I/O Audio Volare

General/Packaging/Build/Comfort
I/O Audio is a new brand that came out of nowhere early this year. It is quite a daring debut because Volare is a flagship model from the brand. Priced at 599$, Volare has the following configuration 1DD+4BA+4EST.
The packaging is very premium overall, I had a very good unboxing experience. The IEM itself is stored in a faux leather storage case, the accessories such as cable, eartips are housed in the box in a “drawer” kind of style. It screams premium overall. The cable is a 8 core OFC SPC with interchangeable plugs (modular), it comes with 2.5,3.5,and 4.4 plugs.
You will find 5 types of ear tips in the box, wide bore and narrow bore and foam.
The whole iem is very smooth and there aren't any sharp edges, the face plate is really very pretty. In terms of comfort,the Volare’s shell is slightly big, but it fits very well and also the seal, to me, feels very custom-like. I have no discomfort even wearing them for long listening sessions,do take into consideration that everyone’s ear is different and if it fits well for me doesn’t mean it will fit well for you,but fortunately, I/O Audio does throw in plenty of ear tips choices,so i’m sure there will be one that fits eventually.



Gears used for this review

• DITA Navigator
• Earmen ST-AMP
• I/O Audio Volare Stock Cable and Eartips
• Fiio M23

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound
The Volare has a tonality of neutral and slight warmish sounding to my ears, although sporting 4 BAs, I don't hear any hint of BA timbre, the Volare’s timbre sounds very natural to my ears. If I had to nitpick, yes, there is a slight BA timbre, but only if you pay real hard attention to it. The tuning sounds slightly V-shaped to my ears and you can clearly tell it is sub bass focused rather than mid bass.

Bass

• The sub bass is rumbly and has good extension, but i wouldn’t say it is anywhere near basshead kind of rumble, it does rumble when the track calls for it
• Mid bass has good body and it doesn’t sound thin, double bass pedal doesn’t sound bloated or lacking in terms of texture, Slipknot’s People = crap, during the fast drumming, every hit can be heard clearly
• Bass from the Volare is tight and clean, it exhibits no
• Transition between the sub and mid bass is quite balanced without sounding incoherent
• I personally find the tuning of bass is done right to my preference,somewhere between fun and audiophile but not venturing into the basshead category

Mids

• The mid range has plenty of details and they don’t sound recessed at all
• Vocal doesn’t sound recessed nor too forward, just right to my ears
• Male vocal in my opinion sounds a little bit lacking in terms of texture and the fullness, but female vocal on the other hand has very good energy level to it, even when you crank the volume higher, it doesn’t sound “shouty”
• The upper mids are generally quite safe sounding, but again, it depends on your tolerance and sensitivity, and most importantly, the fit

Treble

• Now, the treble, is also another strong point of the Volare, it has plenty of energy and air, yet it is not harsh sounding
• Detail retrieval is very good and actually for the asking price, i personally think that it is punching above its price point

Soundstage/Imaging

• The Volare’s soundstage is not that “big” sounding, a good width and height perception, separation is also top class
• Imaging is very good,the instruments can be pinpointed easily in busy track like Slipknot’s Duality
• The technicalities of Volare is very good overall

Driveability

• The Volare is not hard to drive and it does sound decently loud even from weaker source like Apple’s Lightning Dongle, what i want to stress is that, sounding loud is not equivalent to driving power
• Switching over to my desktop setup , the Volare becomes a different beast, very controlled bass and the highs are very well extended and it is somehow “bigger” sounding now in terms of soundstage

Comparison (Letshuoer’s EJ09)

