INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 is the most underrated IEM I listened to in 2024
: Luxurious Tuning (Sounds like much higher priced IEM)
Analogue in nature
Quality bass
Resolution
Inoffensive AF
Great with poorly recorded music
: The ear-hook starts hurting after 2 hours
The wire is too heavy (along with the splitter)
Lower treble dip
Disclaimer
I received INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 from ConceptKart. But they didn't pay or influence me to write anything good or bad about this IEM. All thoughts and opinions are mine. I am not using affiliated links to stay away from any bias.
Intuaura is a relatively unknown brand in the audiophile world. I was surprised to learn about the brand before it came to my doorstep. By talking to a few of my friends I get to know that these are selling well in local markets (China) but somehow they stayed an underdog in the rest of the world.
I feel they need recognition in the mainstream market because the quality they provide in their products is simply excellent and class-leading. I hope the awareness of this brand populates the market, creating very strong competition to other chi-fi brands. And you know what they say “Competetetion is always best for the customers.”. I genuinely feel this company provides value like AFUL with almost neck-on-neck competition-wise.
A few Information about this IEM
HeyGears worked with Mr. Xie Yu, a leading supplier, to develop a premium dynamic coil unit for the Splendor IEM. The same shell sound cavity is used in the Splendor in-ear monitor. Elevated by Mr. Tang's radical tuning approach, Splendor delivers fast and powerful bass for clear instruments and vocals. The balanced, slightly pop-oriented sound adjustment ensures a dynamic sound experience without loss of clarity or muddiness. Splendor uses A. W.C.T. Acoustic Tuning technology with a unique sound cavity absorption system that absorbs harmonic peaks for precise tuning strategies that provide a textured, comfortable sound experience. This results in realistic, detailed sound reproduction that improves overall audio quality.
DC impedance: 18.5Ω(土5%)
Sensitivity: 125dB/Vrms @ 1kHz(3dB)
Total harmonic distortion: <0.05% @1kHz
Pairing
This IEM is very easy to power. (Needs 14/100 volume in Dawn Pro to produce music around 75db.).
It is not that source-dependent. Of course, you can tell the difference if you upgrade to a better source but it is not that massive. It sounds good with every source I have, it changes the tonality ever so slightly with the sources.
I found out this IEM can work with anything over 2Vrms, and flat sources are preferable since warm sources tend to recess the mids, which certainly changes the character of the sound.
General Tonality of this IEM
I hardly praise the tonality of any IEM I get. Also, I criticised respected IEMs in the hobby just because they didn’t sound good to me. I always feel the need to EQ every IEM I review to get to my sweet spot. There are only three IEMs where I didn’t feel the need to do an EQ after listening to it for the first 30 minutes. (Those IEMs are ThieAudio Monarch MKII, Moded Tripowin Olina & this IEM ).
Subjective Review
The General tonality of this IEM is bass-boosted neutral. It’s unlike something like Blessing 2 Dusk where there is a bass shelf but doesn’t pronounce itself because of the absence of Slam and Punch. It pushes air and packs slam in the bass region.
Bass
The sub-bass goes deep and there were no points where I felt the subbass was lower in quality or quantity. It was full and extended way down to 20hz. The feeling of getting a good sub-bass with an ample amount of air and extension is very rare for me in this hobby due to the ear anatomy I have.
The midbass is very linearly laid after the subbass shelf. It doesn’t jump out of the frequency range. What it means is, the attack is not sudden and it takes time to extract the low end of the song and the fallout of the beats is perfect too. Why I like the low-end attack and fall-off like this in all of my audio devices is simple, it just makes recording more organic and analogue. Superfast attacks might be good for electronic dance music but from Rock to Pop the fast nature kills the authority of the stage.
Midrange
Mids are perfect too. It might sound a little recessed if you’re coming from vocal-centric IEMs but generally, the mids on most tracks are very neutral tonally. I enjoyed all of my vocal-centric tracks with it. The male voices are not forward to the point that only vocal lovers can love it. But they are full of details and weight. I wouldn’t say it is very lush but it is nowhere thin.
Female voices are handled amazingly too. It's like they knew where to give certain peaks to give it a shimmering feeling without being shouty even a single bit. Full of resolution and easy to listen to. The voices flow like water under sunlight, hints of shine and sparkle and fluid with dynamics.
Treble
The treble is the most attractive thing about INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2. So beautifully done, that it feels like a very expensive IEM. I know this comment is a bit problematic since many audiophiles believe there is not anything sonically that would dictate the price of equipment. I am not one of them, I always feel there are certain deltas in the higher-priced audio products that are always differentiable between higher-end and lower-end products. And this IEM screams expensive in the treble region.
