Fearless Audio S6Rui

It’s an upfront name – or really just another attempt of translating a set of ideals into a word that associates itself with taking a leap, charging head on with little regard to either the gains or the losses. A high risk attempt will also incur either high losses or gains. I haven’t heard of the Fearless Audio brand before within the circle of audiophile communities that I’ve been following so it was a surprise when they came barging in releasing a slew of IEMs, or so I thought. Fearless Audio has been doing most of their wallet damaging moves in China and only decided to move out and see what the whole world has to offer or what they can offer. You can check out their full on Fearless Audio Chinese website if you want to dig deeper.

What we have now to realview is the Fearless Audio S6 RUI, their median rendition of how they interpret a $400 IEM, more or less. Linsoul Audio sent the S6 RUI in exchange for an honest take on it, there were no monetary factors involved as well. The Fearless Audio S6 RUI currently retails at $389 for its UIEM version with the transparent series design. A multitude of customization options can be used on the S6 RUI, from making it into a CIEM along with your own choice of faceplate design and shell color choice which could run up to $505. You can check out the revamped and redesigned Linsoul Audio webpage to check out the S6 RUI as well as the whole Fearless Audio lineup.
The Fearless Audio S6 RUI features 6 Balanced Armatures (1 Sonion Dual Bass BA Driver, 1 Knowles and 1 Sonion Midrange Frequency BA Driver and 2 Knowles Treble BA Driver) with 3-way crossover and 2 sound tubes. It is spec’d out with a 20Hz to 20kHz Frequency Response, 113dB/MW Sensitivity, 26dB Passive Noise Reduction and 20 Ohm Impedance. The S6 RUI surely feels like it would be a great-sounding IEM from a relatively new brand and we would be here to see it unfold, for better or for worse. Let’s get this on!

The Fearless Audio S6 RUI came in a clean looking cardboard board box which doesn’t show anything on the front except for an outline of a UIEM along with the Fearless Audio logo and branding on the lower left corner and a QR code and product specifications at the back. Inside will reveal the black horizontal hard case and metal ownership card indicating the serial number, maker, date manufactured and factory address. The accessory set of the S6 RUI is a total overkill especially with the ear tips, along with a cable clip and cleaning tool. Here’s a list for the included ear tips:

• 1 pair gray foam ear tips
• 1 pair blue foam ear tips
• 1 pair red foam ear tips
• 1 pair black foam ear tips
• 3 pairs whirlwind ear tips (S, M and L)
• 3 pairs black silicon ear tips (S, M and L)

The Fearless Audio S6 RUI may come in any design depending on the users’ preference but what the common factor would be is that they would all come with a smooth finish and no imperfections as well as bubbles and nicks on its faceplate and shell. The nozzle highlights the 2 sound bores along with the lack of nozzle lip which made tip rolling for the S6 RUI annoying and will oftentimes leave most of the ear tips that I used with it despite the already overkill inclusion of ear tips it comes with. The 2-pin socket is a bit recessed as well and I’m not sure if it’s possible to request a flushed one, Linsoul Audio is very much responsive to queries so feel free to verify if that’s the configuration you’d want. The overall comfort for the S6 RUI’s UIEM version was great and rests well on my ears, isolation is once again top-notch thanks to the UIEM silhouette.
The stock cable that the S6 RUI comes with an 8-core SPC cable which terminates into a 3.5mm plug. The cable is covered in silver and TPU and uses metallic silver hard plastic Y-split and chin slider with the Fearless Audio logo and branding. The cable uses round braids which is loosely assembled attributing to very soft feel of the cable which is even shows flabby portions within the braids. The 2-pin .78mm plug is housed in a metallic silver housing with red and blue line markers as well as an over ear memory wire guide. The 2-pin plugs when plugged into the S6 RUI feels loose and needs only a minor tug for it to detach which isn’t great at all. I tried using the stock cable on other .78mm IEMs and it worked great as well as using different 2-pin .78mm cables on the S6 RUI which also worked great, so it’s just a case of an imperfect match between the S6 RUI and its stock cable. It won’t fall off easily though if that’s what you are worried about. There is also minimal microphonic noise to be observed when using the stock cable on the go.

Fearless Audio opted to release 2 variations for the S6 namely the Rui and the Pro. The S6 Rui is marketed to have a sound with a slight focus on the upper frequency performance. I, myself loves a well-defined upper frequency performance so the S6 Rui tickled my curiosity right when it arrived. I used the stock Medium whirlwind ear tips for the duration of the realview despite it falling victim to the S6 Rui’s lack of a lip nozzle thus resulting in numerous times that the ear tips got stuck on my ears once the S6 RUI is removed. The S6 Rui overall sounded balanced with good coherence between the low-end and the midrange tones and a soft emphasis on the highs which we would get into detail. I used the Sony A46HN music player as well as the Sony CAS-1 desktop system off the MSI GF62-8RE laptop via Foobar2000 v1.4 outputting various FLAC files which would be mentioned along the realview.