• Switching over to the EJ09 for the purpose of comparison,i would say the tonality between the EJ09 and Volare is vastly different
• Priced at 899$ for the EJ09 vs Volare at 599$, in terms of value, Volare is definitely running circles around the EJ09
• The tonality of the EJ09 is leaning towards neutral bright-ish, not everyone is into this kind of sound signature
• In terms of bass, the sub bass does have a bit more quantity compared to Volare, but the mid bass is slightly thinner than Volare
• Mids are very clean sounding, the male vocal especially, can be a little thin at times, female vocal however is very sweet and full of energy
• Treble is very energetic, at times it can be a little fatiguing for those who are sensitive to treble, on the positive side, it is very airy and contributed to a very big soundstage
• Technicalities is definitely way ahead of Volare, which make sense because costing 300$ more, but Volare is not too far off, i would say it does have probably 70-80% of EJ09 in terms of technicalities
• Shell size, both are more or less quite similar

Final Thoughts
Having tested the Volare for almost a month, it is safe to say that it offers a very good and high price performance ratio. For a debut model, it does almost everything right, of course there are some cons if I were to nitpick. The Volare has been my daily driver since i received them, i have even put it up for comparison with the TOTL model from Letshuoer, and Volare definitely isn’t too far from and costs way less. This is definitely an outstanding release from I/O and I am definitely looking forward to their upcoming releases. It deserves a 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended!

*The Volare is sent over by ShenzhenAudio for the purpose of this review. I thank them for the support and opportunity as always

Head over to the official store if you are interested in getting one, it is currently being priced at 599$
I/O Audio Volare’s Store Link - Non Affiliated

I/O Audio Volare : Outstanding Performance!




Summary:

Launched in April'2024, Volare is the newly launched IEM from the brand I/O Audio. They are tri-brids with 4x Imported Denmark SONIC EST Driver + 4x Customized Full Range Balanced Driver + 8mm Customized Dynamic Driver. They are indeed very promising in terms of price to performance ratio and delivers outstanding sound quality for the price.





Introduction:

Let's quickly dive into the details without making the introduction very lengthy. The Volare is tri-brids with with 4x Imported Denmark SONIC EST Driver + 4x Customized Full Range Balanced Driver + 8mm Customized Dynamic Driver. They come with great cable and interchangeable plugs ( 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm).

The I/O Audio Volare is priced at $599.




Design & Build:

The shells look very ergonomic & premium and are 3D printed based on their research to ensure a good and comfortable fit. the face-plates are hand-painted and look awesome. below are some extracts from their website on the design & build details:







Specifications:


The I/O Audio Volare comes at $599 price tag and the specifications are as below:

https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/ioaudio-volare-1dd-4ba-4est-in-ear-headphone






The Box & Accessories:





The Accessories:

The Volare package includes…








The Cable:

Volare comes with a great cable. It has the following properties:






NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....



Items Used for this Review:

DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15i Dongle, CMA18P DAC/AMP, @MOONDROP DAWN
Portable Players / Sources : @Questyle QP2R, Cayin N30LE, Astell & Kern SE300
Streaming Source: QOBUZ



Pairing Performance with different sources:

Dongle DAC/AMPs:

Volare had the best pairing with @Questyle M15/M15i & @Cayin RU7 dongles. But, I have found that it pairs well with other dongles also. It's pairing with the @Questyle CMA18P is just outstandingly awesome! and takes it to a whole different level.





Portable Players:

Obviously the Volare had the best pairing with the Cayin N30LE, A&K SE300 and @Questyle QP2R since they come with very transparent Class-A amplification and outstanding DAC performance! The BEST pairing however came with Cayin N30LE which took the performance of the Volare to the next level.






Ear Tips:




I've tried tip-rolling with a variety of tips such as: @Final Audio E series red & black ones, JVC Spiral dots, Spiral Dots+, @SpinFit Eartip CP500, CP155. Out of all of these I have found the Azla Sednafit to be the best fit for my ears in terms of overall fit, isolation & comfort.





Tracks Used:

The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...







Volare Sound Impressions in Short:

The BASS:

The Volare has a good overall bass performance. The little nuances and details of the sub-bass region is clearly audible and the mid-bass comes with good amount of body & texture. In fact, I'm quite surprised at the refined bass experience this has been able to pull off. Not that kind of hard slamming in the mid-bass but more of the details. tracks like: "Hotel California (Live on MTV 1994) – Eagles" and "Fluid - Yosi Horikawa" you will likely get immersed into the bass finesse.