The details and micro-contrasts are excellent even though there is no sibilance in the frequency response. Certain peaks in the FR keep the treble from getting boring and tasteless & dark. From lower registers to upper registers everything sounds cohesive and well put out.
The special thing
There is a dip in the treble from 4khz to 6/6.5khz. This dip does a lot of things to the overall sound. It takes away the forwardness of the ringing frequencies from the sound. It smooths out the sharp & shrill aspects of the songs that are full of bad treble.
But the best thing it does can be listened to after 8K. The SPL feels so smooth and gentle with amazing extension that it is impossible to guess that this could be done with a single DD.
Now as usual let's talk about the timber of this Set
Timber
I am satisfied with the timber reproduction of INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2. Due to pretty brave choices in tuning the IEM, it provides better timber than I expected.
Drums
They sound fine. The low-end is there with its authority projecting the confidence to show off the drum hits. The drum body is very present. The upper registers are present too. The only gripe I had with this instrument was lower treble recession. This recession makes the drums super smooth so they sound good but not extremely original. I know some people will like this tuning very well because, for long listening sessions, this is perfect. But I am sure the lower treble extension can greatly help to portray drums better.
On the other hand, Cymbals & High Hats felt wonderful. Full of air and details with plenty of extension. I can listen to solos for hours at a stretch.
Song 1: Caravan - John Wasson
Song 2: Bohemian Rhapsody
Violin
The violin sounds mellow in this IEM. It lacks the upper registers of the instrument which gives it a sharp bite. On the other hand, it makes violin so smooth that I can listen to it for hours and hours without fatigue which is very important to me since I listen to music almost 10-12 hours a day. The violin might feel low in resolution but it’s just the perception of the treble that makes the sound soft. I would’ve liked a bit more lower treble to enjoy the violin to the fullest.
Song 1 : 1982 Festival Overture, Op.49
Song 2: Four Seasons “The Summer ” by Avi Avital
Guitars
Acoustic guitar sounds very good. The strings from E to E produce very pleasing timber. It's a bit smoother than the original timber but the tonality is more full and I can enjoy the guitar for a long time. It surely lacks a bit of bite and attack/incisiveness if you look for that in acoustic guitar recording.
Classical Guitars sound astonishing. The timber is super realistic and there is a hint of analogue nature in the sound. From the lower registers to the upper registers, everything sounded super clean and realistic.
Electric guitars sound very pleasing. I have one thing about rock guitars they should sound smooth. Since they don’t have fixed timber & it is mostly impossible to get the tone that the artist intended, I just enjoy electric guitars without having criticism in mind. Super smooth and detailed, so much so that I listened to a few albums back to back without having any breaks.
1st Song: Layla (Acoustic Live)
2nd Song: Ghiribizzi, MS 43: No. 41 in C Major
3rd Song: Hotel California
Wind Instruments
Wind instruments sound exceptional for the price. Remember I mentioned the certain peaks in the treble, this tuning works like magic to wind instruments. Enormous amount of air to offer, rich in details, and Absolutely Zero Fatigue. Listening to wind instruments is bliss with this IEM. Your eyes might get wet in a few songs, it feels that emotional and soul-touching.
Song 1: Kal Ho Na Ho - Flute Cover by Varum Kumar
Song 2: Feeling Good (Harmonica Cover) - Amanda Ventura
The cello/Bass
Nothing to write home about here. They sound OK, nothing is there to complain. I would’ve liked a bit of separation from the rest of the FR (A slight elevation could’ve helped a lot) range but since it is the nature of the tuning there is nothing that could’ve been done here.
Song 1: 2 Cellos - Game of Thrones
Song 2: The phantom of opera - Prague Cello Quartet
The vocals
Male vocals sound good on this IEM. Doesn’t sound nasal, occupies meatiness and sounds wet to a certain degree. I enjoyed listening to male vocals with them but here too, I would’ve liked a bit of forwardness since most IEMs I use have forward vocals so my brain is burnt in that way.
Female vocals sound phenomenal with this set. The upper registers are pronounced but never got hot ever so slightly. The air and details are there. It is a bliss to listen to female vocals with this set. With the right songs, you can just close your eyes and levitate to another dimension, which was not possible earlier in this price point.
Song 1: Famous Blue Raincoat - Leonard Cohen
Song 2: Suzume (This song sounded so good with this set I listened to it on repeat at least 10 times)
Piano
The piano sounds good. The treble extension is there. Trailing edges are well preserved. The lower treble recession helped to cut down harshness. Overall it was a very pleasing and detailed experience.