The Fearless Audio S6 Rui is able to give out a low-end performance that would keep you glued to your seat, bass drops are impactful and thumpy. I used Lady Gaga’s Brown Eyes track in 24/44 and while it isn’t fast and nimble, it is still able to deliver a punchy and thick sub bass rumble. The mid bass is weighty and tight, one that accompanies subsequent bass drops to showcase a full-bodied bass delivery. The Fearless Audio S6 Rui is far from being a basshead IEM but the way it handles the low-end cleanly is notable and it’s good that Fearless Audio can achieve this and not overdo just to gain a following.

While the low-end performance of the S6 Rui hints at a careful control of not overdoing, the midrange performance of the S6 Rui exemplifies a soft and oftentimes tested approach by making sure that it sounds clear and detailed. Norah Jones’ Nightingale track in 24/88 FLAC was rendered articulate and smooth. The lower midrange showed great coherence with the overall midrange tonality by giving a full-bodied presentation but is near being distant-sounding. The upper midrange is controlled well with a hint of being slightly-boosted. The S6 Rui is a good companion for those midrange-centric IEM lovers.

This is where the gravity is at, the center of attention. The S6 Rui is supposed to be the high frequency performer that Fearless Audio envisions for its S Series of IEMs and there is truth to it, not set in stone but it indeed exhibits an elevated high frequency performance. I used Foster the Peoples’ Doing it for the Money in 16/44 FLAC to test out the highs and it was able to deliver a raspy and crisp treble that is still able to transition into a mellow pace for an eventual open and sweet experience. There is sparkle to be observed as well. While the upper frequency on the S6 Rui is evident, the fatiguing experience is nowhere to be found and so is sibilance. This might not give that wicked treble bite that some craves but at least the S6 Rui doesn’t shy on being bright sounding at times.

The Fearless Audio S6 Rui has a depth focused soundstage presentation. It is able to give out a precise imaging experience as well. Instrumental tones and placement are easily discernible. While there is ample left to right and right to left panning to be observed on the S6 Rui, it doesn’t reach a wide sounding ambience. Layering is great and accurate thanks to great detail retrieval performance of the S6 Rui. I wouldn’t be using the S6 Rui for my gaming sessions.

The Fearless Audio S6 Rui tries to do multiple things at a time and while it does some parts exceedingly well like juggling the high frequency gamble of offering treble extension while not being harsh-sounding and hitting just the right amount of midrange body is already enough to make it an already easy to enjoy IEM. It suffers a crucial hit on some areas like the lack of a lip nozzle and the rather loose braiding used on the already fantastic looking cable which continues to its 2pin connection. The accessory set is great and would appease the lip nozzle issue a bit as well as the cable clip. I just hope they do away with the excess ear tips and cable clip and address the weaknesses, as the name says, Fearless.

A new challenger appears, and he’s a brave one. Step into the ring with the Fearless Audio S6Rui, a six-driver earphone with an accomplished mainstream tuning, hoping to capture your heart, mind, and wallet.

My dad introduced me to professional wrestling (watching, not participating) to instill that violence doesn’t solve anything. And he’s correct, after more than 30 years they’re still at it, when a round of civil discourse could resolve things amicably. They love their fists, theatrics and spandex, so what can I say?

A prevalent storyline in pro wrestling is the top guy holding new talent down, and it gets more obvious when 50-year-old Hulk Hogan is still winning matches against younger, fitter competition. That’s why the New Blood storyline stuck with me, when the new guys banded together to fight the established, older superstars. This was riveting drama of the highest degree.

Chinese Hi-Fi, of Chifi, is dominated by a few brands, with names like HiFiMan, FiiO, iBasso, qdc and Dunu often bandied about. A few up-and-coming brands plan to usurp or at least disrupt the established order. Step forward Tin HiFi, BGVP, Moondrop and Fearless Audio, stalwarts of the new world order. For the last year or so they have generated some serious buzz with exciting products that sound great and are priced reasonably.

Fearless Audio has been around since 2012, but only went into in-ear monitors (IEMs) in 2016. Since then they have witnessed a meteoric rise with an ever-expanding lineup gaining traction in the mid-to-high-end market. They don’t rest on their laurels, I don’t think they sleep either. Even as we speak they continue to innovate with new products, notably the Paladin Series that uses the fabled Sonion electrostatic drivers aka “the new hotness”.



Why stack knowledge when you can stack drivers?



Today we look at one of Fearless’ mid-tier models, the S6Rui. Comprising, you guessed it, six balanced armature (BA) drivers per side from Knowles and Sonion, the S6Rui harmonizes the sound via a 3-way crossover and 2 sound tubes. Unique to Fearless is their divided ear mould pressure processing (DPP) technology. DPP promises a more comfortable fit with better sound insulation compared to their peers.

Each S6Rui is painstakingly handmade, and available in universal and custom form, with a host of customization options available to awaken the hidden designer in you. Prices start from $389 for the basic options, but I gotta say, some of their faceplate designs look pretty dang good. The S6Rui can be purchased through Linsoul.

I’d like to thank Lillian of Linsoul for the review sample, and the seamless communication in making this review possible.

This review was first featured in Headphonesty.



