Flipears Aether

Hello everyone, and thank you for joining. Today, I am reviewing the FlipEars Aether. FlipEars is a brand from the Philippines. They have a good presence in the East Asian market and are relatively new to the Western part of the world. However, they have been slowly getting recognition with appearances at the recent Canjams (New York 2024 and Singapore 2024). Musicteck has started selling their entire lineup here. The brand has recently launched some new IEMs too.

FlipEars Aether is a very interesting set. It features 4BA drivers. Admittedly, this configuration might not immediately capture attention, as all-BA setups often tend to be hit or miss, especially at this price point. However, there have been a few notable exceptions in the realm of all-BA in-ear monitors: Night Oblivion Butastur (5BA), 7th Acoustic Supernova (7BA), and SoundRhyme SR8 (14BA), to name a few. These models have served as torchbearers for the all-BA camp.

The primary challenge with all-BA setups typically lies in the BA-generated bass and the typical BA timbre, which often fail to impress most listeners. Aether addresses this aspect to a great extent. To add to that, there are many other aspects to the sound that make it a decent all-BA IEM. I have spent enough time with Aether, done a lot of tip-rolling and cable-rolling, and tried to find out what's good and what's not with these IEMs. Read on to find more about Aether.



Rating Criteria:

I want to lay out my rating criteria before we start off. For me, the primary criterion for evaluating audio gear is its intrinsic value rather than its price tag. A higher price doesn't always correlate with superior quality, and similarly, a low-priced product can give enough listening pleasure for it to be called outstanding. I consider the build, features, and, most importantly, the impact on the listening experience. The fundamental purpose of audio gear is to enhance the listening experience. So for me, this degree of enhancement in the listening experience is a key determinant in rating a product.

Rating below 4: I really won't be posting reviews of such items unless someone has asked for them.
Rating of 4: The product is good, and some users may find it more satisfactory, but it does come with a few caveats, such as price, fit, etc.
Rating of 4.5: The product is excellent and comes with an easy recommendation, reflecting its high quality and overall positive attributes.
Rating of 5: This product can be deemed groundbreaking, a trendsetter, and an eye-opener and deserves a spot on everyone's list due to its exceptional features and outstanding performance.




Tech/Configuration:

Drivers: 4 Balanced Armature Driver
4-way Crossover + Bass Switch
1-Sub low, 1-Low, 1-Mid, 1-High

Sensitivity: 109dB @ 1mW
Frequency Response: 5Hz–20kHz

Aether houses 4 Sonion BA drivers, which are further customised in-house to produce cleaner sound and mimic a DD bass. One of the special features of these IEMs is their unique nozzles. Its called the Conoid Resonative Chamber. A CRC is a type of chamber designed to enhance the acoustics or sound quality of an audio device. The term "conoid" refers to its shape, which is often conical or dome-like. This chamber is strategically constructed to resonate with or amplify certain frequencies of sound, resulting in improved frequency response.

This implementation is found on many FlipEars IEMs. These signature hyper-modulator nozzles are intentionally designed for increased efficiency across all frequencies, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the high frequency range. This design helps in keeping the upper frequency region smooth, devoid of any unnatural spikes, while maintaining an optimum level of extension and detailing.


Design, build, and fit:

FlipEars Aether arrives in a rather large box with a decent set of accessories. The case is quite decent, with good space inside and good cushioning. There are 3 pairs of ear tips and a special Eletech Baroque ear tip that comes in the box. There is a small brush and a soft cloth meant for cleaning purposes. In terms of accessories, I do not have any complaints at all.

The shells on Aether are built from resin, and the material is certified bio-compatible and hypoallergenic. The shells are medium-sized and lightweight, and when put in the ears, they do not exert any pressure. The corners are smooth and rounded, devoid of any pressure points. The faceplate has a nice artistic touch with some abstract design on it. It has multiple colors,, and there is a nice shiny effect when exposed to light, making the shells quite beautiful.

In terms of isolation, these IEMs are quite decent. They block a good amount of outside noise. The brand mentions that Aether can do a -26db noise cancellation. With a good-fitting ear tip, the isolation is quite good.



Ear Tips:

The nozzle design of the Aether is truly unique and unlike anything I've encountered before. While the Fitear Creator held the title for the most unconventional nozzle among the IEMs I've tested, the Aether (and Artha) now claim that position. Its nozzle is remarkably wide and peculiar, making it quite challenging to find suitable ear tips that offer easy insertion. While I do not find the fit very challenging, it may bother people with very small ear canals.

