where you do not want to wear very prices in ear monitors, these HE100 are just perfect.
I’ve been blessed (or cursed, whichever way you see it) with extreme good hearing and a great love of music, a combination which makes me a very difficult customer to please.
These Radsone HE100 have truly impressed me and I think they are a great addition to Radsone’s portfolio and will help them greatly to make a well-deserved name for themselves in the audio market.
Especially at this price point, which will attract many starting audiophiles.
If you’re a seasoned veteran though, I urge you to not dismiss these and give them a try, they won’t disappoint.
Only thing left for me to say is: Well done Radsone, keep up the good work.