Equipment Used:

DAP

• Sony NW-WM1A “K” Modded, FW 2.0

IEMs

• Fearless Audio S6Rui
• FiiO FH5
• FiiO FA7

Albums

• Amber Rubarth – Scribbled Folk Symphonies
• Bon Jovi – Cross Road
• Ed Sheeran – Divide
• Fleetwood Mac – Tango In The Night
• Linkin Park – One More Light
• Meiko – Playing Favorites
• Pet Shop Boys – PopArt
• Prince – The Gold Experience
• Take That – The Circus
• The Eagles – Hell Freezes Over

Try saying “minimalist” rather than “stingy”.



Packaging and Accessories

Have you ever been extraordinarily late to a dinner party? So late that most of the food has been finished, but your bestie (who arrived early) piled on a bit of everything onto your plate so you won’t go hungry? That was the exact feeling I had while unboxing the S6Rui. Fearless’ packaging has undergone a few revisions based on earlier reviews, but man, what I received seemed like leftovers.

It’s not to say the presentation is horrible. A neat, white cardboard sleeve with the perplexing quote “Classic Never Ends” emblazoned in front greets you. Opening that up, you get a proper Chinese slogan (translated as “may you fearlessly march forward”) with a nice leatherette, cuboid case in periwinkle blue. It’s a semi-hard, magnetic snap-on case with pleasing aesthetics, but I doubt it will withstand the rigors of daily usage.

Besides the case, you get the stock cable, 4 pairs of silicone ear tips in various sizes, a metal warranty card disguised as a spiffy membership card… and that’s it. IEM, cable, tips, case. We’re talking about bare-bones, bare-minimum, bottom-barrel stuff here. I’m looking at the thesaurus for words with similar meanings to “basic”, but I think you get the picture. Not the best way to fearlessly march forward, and completely unjustifiable at $389.




On a clear, warm October night, maybe you can spot the S6Rui engraving too.



Design and Build Quality

As mentioned before, you can go absolutely nuts, or flat-out bonkers with the customization options for any Fearless IEM. The S6Rui I was sent has clear, transparent shells, and has a pristine charm to it. Like looking into a skeleton watch, I can see how my S6Rui ticks. From the OCD-like driver arrangement to the neatly-nested internal wiring, crossover units and sound tubes, nothing is hidden as I take a good, voyeuristic look inside the uh, insides.

Fearless Audio IEMs are assembled with enormous care and pride, with the model name engraved on a BA driver in each earpiece. The alignment of each component is nearly symmetrical when you compare left and right earpieces, which is frankly, ridiculous. The transition from faceplate to shell is seamless, and the earpieces are completely free of bubbles. They are immaculately built, and go a long way in justifying the asking price.

If you’ve ever wondered why the Fearless logo is a W rather than a big ol’ F, it’s because fearlessness in Chinese is 无畏 (read as wu wei). The more you know, language fans.



Cables

Very little information was released about the stock cable. The only thing I know for sure is the cable is made of 8 wires of Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) silver plated copper. It’s definitely a step up from conventional cables in terms of wire count and material used, affirming the notion that Fearless Audio caters to the serious audiophile. Ooh.

The cable looks to be built in-house with some good quality parts. The connectors and Y-split look handsome in chrome and silver, while the braiding is tight. For the most part, the cable is a joy to handle. Even with its 8 wires, the cable is soft and coils easily. More importantly it holds its own shape and doesn’t unfurl itself, known as the dreaded memory effect some thick cables are prone to.

Currently, the cable is only available with the 3.5mm jack, with no option for balanced connections. Looking at the price tag, I’d love to see more options available for the jack, since many IEM junkies would dabble with 2.5mm or 4.4mm. On the whole, this silvery slithery snake is well done, but for one downside mentioned below.




This little python isn’t subtle.



Fit, Isolation and Comfort

Stuffing BA drivers into an acrylic shell is akin to packing clowns into a Mini, ie. no mean feat. The S6Rui with 6BAs translates to medium-sized earpieces, while the angle of the nozzle helps maintain a good fit and seal. Given the sparse variety of ear tips provided, I’m glad this amorphous blob adheres to my ears pretty well. For people with smaller ears though, try before you buy. You may need aftermarket tips for the best fit.

Once you get a good seal though, say hello to comfy county. The earpieces are lightweight and ergonomic, conferring tranquil enjoyment in your own blissful world. They isolate quite well too, negating about 80% of outside noise. The stock cable, while well-built, weighs them down, and is frankly a bit of overkill. If you switch them out to regular 2 or 4-wire cables, you’d be swinging your head like a shampoo commercial.



Sound Quality

How do you create a hype train? To the best of my knowledge, you wow as many early listeners as possible and let word-of-mouth do the rest. A bit of enhanced bass here, a sprinkling of treble sparkle there, gobs of detail and loads of fun, among others. The S6Rui generated some very positive buzz because of its tuning, and it’s easy to see why. Let’s analyze the sound further.



Overall Sound Signature

Fearless Audio’s S6Rui follows a classic tuning template, the V-shape. Like a novice painter relying on tried-and-tested color combinations (navy/gold has never let me down), you can’t go wrong. The V-shape is vivid, vibrant, full of youthful vigor, and even voluptuous, attractive and arresting to the ear at first listen.