Most of the ear tips, which I resort to, do not fit well because of the wide nozzle. I can see why they included a pair of Baroque ear tips. Baroque is wider than most of the ear tips I have tried; it's very soft and delicate, and it fits really well on Aether. A very thin ear tip with a wide bore can also fit nicely on these IEMs.

Another important point to consider is the importance of achieving a perfect fit with these IEMs. Without it, the sound quality can be significantly compromised. The bass response, in particular, relies heavily on the type of tips you use. Different tips can affect the positioning of the midrange, either bringing it forward or pushing it farther back. Therefore, it's essential to experiment with various tips to find the optimal fit for the best sound experience.





Sound Analysis:

For the sound impression, I paired Aether with my Lotoo Paw Gold Touch and, occasionally, with Earmen Angel. I paired the IEMs with stock cables (and some third-party cables too).

Aether has a warm tuning and pleasing timbre with a class-leading resolution—surprisingly, more than enough detail in a 4BA configuration. I really like how precise and crisply the sound comes out of it. The sound is quite balanced, with a mid-bass emphasis in the bass region. The mids are lush, natural, and quite accurate. It has a very inoffensive treble while maintaining a decent amount of energy.

Being an all-BA set, the bass is what some would not be excited about. To be honest, the bass is no slouch on these IEMs. The BA drivers have been customised to mimic a DD-like bass, and trust me, the job has been done really well. There is a switch on the IEMs, which is basically a bass boost switch that changes the bass character to be more fun and engaging. With the switch off, the bass is mostly neutral. The switch gives a 5 dB boost and makes the lower end well-rounded and impactful.

Thankfully, the bass boost mechanism does not alter the upper frequencies much. This bass has enough quantity and focuses on the mid-bass. There is a decent sub-bass presence too. The bass has a good texture and decent layering. This is not your typical BA bass. There is a slower decay, and the bass is not as fast as BA's. You will hardly miss the decay and the lingering of the dynamic driver's bass. All said, it is really commendable how the 4BA drivers have been tuned to produce such a pleasing bass.

In the mid-range, Aether does a really nice job. Thanks to the clean presentation and nice technical aspects of the IEMs, mid-range is very enjoyable. Even with a lot of boost in the mid-bass, there is not much intrusion in the mid-range. With the bass-switch on, there is some unwanted bass shelf interference. I prefer to have the bass switch off.

The subtle nuances and details within the mid-range frequencies are accurately reproduced. The lower mid-range gets a good body from the bass region. It's lush, thick, and has good warmth. Instruments in the mid-range possess satisfying body and note weight, while vocals are rich and emotionally expressive. There is decent cohesion in the mid-range, and I find it quite well-balanced in the sense that it is neither too forward nor too recessed.

The treble profile on Aether can be termed safe and inoffensive. It is smooth and free from any harshness or sibilance that could potentially distract or irk the listener. Despite this smoothness, the treble doesn't compromise on detail retrieval, allowing for the subtle intricacies and nuances in the higher frequencies to be heard with clarity. The treble lacks some air and sparkle.

In terms of technical performance, Aether holds its ground really well. The soundstage on it will not surprise you with it's width, but there is a nice spherical, 3-D feel that extends quite far and deep. Both width and depth are respectable for an IEM in this price range, especially the depth, which is quite remarkable. The resolution of these IEMs is notably commendable, delivering an accurate and precise presentation with excellent detail throughout. It is worth noting that there is an extra warmth throughout which does get in the way of delivering a clear sound.

The imaging is decent enough for someone to get the spatial cues of the instruments. The separation of instruments and the layering of sound are decent too. There are no issues discerning sounds from different instruments, with clean separation and distinct placement.




Source Pairing:

Aether is fairly easy to drive. With my sources, LPGT and Earmen Angel, they pair well. One good thing about Aether is that it can take a good amount of power, so driving it through an amp gives some decent results. With LPGT, it takes a few extra volume clicks. LPGT is quite a warm pairing for Aether. The bass is nice and has a good texture, and the mids are lush and warm too. The upper mids and treble region have a good amount of energy, but Aether leans towards a warm treble by default.