Songs 1 : Intersteller Sountracks
Songs 2: SUCCESSION Soundtracks
So one thing you might’ve noticed is that this IEM provides a very soothing and inoffensive signature to begin with. With a generous bass boost, it also makes the low-quality recording sound palatable. I am thoroughly impressed by this IEM’s timber and wholeheartedly recommend this.
Genre Specific Synergy
Hip Hop
INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 is very good with Hip-Hop. The low end of this IEM really brings out the fun and engaging element of the genre. The sub-bass makes thi genre sound large (not sounding like audio coming from tiny drivers). The soundstage and resolution are just the added sauce to the whole experience.
Song 1 : Secrets - Talha Anjum
This song sounds lush. The low-end hits hard and sounded analogue. The vocals are full and warm. Treble is well extended with loads of detail to offer.
Song 2: Tadipar - MC Stan
INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 sounds detailed. The treble is full of details. Imaging is very good too. The vocals are full and textured. Subbass feels full, the attack goes deep.
Modern Pop
INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 fits perfectly for the Modern Pop genre. The bass has greatly accepted the genre and makes it enjoyable. On the other hand the treble compliments the songs too, since audio engineers by choice make the treble of modern songs peaky to handle dark mainstream IEMs.
Song 1: As it was
The low-end hits hard. The drums sound pretty nice. The stage feels big. The vocals are a bit recessed to my liking, Treble sparkliness is there and resolution is up to the mark.
Song 2: Die for you
The spacious presentation of INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 greatly suits the song. Vocals sound ever so slightly recessed and the treble is full of details.
Rock
For rock, this IEM is very good too. The lower treble of this genre is famous for being sharp for most artists. I am happy to admit that, I listened to this genre for more than 5 hours a day for the last 7 days and there is not even a single time I complained about its synergy with the genre.
I would highly recommend INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 for the rock genre.
Blues
The blues sound very good with this too. The main advantage is the lower treble recession which makes the elevated treble in some genres palatable. The bass it had made the genre feel analog and real. Mids are perfectly suited too. The upper treble extension fills the sound with air and inciveness. And everything sounded inoffensive to the fullest.
Orchestra/Western Classical
Although the soundstage & timber suits the IEM for orchestra and Western Classical music the lower treble kept me wanting a bit more. Not that it is lacking in any sense, just that if feels incomplete in the slightest. The details are good and the resolution is up to the mark. Trailing edges and air is present with immaculate quality.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The soundstage of this IEM is above average. IEMs generally are not very good at producing soundstage since the ear anatomy and HRTF is a bit tricky to handle. But I never felt that I could use a bit more soundstage.
It is large enough to feel spacious and not large to the extent that if won’t feel distant from you. The way it handles the soundstage is above average for the price point it offers.
The best thing about the soundstage is that it doesn’t squeeze the sphere. It wraps around the head in a circle.
Song 1: Cornfield Chase - Hans Zimmer
Song 2: Can You Hear The Music - Ludwig
Imaging
The imaging is pretty average. It localizes the instruments precisely enough. It might not feel snappy enough for everyone out there. Pans and swipes are palatable to the point that it doesn't feel two-dimensional.
I wouldn’t call the imaging to be holographically accurate.
Song 1 : Letter - Yoshi Horikawa
Song 2: Bubbles - Yoshi Horikawa
Conclusion
In one word, this INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 screams “LUXURY”. From tonality to aesthetics, from technicality to the wire, everything feels luxurious. This IEM is very capable and worth every penny you spend on it. Just have one thing in mind if you have a very dark-sounding library, this IEM might not be the jam for you.
Sometimes few companies amaze you so much that you question the hypemans in the community. Why it is so underrated is still beyond my imagination. I hope this company and IEM get the recognition they deserve. It's a very huge recommendation from my side.
Ratings
Value = 5/5
Tonality = A
Technicality = A-
It is better than P5 in almost every way. Bass is more punchier and slam is better in Performer 5. Rest the quantity is better in Splendor 2, the mids are better, treble is better. P5’s soundstage is a lot more squeezed and 2D than Splendor 2. The resolution is one step better in this IEM. The imaging is on par if not worse than P5.
I would choose INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 any day over Performer 5.
Technically they both are comparable. The bass is more rumbly on the fermat at the same time it is more textured. The only problem I faced with Fermat is the lower treble, sometimes it gets so hot, that I just stop listening to them. Although it might be up to your taste I don’t like the Fermat to be something extraordinary at that price point.
I would choose INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 over Fermat blindly, mostly because of my library.
Non-Affiliated Links
Click to buy INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 in India
Click to buy INTUAURA SPLENDOR 2 GLOBALLY