And it’s not just your conventional boosted bass, boisterous treble and buried mids, no. S6Rui is deceptively well-tuned and gives every part of the sound spectrum space to shine. The details are with the devil, so they say. The bass is undoubtedly elevated for some pulsating fun, as is the treble for some exciting ear-tickling. The mids though, stay where they are and are not recessed. Bass, mids and treble meld together to deliver you a coherent, musical experience that’s hard to dislike.



Listening Conditions

Critical listening was done after 75 hours of burn-in. The S6Rui might be Fearless, but I’ll show them who’s boss. Burn-in did not produce significant sound changes, but I believe the concept of fear has been properly introduced to both parties. The main review rig is Sony’s NW-WM1A Walkman modded by Project K, using the stock cable.




Time for some ladybug bait.



Bass

Extra large and in charge, big and fabulicious, the S6Rui delivers a visceral, meaty bass that fills the room. The bass will not be fat-shamed, not today. Ever the attention grabber, it turns heads figuratively and literally, with physicality that will surprise you. The sub-bass rumble reaches for the throat, while the midbass punch and authority are worthy of a dynamic driver.

The bottom-end extension is nigh-on impressive, as are the dynamics, impact and slam. If this sounds like a wrestling match maybe it is. If you’ve ever come away disappointed with an expensive monitor with a polite bass, have I got good news for you. The S6Rui plays extremely well with modern genres, with a genuinely exciting bass that sets pulses racing.

Notes are lush, thick and full-bodied, with a sharp, on-point attack or lead-in followed by a warm, well-rounded bloom. While it scores full points for getting the basics right, it loses slightly in the technical departments. Bass speed, detail, layering and resolution are found wanting, while the repeated, unadulterated onslaught might lead to bass headaches. Consider yourself warned, but the S6Rui bass is truly pleasing to the basshead’s ears.




Not that I condone alcohol, but I do love them sweet miniature thrones for my IEMs to sit on.



Mids

Ask any teenager what they’d like to be when they grow up, a whole lot of them might say they want to be rich and famous. As I grow older and fame and wealth seems like far-fetched exercises in futility, I see the beauty and simplicity of leading a life of utter normalcy. Driving the kids to school, office job, dinner at home, yeah, love every bit of it.

The S6Rui’s mids embrace the ordinary. No shame in treading a road oft-travelled so long as it’s sane and sensible. Located a step back from the aggressive bass and shrill treble, the mids keeps the signature grounded. It’s luscious and full-bodied, with the lower mids giving weight and grunt to male vocals, staying even throughout, and rising in the upper mids to give due prominence to female vocals.

The mids are tightrope-balanced. Unlike the overindulgent bass, instruments and vocals are well-separated and layered, even slightly airy. The timbre, while not an emotionally impactful tear-jerker, is pleasing and pleasant. Transients are smooth and notes flow naturally into one another. Technical ability marries tonal accuracy. While the mids don’t do anything exceptionally well, it’s difficult to find fault in them here.




For the record, I don’t know what Rui means. My only lead is a Portuguese footballer.



Treble

Like a roller-coaster, the S6Rui treble teases and excites. The upper mids ascent continues to a lower treble peak, laying bare a ridiculously high level of detail. Notes are sharp and precise in attack, with a good amount of body but lesser in comparison to the mids and bass. Here, the most air resides throughout the signature, and it’s crispy and cool.

There’s an ample amount of sparkle and shimmer to guide lost souls to the path of treble enlightenment. The S6Rui delivers excitement in spades, right up to mid-treble. Cymbals crash and decay naturally without sounding tinny. Most of the notes round off with a smooth finish as well, so the treble straddles the thin line of being engaging enough without sounding harsh or strident.

Going past mid-treble though, the extension takes a sudden fall, like the steep descent of the roller-coaster. All good things come to an end, and the upper treble collapse means the entire signature is bereft of some valuable air and resolution. While S6Rui does a wonderful job given its limitations, we are left wondering what might have been with just a little more air and transparency up top.




Being transparent means you can blend into the background easily on a particularly antisocial day.



Soundstage and Imaging

Pride comes before a fall, and S6Rui’s stage size is astoundingly, breathtakingly… small. In the pursuit of the ultimate sound signature, they are unfortunately caught being sloppy and tardy in the soundstage department. The forward and aggressive, even fearless presentation, if you will, reduces the stage size to tiny proportions, with most of the sounds inside or orbiting the head.

Of course, some would argue this contributes to full immersion of the music, like getting your head dunked in water when all you want is a swim. The small stage itself wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for the bold, thick notes of the signature. This easily leads to congestion and imaging haziness.

You can discern instruments and voices in all three axes, so it’s not an outright failure. But when you want to make sense of all 20 layers of a complex Tool track, for example, that is something beyond the capabilities of the S6Rui. Like wrapping your head in saran wrap, S6Rui’s over-intimate stage and imaging will turn off some and scare others.




Doesn’t work as salad topping, sadly.



Comparisons

FiiO FH5

Meet the standard. The FH5 has been my go-to in the $300 category since its release because it does so many things correct. Starting from down-low, S6Rui’s boisterous bass proves nearly a match for the dynamic-driver (DD) FH5, delivering superb rumble and punch but just lacking a bit of control. FH5 comes away sounding more natural, especially in note decay, but less fun compared to the loose, dirty, and frankly promiscuous S6Rui bass.