The MIDS:

The midrange of the Volare is quite open and clear with ample amount of details. There's no bass bleed and the midrange is quite textured and feels very natural. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with good texture and feel very real. Instruments felt very natural and real with high accuracy and the separation between them is also great. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.



The TREBLE:

The Treble is quite energetic & airy coming from the ESTs of the Volare but doesn't at any point feel peaky or uncomfortable. It has the right amount of details and texture also and the overall treble performance is therefore very enjoyable.

Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel very immersive and enjoyable from the treble perspective.





The SOUNDSTAGE:

The Staging capabilities of the Volare is surprisingly good. In fact, it might be amongst the best in the price range. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable. This is amongst the strongest trait of this IEM.

Imaging & Timbre:

The Imaging & instrument separation performance on the Volare is stellar and sense of location is spot on with high accuracy. The Timbre also feels very life-like and real. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through.







Conclusion:

By now I can confidently say that the Volare is an outstanding performer for the price. This is a BIG surprise coming from the house of I/O Audio, and this Volare goes far beyond many of the IEMs I have come across in this price range(such as: Noble Audio DXII, Dunu SA6, etc).

Given the above facts, people looking to buy within the $500 - 600 range should definitely consider getting this as this hits way beyond it's price and becomes an easy recommendation therefore.

I/O VOLARE

A Good Start!

Pros:
- Balanced and pleasant tonality.
- Warm-ish bassline.
- Well articulated vocal rendition.
- Good treble definition. Refine and define.
- Good Air-extension.
- Great layering & separation level.
- Expansive head-staging.
- Natural tone and timbre.
- Minimal timbre contrast.
- An all-rounder.
- TOLT unboxing experience.
- Generously accessorised.
- Comfortable and beautifully moulded resin.
- A good benchmark for a 600USD tribrids.

Cons:
- Sub-bass texture isn’t the best.
- The attack on some instruments is smoothed-out.
- Chesty male vocal can sound a tad further back in the mix.
- Can exhibit a hint of micro-grain or haze on some tracks.
- A hint of bearable sibilance issue [YMMV]
- The tuning can be abit boring after a while.
- Not the most engaging sound.



[MY PERSONAL HEAD-FI GRADING]
1 ★ - Appalling! please avoid this!
2 ★★ Subpar offering, there are better options out there!
3 ★★★ Decent with some caveats! Not a bad pick!
4 ★★★★ Not perfect but solid choice ! This should be in your shortlist. A nice addition to your collection.
5 ★★★★★ One the best in class! You should go right ahead & buy one! A must have!

I/O VOLARE 4 ★★★★​

▓▒░ SOUND-SIGNATURE ░▒▓
The sound it makes is the sort of tune you’d get from a mildly, well-balance V-shaped. The bass is slightly emphasised. The treble is enhanced while the mid-range is somewhat pushed-back a little.
There is a hint of warmish tonality carries from the lows with a tasteful level brilliance ascending from the highs. All of that adds up, creating a natural replay that is laid-back, smooth and pleasant to the ears.

▓▒░ BASS/LOW-END░▒▓
- The low-end of the Volare has this genteel demeanour to it. The elevated bass is done without overpowering the upper-reach, quite a bit less than most measurements would suggest. It has a gentle, warmish tonality which spilled ever so slightly onto the lower-mid-range, giving an organic touch on vocal and instrument replay.

- The sub-bass extension is adequate for most genres. It’s rumbling sensation could use with better texture and higher pressure. Meanwhile, kick-drum delivery is quite soft which detract some of the engagement that you’d normally get from a proper tactile boom.

- Mid to upper bass presence is brought to a lesser degree. Like the sub-bass, the mid-bass too carry the very same behaviour which is soft on the attack with neutral (longish) decay. But it’s got enough thickness which helps with its mid-upper bass sturdiness. Having said that, it doesn’t leave you with a satisfying punch, slam or thump. A hardcore bass-head will definitely be yearning for more oomph.

