Reviews by Silantr0
Before I start off this quick review, I would like to shoutout the staff at Fatfreq's customer service team for providing such wonderful support for me. They were really patient and responded promptly to all my queries before I made my purchase of the Scarlet Mini. If you're interested with more details regarding the Scarlet Mini, you can check out the other reviews on it, I highly recommend them as they really delve deeper into why a person like me really enjoys this IEM.
Gear Used:
Ibasso DX120
Hiby R4
Focusrite Scarlett Solo
For ear tips, I went with the Final Type-E ear tips as they provided the best comfort and seal for my ears, and they help to tighten the bass of the Scarlet Mini a bit. I pre-ordered the Scarlet Mini so I'll be using the stock red upgrade cable that came with it. The Scarlet Mini is quite power-hungry, but as long as you have a decent DAP or dongle you should be good to go in my opinion.
Bass:
It really does live up to its "30db bass shelf" as you're hit with a bombastic amount of both sub-bass and mid-bass. The rumble of the sub-bass almost feels as if your skull is vibrating, and the mid-bass is really tight and punchy. The interesting part is that despite the sheer amount of bass you are given, it never bleeds into the mid-range and it is surprisingly well-controlled. Do be warned that this hedonistic amount of bass will not gel well with certain genres, so only look towards this IEM if you really like hip-hop or EDM.
9/10
Mids:
Despite the sheer bass shelf, vocals and instruments still sound correct and retain their natural timbre, and there is some clarity in the mids still believe it or not. Mid-range is quite pushed back however, and thus vocals are not as forward as some people might like. Some instruments also tend to get drowned in the sheer amount of bass so certain details in the track are hard to pick up. Overall, mid-range is fine, nothing too spectacular or offensive but considering the type of sound signature we are dealing with, it's still a very impressive feat in my books.
7/10
Treble:
For a V-shape IEM, the Scarlet Mini handles treble really well in my opinion. There is a nice amount of extension that gives the treble a nice amount of detail, but throughout my listening sessions the Scarlet Mini never gets too peaky or sibilant where I have to reduce the gain. Of course, treble tolerance and ear tips will cause other peoples' opinions to differ, but to me the treble draws a nice line between sibilance and having sufficient extension. If there's one gripe I have, the treble isn't the most airy, though again with the amount of bass the Scarlet Mini has, that's to be expected (not to sound like a broken record).
8/10
Technical Performance:
Clarity-wise, the Scarlet Mini is surprisingly competent if you can listen past all the bass. However, the imaging isn't very precise and it struggles with detail-retrieval as well. All these flaws are even more prominent when you start to introduce busier tracks with more instruments, which is when the Scarlet Mini struggles. However, given the kind of sound signature we're dealing with, some sacrifices have to made in this area, and I already applaud Fatfreq for managing to make the tuning as good as it is. In general, technical performance is passable, but do not get this set expecting Anole VX levels of detail-retrieval.
6/10
Conclusion:
If you're a basshead who is looking for pure, unadulterated bassy fun without wanting to sacrifice the rest of the frequency range in your music, I highly recommend the Scarlet Mini. Once you get your hands on one and listen to it, it's hard to go back to other IEMs for this kind of niche, at least for me. Thank you for giving your time to read this short review, and let me know your thoughts on the Scarlet Mini as well. I would love to read and reply to your comments
Gear Used:
Ibasso DX120
Hiby R4
Focusrite Scarlett Solo
For ear tips, I went with the Final Type-E ear tips as they provided the best comfort and seal for my ears, and they help to tighten the bass of the Scarlet Mini a bit. I pre-ordered the Scarlet Mini so I'll be using the stock red upgrade cable that came with it. The Scarlet Mini is quite power-hungry, but as long as you have a decent DAP or dongle you should be good to go in my opinion.
Bass:
It really does live up to its "30db bass shelf" as you're hit with a bombastic amount of both sub-bass and mid-bass. The rumble of the sub-bass almost feels as if your skull is vibrating, and the mid-bass is really tight and punchy. The interesting part is that despite the sheer amount of bass you are given, it never bleeds into the mid-range and it is surprisingly well-controlled. Do be warned that this hedonistic amount of bass will not gel well with certain genres, so only look towards this IEM if you really like hip-hop or EDM.
9/10
Mids:
Despite the sheer bass shelf, vocals and instruments still sound correct and retain their natural timbre, and there is some clarity in the mids still believe it or not. Mid-range is quite pushed back however, and thus vocals are not as forward as some people might like. Some instruments also tend to get drowned in the sheer amount of bass so certain details in the track are hard to pick up. Overall, mid-range is fine, nothing too spectacular or offensive but considering the type of sound signature we are dealing with, it's still a very impressive feat in my books.
7/10
Treble:
For a V-shape IEM, the Scarlet Mini handles treble really well in my opinion. There is a nice amount of extension that gives the treble a nice amount of detail, but throughout my listening sessions the Scarlet Mini never gets too peaky or sibilant where I have to reduce the gain. Of course, treble tolerance and ear tips will cause other peoples' opinions to differ, but to me the treble draws a nice line between sibilance and having sufficient extension. If there's one gripe I have, the treble isn't the most airy, though again with the amount of bass the Scarlet Mini has, that's to be expected (not to sound like a broken record).
8/10
Technical Performance:
Clarity-wise, the Scarlet Mini is surprisingly competent if you can listen past all the bass. However, the imaging isn't very precise and it struggles with detail-retrieval as well. All these flaws are even more prominent when you start to introduce busier tracks with more instruments, which is when the Scarlet Mini struggles. However, given the kind of sound signature we're dealing with, some sacrifices have to made in this area, and I already applaud Fatfreq for managing to make the tuning as good as it is. In general, technical performance is passable, but do not get this set expecting Anole VX levels of detail-retrieval.
6/10
Conclusion:
If you're a basshead who is looking for pure, unadulterated bassy fun without wanting to sacrifice the rest of the frequency range in your music, I highly recommend the Scarlet Mini. Once you get your hands on one and listen to it, it's hard to go back to other IEMs for this kind of niche, at least for me. Thank you for giving your time to read this short review, and let me know your thoughts on the Scarlet Mini as well. I would love to read and reply to your comments