FH5’s most apparent weakness is the lower mids dip, which makes male vocals ring hollow, well guess what. S6Rui smells blood and rains forth its fury, attacking the FH5 where it hurts most. S6Rui effortlessly provides a richer, more satisfying lower mids experience, like a filled donut.

The FH5 redeems itself by sounding considerably better from the middle mids upwards. Here the FH5 is more realistic-sounding, while S6Rui is crisper and airier but with harder edges. There is a slight echo effect in S6Rui’s rendering of vocals, giving an airier but more distant presentation. While not obvious at first, FH5 has better timbre and tone, while S6Rui has more excitement.

As for the treble, S6Rui is aggressive and resolves more apparent detail. It sparkles brighter and more daringly than the FH5, who chooses a more serene, sedate, and smoother path. The treble might be more of a preference game, but it’s game over for S6Rui in the soundstage department. FH5 has simply a more spacious and better-differentiated stage, while S6Rui’s in-your-face approach hurts it immensely.

Overall, S6Rui is the better technical performer, with a coherent tuning that surpasses the FH5, but is hampered by its poor soundstage performance. If you value a great tuning and care not about stage dimensions, S6Rui should be high up on your list.




A right mess of entanglements.



FiiO FA7

If S6Rui followed the V-shaped tuning template to great effect, FiiO’s FA7 can be seen in another tried-and-tested, cookie-cutter tuning philosophy, the warm and smooth signature. Lush, coloured, velvety and relaxed, the FA7 is the warm monger among IEMs.

S6Rui’s fun-first, face-first demeanour does translate to better extension both ends, with sub-bass and treble more palpable and easily heard. FA7 devotes most of its attention to upper bass and mids, hoping to seduce you with syrupy sweet, warm notes where technical ability falters. It does work in some ways. The FA7 has arresting mids and a marvelous timbre, leading the way with slow-tempo tracks.

If intimate, well-tuned mids decided things, FA7 would already be halfway home. However, same as how soundstage and imaging performance is the fatal flaw of the S6Rui, FA7’s deal-breaker is the midbass bleed, nearly spoiling the mids. As unwelcome as your little brother tagging along on a date, the midbass bloat threatens to undo all the beautiful imagery left by the mids, leaving a fat mess.

So the S6Rui emerges triumphant in tuning, coherency, and technical brilliance. You can hear where all the extra dollars went to. The FA7 might have better mids and soundstage capability, but is too much of a genre specialist to really recommend over the S6Rui. The Fearless IEM is built to handle much more varied musical tastes, while the FA7 can only look on jealously.




Naked and nowhere to go.



Final Words

The world of Chifi works like a beauty pageant. You have your day out in the sun, dressed to the nines, but only a moment to dazzle the audience. Bass, mids and treble are judged like national costume, swimsuit and evening gown. Capture their hearts and hope to bask in the limelight a little longer, before the next batch of contestants come in. It’s a cutthroat industry, so try to imagine some kittens as you read.

Mention the name Fearless Audio though, and chances are you’ve heard that they’ve done more right than wrong, with a few standout products that might just win pageants. Here, the S6Rui sashays on the catwalk with swagger and sure-footedness that belies its newcomer status. It’s one of the finest V-shaped tunings I’ve heard in recent memory, and puts me in a toe-tapping mood almost instantly.

At a time when companies are toying with piezo-electric tweeters or electrostatics, S6Rui keeps things simple. No gimmicks, no angles, just BAs in a shell and a competent tuning. This bodes well for the long term growth of Fearless Audio. Sure, they have their weird experiments, and have just unleashed a new wave of hybrids. But even if they crash and burn, they have the basics to fall back on, which might turn out to be their greatest strength.

Fearless S6Rui IEM Review



Fearless S6Rui Conclusion: Let's begin this review at the end!


While the S6Rui doesn’t go the lowest, nor sparkle with the highest treble response in all of IEM land........... it all works out?

It’s soundstage is not the widest nor thickest, but somehow it’s the prefect tone, walking that fine-line between musicality and detail, flatness and excitement.


To quote a 1970’s audiophile magazine..........”This is a piece of audio equipment you plan on listening to for 20 minutes, but end up liking for 3 hours straight.”






All of the Rui’s quality may not be fully noted on first listen as the playback is actually very reserved......still the tone improves in brightness of color and clarity by the day? Why this phenomenon takes place, I’m without words? PM me if you know?

If these are not perfect reasons to recommend an IEM, I don’t know what is? I’m strangely enamored by the buttery smoothness and spot-on detail. It’s a slightly warm IEM, yet maybe warmer in the areas you want. It’s the easy-going treble that just makes it so listenable for long periods. And while I own other more expensive IEMs which offer harder hitting technicality; I sit here writing what I’m writing and believing what I believe? Go figure?

Listening to the Fearless S6Rui in person is confirmation of it’s current popularity in our community. Fearless offers both an upper-line and a down-line with the Rui siting smack-dab in the middle.