On the other hand, with the extra bit of power on Earmen Angel, Aether opens up a bit and sounds more spacious. The bass is not as thick and punchy, and the mids are sharper, missing the extra lushness that is there with LPGT. It has a good amount of energy in the treble region too. The upper mids come across as thinner on Angel than LPGT. Angel is a counter-warm source. There is no background hiss or static noise on Aether when paired with Angel. With Angel, Aether is not as resolving as it is with the LPGT. The stage is also not as wide, but the depth is decent.





Cable Pairing:

The cable that comes with the Aether is an 8-core silver-plated copper cable. It connects to the IEMs by 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors. The cable does it's job, and I find it to be a good match. However, pairing with upgrade cables has some good results. One important thing to notice is that the cables that induce additional color and warmth do not go well with them. I tried pairing the IEMs with several cables, and here is what I found.

With the Letshuoer L-R Nebula Cable:

The L-R Nebula cable from Letshuoer exhibits the essence of a traditional copper cable. It enriches the lower frequencies, infusing them with added depth and character. However, this cable is way too warm for the Aether and does not have a nice synergy. It takes away the clarity and crispiness of the midrange. The treble too is hit for bad. All in all, a copper cable is not an ideal pairing. I tried the IEMs with some better, high-end copper cables too, but nothing changed.

With AES Harmony from Gladiator Cable:

The AES Harmony cable features 6N pure Up-OCC copper wire with a thick silver plating. I really like this cable, as its quite affordable and pairs really well with most of the IEMs. Aether loves some silver. The configuration on the AES Harmony cable helps in maintaining a balance between warmth and detailing. This cable does not add as much warmth as the Nebula does; hence, it is a good pair-up with Aether. The soundstage is a bit improved with this cable, with some increased width. The lows sound more rounded, and the bass texture is better than on stock cable. The mids have good resolution, and the cable adds a bit of crispiness over the default cable.

This is my recommended cable to be paired with the Aether for decent synergy.

With Luminox Tri-Light:

Tri-Light is a premium cable from the Taiwanese brand Luminox. It has three different conductors arranged co-axially. These conductors are: silver-plated OCC copper, OCC copper, and silver-plated copper. I do not want to endorse the idea of using high-end cables with IEMs. Out of curiosity, I occasionally explore their pairing capabilities to gauge the potential of the IEMs.

Aether shines the best with this cable. Everything good about the IEM steps up. The clarity and resolution are something that can certainly shame a lot of kilobuck IEMs. The soundstage is quite wide and deep. There is a pleasant warmth in the midrange, just enough. The bass is well-defined and has a nice texture to it. This is the closest a BA driver's bass can come to a DD bass. I cannot think of any other all-BA IEM tuned so nicely; expect some high-end ones. In a blind test, distinguishing if this bass is a BA or a DD bass would be challenging.



Comparisons:

With Night Oblivion Butastur:

Butastur is an all-BA driver IEM with 10 drivers on each side. This is one of the IEMs, which I really find incredible for it's price. The shells are just a bit smaller than that of Aether. If we talk about fit, Butastur has an edge with its small size and more comfortable fit. Butastur also features two switches on each side, providing four different sound signatures.

In terms of sound, for an all-BA IEM, Butastur has a nice bass performance, but the Aether has a better DD-like bass definition with a lot more volume and punch. The bass on Butastur is well-controlled, clean, and fast, but it is an easily recognisable BA-bass. The bass on Butastur is mellow, with a slight boost in the mid-bass. The sub-bass presence is decent and well-felt, but it does not go quite deep and is not quite impactful.

In the mid-range, mids on Aether are more lush and have more tonal weight. Butastur has a sweet mids but is not as mouthful or as rich as Aether. The upper mids on Butastur is thinner if compared to the Aether. In terms of treble frequency, Butastur has better energy and details without any sharpness. The region has a cleaner rendering than on Aether.

In terms of technicalities, Aether excels with a better stage presentation which is quite deep and has a decent width. The depth is somewhat missing on Butastur. Aether has a more fun and musical approach with better technical aspects, whereas Butastur has a more technical approach and the fun part is missing. Aether is more about coloration and warmth, while Butastur has a more neutral-like presentation that stays true to the source given.



With Kinera URD:

The Kinera URD is a multi-driver electrostatic hybrid universal IEM. The IEM has a driver configuration of 2 dynamic drivers, 1 Kinera customised BA driver, and 2 Sonion electrostatic drivers. The URD is easy to drive but can scale nicely with additional power, which makes it sound quite open and mature, as is the case with Aether. With powerful amps, there is no hiss or static noise on URD.