- Alas, the bass performance on the Volare is far from terrible. It should be good enough for most listeners.

▓▒░ MID-RANGE /VOCAL ░▒▓
- The Volare is not meant for an intimate vocal lover. Yes, as the tuning suggest, the mid-range is slightly pushed back and no lesser.
- Worry not, the vocal does not come across sounding too thin or dry or overly recessed. Most vocal lovers can still appreciate its mid-range presentation.

- It does sacrifice a bit of that transparency and clarity for musicality. The extra warmth reaching from the lows makes the vocals sounded smooth, rich, sweet and pleasing to the ears. They will never sound harsh regardless of tracks.

- The female vocals have proper energy without sounding shouty.

- As for the downside, chesty vocals (baritones), cellos, brass instrument, organ that lives on the lower region of the mids. can sound abit further back/thinner side.

- Depending on tracks, there is a smidge of micro-grain or haze on vocal transient which can smear some of the vocal clarity.

- Sibilance control is borderline acceptable as there is hint of bearable sibilance on both male and female vocals.

- When it comes to instrument like piano, guitar, violin or strings, the attack can sound abit smooth-out. They don’t sound as crispy or as impactful as I’d like. On instrumental tracks, that is not welcome.

▓▒░ TREBLE/HIGHS ░▒▓
- The treble is very well extended without overbearing brightness. It rolls off nicely with plentiful amount of air presence. It is a well-filled out treble.
- It response fairly smooth without any unwanted resonance such ay peaky-ness, hotness or sharpness.
- The ESTs driver on the Volare is nothing short of potent. It manages to define its treble elements naturally without forced. As a result, listeners are rewarded slightly above average level of treble detail.
- However it does not perform without a flaw. Firstly, the treble layout isn’t the cleanest. On some tracks It, it can exhibit this subtle layer of micro-grain or haze.
- When it comes to instrument like hi-hats and cymbals, again, the attack has a more rounded edge to them, though the decay is precise and smooth. Meanwhile, electronics may lack abit of bite upon zinging, buzzing or shimmering which takes away some of the excitement.
- Having said that, most of nit-picks are minor. It does not bring detriment to your experience. In fact, majority of the people will definitely rejoice of what the treble has to offer.

✧ ════ •TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE• ════ ✧
- The overall STAGE-PRESENTATION is above par. It sounds open and spacious. It gives off more width than height with generous depth to the stage.

- IMAGING PROWESS is superb. Instrument & vocal placement is accurate and well-focused. There is no jittering or stuttering. Everything just flows between channel with grace.

- LAYERING AND SEPARATION is spot-on. Regardless of tracks, separated elements remains in its borders of sound consistently without any sign of congestion or compression. Everything has their own little spot.

- It's got great RESOLUTION with excellent MICRO-DETAIL. Definitely one of the tops among its peers on its price-point.

- TONE AND TIMBRE wise, it does a good job in staying natural. If I were to nit-pick, the overall transient could use with greater attack amplitude. The smoothing effect on note-hits takes-away some of the realism on replay. There are times when you’ll hear it but you don’t necessarily feel it.

- For a safe well-balance tuning, the DYNAMIC-RANGE of the Volare is solid. The elements of loud and soft is well discerned within the mix which makes it more engaging to listen to than some of its competitors that follows similar sort of tuning.

- VOLUME SCALING. The Volare is not great for a low-volume listening. It can sound too smooth and the micro-detail is not that prominent. It is best to listen to mid-volume loudness for optimum performance. If it is too loud, the peaks will start to appears.

- Speaking of DRIVER/SETUP, it is definitely one of the best. They use good quality driver with proper implementation from lows to highs. For a 9 driver setups, the coherency level is exceptional.
Yes, there is a hint of timbre-contrast when transitioning from the bass to mid-range and treble. The upper-registry just sound a tad faster and lighter while the lows sound a tad slower. Still, it is very minimal. At the very least, it is free from driver-flex or pressure-build up issue.