It’s not that the Rui is the greatest at anything but wins out by not being terribly bad at anything either. Then there is the price......lol. The fact that now in 2019........Chi-Fi mid-Fi has now approached USA flagship territory! With value like this.........domestic manufacturers must be shaking in their boots?

This level of playback was not even dreamed about costing $389....24 short months ago. And.............it seems this Chinese value trajectory hasn’t even started to apex? The only solid reason I can give out as to why not to buy the Rui...................is what is possibly coming again in 24 more short months. Still in my collection it sits in a special place, not due to it’s value but because at any price..........it’s a true contemporary classic.






I’m not mentioning names but if your reading this review I’m sure you know of $800 flagship IEMs from just a few short years back which are fully bettered by this product on all levels. So is progress I guess?


Most of the time the reviews of my favorite IEMs don’t suggest a blind purchase, but here I would think many would simply enjoy such a jack-of-all-trades IEM? There’s nothing not to like here........and I’m pretty sure at this place in time the Fearless Rui owns the $400 market. Still I haven’t heard everything and there is a good chance spending $500 or more on another 2019 IEM could produce even more happiness?


The S6Rui Included Cable:
Normally I don’t write much about the included cables with IEMs. At best they are a fringe subject, with half the listeners feeling they don’t do much to alter sound, and the cable enthusiasts already having an upgrade cable ready to put into use. Though here it seems the cable is special. I ended up trying it out on a number of 2-pin IEMs and seem to notice an improvement in separation and imaging. It’s also the same cable you get with Fearless up-line purchases. Though Fearless also offers an upgrade 2-pin cable if your so inclined.

For those only interested in cable build and ergonomics; all is well. Great cable dexterity and no cable noise transfer. The chrome straight plug is not only matching but of great quality. A trendy-big-aluminum-splitter and slider included, normally found with pricy aftermarket purchases. Strangely I have come to really appreciate the included S6Rui cable and will pursue a 4.4mm variant. The included cable seems to have clearer bass definition than my $136 HanSound Zen 4 Wire? Very strange to say the least?


Comparisons:

S6Rui VS Sony N3 Price $338 USD
S6Rui VS Sony XBA Z5 Price $400 USD
S6Rui VS Sony IER-Z1R Price $2000 USD
S6Rui VS BGVP DM6 $199 USD
S6Rui VS Noble Audio K10 Encore $1850 USD
S6Rui VS Magaosi K5 $199 USD
S6Rui VS BQEYZ BQ3 $68.99 USD
S6Rui VS qdc Anole V3 $549 USD


S6Rui VS Sony N3
Interestingly these two are priced very close if ordering the Sony N3 with the Pentaconn 4.4mm 5-pole plug cable. The biggest and most noticeable difference takes place due to the N3 bass presentation. DD is always going to reach a better dynamic presence (if that’s your thang) and here the N3 bass is also immensely in-action......always. The S6Rui is both controversial and questionable to win-out over the legendary N3......but it does! And even though I’m a diehard fan of the new Sony House Tune, the midrange S6Rui harmonic complexities and detail take the S6Rui to a more preferred place. There is simply more going on.


S6Rui VS Sony XBA-Z5
Right off it’s noticeable how the Rui sounds better right out of a phone. It seems the Z5 is noticeably power hungry; and while the Z5 can easily scale ahead of the S6Rui with a powerful desktop system, it’s much a parallel to the N3 where the Z5 bass creates a slower murky experience. Even if your a bass head, there is no denying the S6Rui is faster and more detailed in bass, mids and treble. Still with the electronic music genre, and properly amped, the Z5 takes the lead here. Due to recent 2019 pricing the Sony XBA-Z5 also sells for around $400 on Amazon.com. In ending it should be noted that in every case the S6Rui is way-way more comfortable to wear and stays perfectly in place, with the Sony Z5 being a fit-failure like a USB stick stuck into your ear.


S6Rui VS Sony IER-Z1R
First off the Z1R is 5X the cost, so..............that’s a big thing to take into consideration. Still a comparison here is relevant due to trying to locate and value the S6Rui weaknesses. The IER-Z1R does have fit issues with a small percentage of the population where the S6 has way less fit problems in reputation. In sound signature it’s safe to say they are polar opposites. The Z1R broadcasts it’s sub-bass to a place only dreamed of by the Rui. Where the Rui excellence comes from it’s lower midrange foundation rolling off slightly on any sub-bass. Our Z1R treble extends far out above the Rui, offering a treble technicality just not possible for the Rui. And of course the Rui is all about the exciting midrange; where the Z1R has mids left out, only at the bottom of the list in importance. Obviously the Z1R is a better IEM, still there is room to own and appreciate the Rui; if anything simply for it’s true complementary experience offered. The Z1R epic soundstage is maybe the first big contrast.........showing not only what a giant soundstage is.....but doing it in a tighter more image-isolated-way. The Sony Z1R offers a more coherent and cohesive phase accuracy, making an overall clearer picture; as expected..........but you already knew that.


S6Rui VS BGVP DM6

When I first heard the Fearless S6Rui IEM I thought of the BGVP DM6; which makes sense as both are Chi-Fi multi-BA IEMs.

Fearless S6Rui 6 balanced armatures
BGVP DM6 5 balanced armatures


Though right from that early stage my idea and impressions started to diverge to the point of considering them opposites? Let me explain why............