In terms of design, the Kinera URD has a beautiful artistic design combining white and green colors. The shells of both of these IEMs are of similar size. In terms of fit, both of these IEMs are equally comfortable for me. For others, it will depend on how wide or small the ear canal is. The thinner nozzle on the URD is likely to be more comfortable for most of the users.

Talking about the sound, both of these IEMs have a warm signature, with the Aether exhibiting a lot warmer characteristics. Both URD and Aether have a good amount of bass. The two dynamic drivers on URD give it a quite satisfying low end with a good amount of sub-bass and decent mid-bass. However, I find the bass quantity higher on the Aether because of it's boosted mid-bass. The sub-bass on Aether does not go as deep as it goes on URD.

The mids on Aether are more lush and have a better body than on the URD. URD is musical in it's own way, with a good amount of lushness and richness, but Aether has a richer character in the mid-range. It is more forward and has a better presentation. The clarity and resolution in the mid-range are better on Aether, helping every detail to come out clearly. Additionally, the URD's EST drivers contribute to its energetic treble profile and better extension, which the Aether lacks a bit.

In terms of technical aspects, the soundstage is wider on the URD while not as deep and tall as on Aether. The Aether has more of an in-your-face presentation but spreads far and wide from the centre. The Aether's presentation is more upfront, yet it extends expansively from the centre. Furthermore, the Aether gains an advantage in micro-detailing, bringing details forward with better accuracy.





With the 7th Acoustic Supernova:

Supernova stands as another highly discussed torchbearer within the all-BA camp of IEMs. It is a universal IEM with a 6-BA driver configuration using a mix of Sonion and Knowles drivers.

Supernova shells are also built with resin, and the brand offers a variety of colors and designs for the faceplate. Compared to Aether, the Supernova shells are slightly smaller but maintain a similar weight. In terms of comfort, these IEMs have good ergonomic designs and fit well.

What makes Supernova standout is the natural and organic timbre. The tuning is remarkably pleasing, offering a warm and lush sound profile where the mid-range truly shines. The vocals on Supernova are very enjoyable.

In terms of bass, there is a mid-bass focus with a slight boost. It is the same BA bass but tuned to have more impact and slow decay. The bass, though it has decent quantity, is not quite well-textured and clean. This is where Aether does a better job—with a cleaner bass that has more punch and mimics the goodness of a DD bass.

In the mid-range, both of these IEMs have similar tonality and presentation. Aether has a warmer mid-range but is cleaner and has a better resolution. In the upper mid-range, the supernova has more energy and has occurrences of slight sibilance. In the treble region, there is a good amount of energy and plenty of sparkle.

In terms of technical aspects, Supernova does not have a very wide soundstage and is nearly similar in width to Aether. Aether has a deeper soundstage. There is a better sense of instrument separation on Aether. In terms of resolution, Aether is ahead of Supernova.

In my personal opinion, I really like both of these IEMs. To say which is better than the other is really difficult. Both of these IEMs are musical and fun in their own way. They both offer quite an immersive experience. Supernova has some extra spice and zing in the way its upper mid-range behaves, while Aether is technically the better of the two. One thing that I would like to point out is what Supernova has achieved using 6BA drivers, Aether has done something similar with a smaller number of drivers.




Conclusion:

When I first got the Aether, I wasn't sure if having only BA drivers could make a big difference in sound quality. Plus, the price tag of 700 USD is something that demands some good quality tuning and other features on the IEMs. After spending some time with them, I'm confident that these IEMs are well-tuned and priced quite well too.

When I tried Butastur and Supernova, their unique BA tuning and timbre left a lasting impression on me. Aether joins the league of great all-BA IEMs and stands out for its exceptional tuning. It's impressive how its four BA drivers produce a warm, musical sound with a decent amount of bass. However, Aether certainly requires some extra attention. It benefits from well-fitting eartips, a good source, and a decent cable that doesn't add extra warmth. While some might worry about the wide nozzle and the fit, I find it quite manageable. The nozzle is unique and helps in achieving the nice tuning on these IEMs.

In conclusion, Aether proves that all-BA IEMs can deliver outstanding sound quality when properly tuned, making it a noteworthy addition to the world of high-end audio. I am enjoying my time with the Aether and hope it gets love from the community. For me, it's a 4/5 rating.