- BUILD/COMFORT, the resin shell is well built. The silvery metallic accentuation makes it such a beautiful shell. The shell is not that big. It should fit most people ears like glove.


- PRICE: PERFORMANCE is great. From unboxing experience to sound-quality, it is top-tier. Not many CHIFI-products does as well as this.

So far It performs quite well for what it's trying to be. But how does it stacks against some of the well-known tribrids?

Here's a simplified HEAD-2-HEAD
LETSHUOER EJ07M x HAKUGEI SKYRIM x TANGZU SANCAI BALANCE (M) vs
IO VOLARE x TANGZU SANCAI BALANCE (M) vs
ALPHA OMEGA x KBEAR WIDE 8C GRAPHENE x TANGZU SANCAI BALANCE (S)


<BASS>
● Bass-Shelf : RA > V > EJ
● Tonality (Warm-Neutral-Dry) : V (WN) > RA (WM) > EJ (N)
● Subs Extension/Quantity: RA > EJ > V
● Subs Attack : RA > EJ > V
- RA has the highest pressure, EJ is close behind. V softest abit loose abit a muffle.
● Sub-bass kick: RA = dung-dung > EJ = thung-thung > V = bhung-bhung.
● Sub-bass detail/texture: EJ > RA > V
- Although, the EJ don’t have the same volume as the RA, EJ subs have better clarity and detail. V rumbling detail & texture is the weakest.
● Ghetto Bass (elasticity/decay rate): EJ > RA > V
- The EJ is bounciest.
● Bass Distortion: EJ > RA > V
- The EJ’s has the clearest bass distortion.
● Bass Drop: EJ > RA > EJ.
● Mid-bass Presence: RA > V > EJ
● Mid-bass Attack (Punch/Slam/Thud): V > EJ > RA,
- The EJ hit faster and slightly deeper than RA but RA hits bigger, thicker and heavier. Meanwhile V is a mixture of the 2, it carries similar width and depth in terms of impact of the RA but slightly slower than EJ and RA.
● Mid-bass detail/clarity: EJ > V > RA
- The EJ mid-bass is cleaner and clearer than RA but RA has greater substance. V sits in between EJ and RA with a hint of more warmth than the other 2.


<MID-RANGE/VOCAL>
● Mid-Range/Vocal Intimacy = EJ > V > RA.
- The EJ has the most forward, biggest image resolution of the 3.
● Male Vocal: RA > EJ > V
- The RA just hits the right balance in terms of note-weight, clarity and energy. The EJ lacks abit of that density and overtone. On V, it can sound push-back or thinner at times.
● Female Vocal: EJ > V > RA
- The EJ performs at higher octave while the RA is better for lower-harmonic female. V is in between. Overall, EJ performs better since it has no sibilance issue, greatest clarity with decent timbre.
● Voice Range: V > RA > EJ
- The V & RA seems to have slightly higher extension. The EJ can sound a tad too safe and boring lacking that of crescendo on transient.
● Transparency: EJ > V > RA
- Nuances like breath, instruments hits can be heard a hair clearer on EJ.
● Clarity: EJ > RA > V
- Sometimes V vocals have a hint of haze/grain and the background is not as pitch-black vs the EJ or RA. The EJ is super clean by comparison.
● Tonality (Warm>Neural>Bright): V(W-N) >RA(W-N) >EJ (N)
- The V has more apparent warmth to the voice/instrument. The RA slightly less. The EJ is almost uncoloured.
● Tone & Timbre: RA = V > EJ.
- Depending on tracks the RA and V can out-performed each other, their mid-range somewhat sounds more natural and whereas EJ can sound too clean and neutral.
● Transient/Attack: RA > EJ > V
- The RA seems to have heftier note-weight. The EJ is fast but less impactful. The attack on V is the softest. These traits will become most apparent on instrumental replay such as pianos/guitars/violins/strings.
● Airiness: V > EJ > RA.
- The V sounds abit more airy-er thanks to its treble extension.
● Reverb Level: V > RA = EJ.
- Due to longer decay, elements of overtone are better on The V. While EJ and RA are night equal.
● Sibilance Control: EJ > RA > V.
- The EJ had 0 sibilance issue. The V is the least forgiving here. V has higher tendencies to get sibilance on male than female.
● Shout Control: E J> V > RA.
- The EJ the most anti-shout set of the 3. The V comes in 2nd with borderline control. While with the RA, it can get abit hot on some female vocal but it is never too shouty.