Treble:
The treble is considerably more rolled off on the S6.........failing to reach the intensity of the DM6. Though surprisingly the S6 comes off more refined, warmer and MORE detailed in the treble.


Midrange:
In contrast the S6Rui offers expanded midrange harmonics. A midrange the DM6 wished it had! It’s in the mids where a unique brand of sonic holography takes place?


Bass:
TheS6Rui bass is slightly less pronounced than the DM6 somehow enhancing our more mid-area perspective? So it’s simple......both IEMs display a subtle V signature with the Fearless S6Rui being way more subtle.


While I’m a borderline bass head, I find warmer (mid-reduced) signatures to be my cup of tea. Due to BA bass always being slightly less intense than DD (dynamic driver) bass, we are met with both a faster decay and a slight roll-off affecting sub-bass. Still with the above taken into account the slight lower midrange boost and overall S6Rui warmth starts tugging on my heart-strings. I have to say the overall tone is just about perfect to my ears. The end result is musicality and listenability. Is the difference of $190 more for the S6Rui worth it? Absolutely a big YES! This isn’t a question of preference, the S6Rui technical savvy wins out on all accounts! Is an additional jump to the Fearless S8 Freedom worth the jump instead? I don’t know; I have not heard it?

S6Rui VS Noble K10 Encore
On pretty much all levels the K10 Encore wins out. Both the Z1R and $1850 Encore are perfect to show what a larger soundstage sounds like in comparison to the S6Rui. Encore imaging is both more delineated and more clear, treble elements reach out farther and have a special magic. Though there is an endearing warmth with the Rui which still holds detail.........making the Encore become noticeably cold in comparison. The Encore while great has a penchant for hiding bass, then excitingly reintroducing bass. While the Rui does not go as low, it's more generous with lower midrange and ample on a style of lovable smoothness the Encore lacks. For my taste there is a section of Rui tone which shows how the Encore is incomplete; this area of interest is in the lower midrange/bass.........which the S6Rui effortlessly does better on all music genres.


Both the K10 Encore and IER-Z1R share the “top-dog” place in my personal collection. They are equally great though very different in what they do. In many ways the Fearless S6Rui comes off closest to meeting the K-10 Encore sound as they are both pure BA IEMs.


But this is where it all gets interesting. The K10 Encore shows an incredible and spacious treble expansion offering imaging way-way out in the soundstage showing the limits and holdbacks offered with our $389 S6Rui. Still where the Noble is slightly more detailed and slightly “brighter” the S6Rui still maintains a confidence and composure.


Ok........so this is where the fun begins. Both the Noble K-10 Encore and S6Rui are incredibly well rounded performers. Both IEMs do all genres of music. Though for me the big difference comes with the lower midrange personality of the S6Rui. This “big” “luscious” and “fluid” lower-midrange is nothing short of an IEM enthusiast’s dream. While both the IER-Z1R and Encore go a little deeper, offering a sub-bass experience; the Rui ends up showing off this exotic lower midrange and bass which is both fluid (saying it twice) and warm. It’s simply different than what the flagships do and unexpectedly lovable!


Describe It........
To describe the S6Rui...........when your fully on-board the boat, you don’t necessarily care about the missing technicalities of a four-figure flagship. There is just a complete picture where the S6 does it all, has detail, and this huge expanded and detailed midrange; upper-midrange AND lower midrange and bass which is fully natural and glued together. It's probably positioning in the imaging which pulls this all off? It’s that separation that has folks using the stupid word holographic! It’s just a nice balance of detail, tone and imaging which has you coming back.

Why Would Someone Want The Fearless S6Rui?
Here Head-Fi there is an ample amount of concern on correctness and ability. Somehow at the top of IEM judgment there is no room for error. In many ways these value laws end-up way too critical. Does someone only stay in one room of their house? Of course not. The S6Rui offers an enjoyable middle-ground which ends up being a value to someone with summit-fi flagships. The S6Rui is also competent enough to be all many would ever need as the flagship in their collection. It’s this accurate and accessible right-near flagship level ability which makes the S6Rui such a needed commodity today. Again it’s the fact that it does so much wonderfully right and very little wrong. As talked about there are more expensive IEMs offering more spacious treble soundstage experiences. There are many IEMs offering a dB or two of extra bottom. But at the end of the day there is such a well done distraction going on you forget about any critical judgements.







S6Rui VS Magaosi K5
Priced at $199 the Magaosi uses 5 balanced armatures but seems to end up low-end shy by all accounts. While this style of replay gets attention by a select few who admire and gel with such a tone; I can’t help but look at the S6Rui as an advancement; having a more enjoyable and complete character?


BQEYZ BQ3
Priced around $68.99 the BQ3 has the reputation as the 5 driver per side bass-centric hybrid phenomenon. Imagine a heavy bass signature but due to dynamic driver authority even more bass. In fact a pair of BQ3 IEMs share two dynamic bass drivers per side. While good in their own special way, here is a great example of more midrange being better.