<TREBLE/HIGHS>
● Tonality (Dark->Neutral->Bright): RA (D) > EJ (DN) > V (NB)
- RA treble region is the most veiled here with V is being the brightest, the most sparkling here.
● Air-Extension: V > EJ > RA
- V have the most air presence among the 3. The EJ and RA are closer to each other.
● Evenness: EJ > V > RA
- All of them doesn't sound peaky on low-vol. but once you listen to them louder, the peaks will start to show up. Hence, the result.
● Transparency: V > EJ > RA.
- V has the best transparency here. You do hear abit more twinkly-sparkling detail with the V. But the EJ is close behind while the RA seems to have the lowest-RES here.
● Clarity: EJ > RA > V
- Quite consistently, there is a layer of haze or micro-grain somewhere around the treble region with the V and it sounds busier, RA is seemingly cleaner. While the EJ is simply the clearest and the cleanest.
● Timbre: EJ > < V > RA
- Sometimes the longer decay on V makes constant hi-hats/cymbals to linger longer than it should. RA consistently has the more natural decay with EJ being 2nd. E-guitar replay on V is the most satisfying here with its wider attack and energy it carries. The EJ’s E-guitar is abit muffle by comparison due to softer attack and less weighty. The RA does abit better due to its heftier E-guitar tone. The EJ doesn’t like rock/metal music. But with Saxophones as well as synthetic noise such as electronics zing, shimmer, twinkling, distortion etc, the EJ takes it.


< TECHNICALITIES >

STAGE-DIMENSIONS
● Width: V > EJ > RA
● Height: RA > V > > EJ
● Depth: V > RA > EJ
● Background Darkness: EJ > RA > V
● Imaging (Accuracy + Sharpness): EJ > V > RA
● Separation & Layering (Effortlessness & Consistency): EJ > V > RA
● Detail & Resolve: V > EJ > RA
● Instrument Replay/Timbre: V = RA > EJ
● Dynamic-Range/Transient: V > RA > EJ
● Ambience Level: V > EJ > RA
● Clarity: EJ > V > RA
● Build/Comfort: V > EJ > RA
● Value (As Tested): V > RA > EJ
● Personal Enjoyment: > EJ > V > RA

"If you're after for smooth bassy sound, the RA is the best choice here. Despite it's short-coming in technicalities, it is such a pleasant set to listen to. The VOLARE is the most well-balanced here, the better all-rounder and probably the safest pick of the 3, but it is kind of boring, The EJ07 on the other hand sounds the most special here. It has that X-factor that makes audiophiles long after this set. That immersive staging and high level of clarity is truly something else. though, It is not going to be for everybody. But it will my personal pick which is why I owned one."

CHECK OUT MY FULL REVIEW ON
(1) LETSHUOER EJ07 : https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/letshuoer-ej07.26368/review/34530/
(2) ALPHA OMEGA RA : https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/alpha-omega-ra.27104/review/34522/


◤FINAL THOUGHTS◢
Being their very 1st product, the IO has achieved an incredible feat with the Volare. The price performance it offers is nothing short of competent. It can compete very well with older-generation of “trinity tribrid” A.K.A the Moondrop Variation, the Thieaudio Oracles and the Letshuoer EJ07M variant (let alone the original EJ07) which is no easy feat. Even after many years has passed, those trinity-tribrids are highly regards in its price-point even till this day. With the appearance of the IO Volare, you might want to check it out because from a technical stand-point, the Volare can really do a number on those 3. Depending on your preference, you might actually prefer the Volare as well. To me, the Volare is not going be your “END-GAME” set but it can definitely be a “PAUSE-GAME” set for many audiophiles out there.


[IEM-SCORING-BOARD]
RATING
1: Trash (F)
2: Horrible (E)
3: Bad (D)
4: Subpar (C)
5: Decent/Average (B)
6: Good (A-)
7: Great (A)
8: Superb. (A+)
9: Masterclass/Top-Drawer (S)
10: Perfection (P)

LETSHUOER EJ07 [1DD-2BA-4EST] [3-WC]
MSRP : 699$ USD
Tuning : Diffused-Field Like.
= Quality =
Bass: 7.0/10 Mids: 7.5/10 Treble: 7.0/10
Male/Female: 6.5/7.5
= Technicalities =
Detail & Resolve: 7.0/7.0
Instrument Replay/Timbre : 6/10
Dynamic-Range/Transient : 6/10
Head-stage [W-H-D]: 6-5.5-5.5
Layering & Separation: 8.0/10
Stereo Imaging 7.0/10
Ambience : 6.5/10
Clarity : 9.0/10
Build/Comfort: 7/5
Value: 4/10 [AS TESTED]
Personal Enjoyment: 7.0/10
SETUP (As tested)
Hakugei Skyrim 4.4 PLUG
Tangzu Sancai Balanced (M)
Tanchjim SPACE

ALPHA OMEGA RA [1DD-4BA-2EST] [3-WC]
MSRP : 563$ USD
Tuning : Mild V-shaped (Sub-bass boost)
= Quality =
Bass: 7.0/10 Mids: 6.0/10 Treble: 6.5/10
Male/Female: 7.0/6.0
= Technicalities =
Detail & Resolve: 6.0/6.0
Instrument Replay/Timbre : 6.5/10
Dynamic-Range/Transient : 6.5/10
Head-stage [W-H-D]: 5.5-7-6
Layering & Separation: 6.5/10
Stereo Imaging 6/10
Ambience : 6/10
Clarity : 6.5/10
Build/Comfort: 8/3
Value: 3/10 [AS TESTED]
Personal Enjoyment: 6/10
SETUP (As tested)
KBEAR Wide 8C Graphene 4.4 PLUG
Tangzu Sancai Balanced (S)
Tanchjim SPACE


IO VOLARE [1DD-4BA-4EST] [3-WC]
MSRP : 599$ USD
Tuning : Balanced Mild V-shaped.
= Quality =
Bass: 6.5/10 Mids: 7.0/10 Treble: 7.5/10
Male/Female: 6.0/6.5
= Technicalities =
Detail & Resolve: 7.5/7.5
Instrument Replay/Timbre : 7/10
Dynamic-Range/Transient : 7/10
Head-stage [W-H-D]: 6.5-6.5-7
Layering & Separation: 7.0/10
Stereo Imaging 6.5/10
Ambience : 7/10
Clarity : 7.5/10
Build/Comfort: 7/9
Value: 3/10 [AS TESTED]
Personal Enjoyment: 6.5/10
SETUP (As tested)
Stock 6N SPC 4.4 PLUG
Tangzu Sancai Balanced (M)
Tanchjim SPACE

========================================================================
【SOURCE & GEARS】

● Native FLAC Files [44.1Khz 16bits-96Khz 24bits]​

● Foobar2000 [ROG Laptop] [Ugreen USB C Adapter]
● Huawei P20 PRO [Phone][ App- Foobar2000]