S6Rui VS qdc Anole V3
Both IEMs are Chi-Fi pure balanced armature IEMs; but that’s where the similarities stop. Take the heavy bass response of the BQ3 and closely emulate it with balanced armatures and you get to the qdc Anole V3 sound. Though again as with much of the comparisons here, the Fearless S6Rui midrange and overall special (close to perfect) balance helps separate the two IEMs in the end..........driving an emotional-wedge between me and my love for the qdc Anole V3! Sadly I have to admit the S6Rui wins again, even over a higher priced IEM.



My Reviewing Process:
Typically after a 50 to 100 hour burn-in process I just listen to the IEM on a Sony WM1A and WM1Z. I then switch to a desktop amp or two and an IPod or phone. As I start to get ideas I will do side by side comparisons then put the review IEM away for a week. At this half-way mark I make notes with impressions. After a week of listening to other gear, I bring out the review IEM and test it again against my initial impressions. At this point I feel my ideas and concepts are ready for an accurate review. Linsoul mailed me this IEM free of cost for review purposes, it does not have to go back home.
https://www.linsoul.com/product-page/fearless-audio-s6rui-IEM




Specs:

Technic Features: 6 BA Drivers , 3-way Crossover, 2 Sound Tubes

Drivers: Micro Knowles Balanced Armature Driver, Including Sonion Dual Bass BA Driver*1, Knowles Mid-Frequency BA Driver*1 and Knowles Treble BA Driver*2

Sensitivity : 113dB/mW

Impedance: 20 Ω

Frequency Response: 15HZ-20KHZ



Features & details

• 6 Balanced Armatures Earphones. The Fearless Audio S6 Rui has 6 balanced armatures with 3 way crossover tech and 2 sound tubes. It has 6 Micro Knowles Balanced Armature Driver, Including 1 Sonion Dual Bass BA Driver, 1 Knowles Mid-Frequency BA Driver and 2 Knowles Treble BA Driver. It can perfectly present wide sound field, high resolution sound quality. It also excels in high frequency with better elasticity
• Unique DDP Technology. As a brand pursuing for perfectionism, we adopts DPP partition pressure treatment technology which can better balance the comfortability and functionality. It offers better wearing experience than traditional earphones
• Detachable 2Pin Cable. Each earphones come with a detachable 0.78mm 2 Pin cable. With this cable, it also ensures fully upgradability for more choice. You can change it for any other cables you prefer
• Digitization Mold Tech. As a customized earphone, we can also accept personal ear files. Obj, stl files are accepted.

It should be noted the Fearless S6 comes in two flavors.

1. Fearless S6 Pro
2. Fearless S6 Rui

Both models follow the Harman Target in tuning with slightly more treble and bass offered with the Rui. Thus with this tweek the Rui may in some cases come off as having more detail. Just like the name suggests the Pro model would be chosen for a response closer to reality, with the Rui offering a slight enhancement. This description of the Rui should in no way give the impression of finding the Rui response as that far off the Harman Target approaching “fun” territory. But rather the company is offering a slight adjustment arriving at two signatures which will be endearing to two different groups of audiophiles.



Standard Price is $389.00 USD

$25 to $60 extra can be spent on changes from standard, including a full CIEM order if wanted.

Key with additional custom add-one.
Transparent series：K1- K12

Custom Faceplate :

Type A: A1-B7 is USD25

Type B: F6-F7 is USD30

Type C: C1-E5 is USD35

Type D: F1-F5,E6-E7 is USD50

Custom Fit : USD60 (Accept physical ear impressions or digital ear impressions files)


Disclaimer:
This is some subjective ideas about an IEM...your results may vary from mine.


Equipment Used:
Sony 1Z Walkman 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm output.
Sony 1A Walkman 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm output.
Sony Desktop TAZH1ES DAC/amplifier 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm output. Sony Walkmans as file-servers with dock.
Schiit Asgard One Desktop Amplification single-ended 1/4” output.
Apple IPod 5th Generation 32GB 3.5mm single ended output
Extra Cable:
HanSound Audio ZEN 4-wire OCC litz copper cable terminated Furutech 4.4mm



Music Used;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tron:_Legacy_(soundtrack)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Rises_(soundtrack)
Batman_v_Superman:_Dawn_of_Justice_(soundtrack)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner_2049_(soundtrack)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moontan
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_(album)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin_(album)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_(album)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_(The_Cure_album)





Box Presentation:
Interestingly the package is minimal with intense quality concentration on the IEM build and finish itself. Basically after you open the black included velvet lined case, you could care less about anything else. Included is a set of tips, a brush and shirt clip. There were no instructions, though the IEMs come with a laser etched card displaying serial number and build date.

Protection:
After studying the complete packaging setup it’s quite amazing how well everything goes to protect your purchase.


Construction:
As a six driver IEM we find a beautiful clear acrylic housing absolutely smoothed out to the hilt. Inset 2 pin recession accompanies a fully mounted 3.5mm cable. As noted there is very little nomenclature until you look deeply into the inside of the IEM upon the balanced armatures themselves which charmingly hold name plates etched with both “Fearless” and the name “S6Rui”. It’s at this apex of the box opening process that you fully realize the effort was singularly put into the IEMs. Then upon hearing the S6Rui you realize the quality is real.


Enjoy!