========================================================================

【PLAYLIST／TEST-TRACKS】​

1977 Fleetwood Mac - Dreams ★
1982 Chicago – Hard to say I'm sorry. ★
2003 NARUTO Original Soundtrack I – Wakiagaru Toushi ★
2008 K.will (케이윌) – 소원 (Great King Sejong OST Part.1)
2009 Maksim – Exodus
2010 Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou (OST) – Kokoro no Oku De Ha
2014 Grabbitz – Here with you now. ★
2014 BoA – MASAYUME CHASING
2014 Hyolyn – 안녕 Good bye ★
2015 KOKIA – I Found You ★
2015 K MISSING KINGS (OST) - New Kings
2016 K RETURN OF KINGS (OST) - Return of Kings
2016 K RETURN OF KINGS (OST) - If you die.
2017 Berry Goodman – Zutto (ずっと) ★
2017 SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:mizuki – ViEW
2017 Namie Amuro – Hope
2019 K SEVEN STORIES (OST) - In Pursuit Of
2019 K SEVEN STORIES (OST) - Lost Small World
2019 Blade & Soul (OST) – Half-Moon Lake
2019 CAROLE & TUESDAY VOCAL COLLECTION Vol.1 – Light a Fire ★
2020 Paradox Live Opening Show (1st E.P) – BAE – BaNG!!! ★
2020 Paradox Live Opening Show (1st E.P) – cozmez – Where They At ★
2020 倖田來未 (Kumi Koda) – GET NAKED (Kiyoshi Sugo Remix)
2020 倖田來未 (Kumi Koda) – again (MATZ Remix)
2020 premiere fleurs – プリンシパル
2020 Love Live! Nijigasaki – 朝香果林 (Karin Asaka) – VIVID WORLD ★
2020 Fujii Kaze – へでもねーよ”／Hedemo Ne-YoSeishun Sick
2020 King Gnu – 三文小説 ／Sanmon Shosetsu ★
2021 OWV – Fifth Season ★
2021 加藤 ミリヤ (Miliyah) feat. Yoshida Brothers – この夢が醒めるまで ★
2021 Aoi Teshima – ただいま★
2021 Official髭男dism – Cry Baby
2021 Chanmin BIJIN 美人 – Morning Mood
2021 門脇更紗 (Sarasa Kadowaki) – きれいだ
2021 Mirei Touyama – 美忘録
2021 SELECTION PROJECT Vol.1 – Only one yell -天沢灯ソロver.- ★
2022 Belle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Million Miles Away (ENG vers.)
2022 rei (E-girls) – Dark Hero.
2022 rei (E-girls) – IDNY
2022 I can fly (Special Edition) – Bleecker Chrome - You will shine ★
2022 I can fly (Special Edition) – YOSHIKI EZAKI x Bleecker Chrome - UP ★
2022 BEAST TAMER (OST) – じんわり感じている幸せ
2022 Ado – 会いたくて
2022 Ado – 踊
2023 La prière – Sweet Dreams ★
2023 Bungou Stray Dogs 4th Season ED – Luck Life – しるし★
2023 UMAMUSUME PRETTY DERBY - Hat on your Head!
2023 Anna – 花のように (Hana no You ni)
2023 riria. – 貴方の側に (Anata no Soba ni)
2024 Dungeon Meshi OP – BUMP OF CHICKEN – Sleep Walking Orchestra
2024 Ernie Zakri, Ade Govinda - Masing Masing ★
2024 Paradox Live THE ANIMATION OST – 25 幻影武雷管 - Trauma ★
2024 Bartender Kami no Glass OP – Takaya Kawasaki – Stardust Memory ★
2024 Maou no Ore ga Dorei Elf ED – Sayaka Yamamoto – Blue Star
2024 Spice and Wolf Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf OP – Hana Hope – Tabi no Yukue/ Destination of the journey
2024 Tonari no Youkai-san ED – Aoi Kubo – Iro no Naka (風媒花)

★ Main-Test-Tracks/ A glimpse of what listen to 90% of the of time.


Do take my words for what it’s worth. Afterall, I am just one man. ╮(╯▽╰)╭

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! HAVE A GOOD DAY WHEREVER YOU ARE! TAKE CARE!

Disclaimer:
- This is a loaner unit. Big thanks to Andy Audio Vault and Edmund King (Facebook) for making this possible!

EXTRA PHOTOS