Ranko Acoustics RIE-880
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Ranko Acoustics RIE-880
Disclaimer: The RIE-880 was sent to me by HiFiGo.com as part of a review tour in my country, in exchange for my honest opinion. I am neither paid by nor affiliated with HiFiGo or Ranko Acoustics in any way and have no incentive whatsoever, for writing anything positive or negative about the IEM. The views shared in this article are my personal views based on the week or so I spent using the RIE-880. Ranko Acoustics RIE-880 can be purchased from hifigo, using the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/ranko-acoustics-rie-800-in-ear-earphone
The RIE-880 has a single 9.2mm dynamic driver enclosed in a white resin shell. The IEM can be used with a 2-pin 0.78mm cable. RIE-880 is available in 2 color options, white and black. The unit sent to me was the white one. The IEM itself looks quite good with a 3D printed resin shell and a hand-painted faceplate. I had no issues in terms of fit, but given the rather large size of the IEM, I guess smaller ears may have some fit issues. The carry case included with the IEM is quite good and sturdy. In terms of aesthetic appeal, the IEM is let down by its cable. The best way I can describe the stock cable is that looks (and feels) like a twisted pair cable used for wiring electrical appliances. The cable is rigid, unsightly and totally ruins the aesthetic appeal of the otherwise good-looking IEM. The sonic performance of the cable is also nothing to write home about and it just about does the job. However, for the asking price of 130 USD, I guess it isn’t much of a deal-breaker.
The stock ear tips are quite good, but I usually prefer tip-rolling and I found that the IEM sounded best with Radius Deep mount ear tips in silicon and Flare Audio Universal ear tips in memory foam. Other ear tips tried and eliminated include Sony Triple comfort, JVC Spiral Dots ++, JVC Spiral Dots SF, Tennmak Whirlwind tips, SpinFit CP100, SpinFit CP145, SpinFit CP360, Dekoni Mercury, Flare Audio every day (silicon), and Audiophile (memory foam). For the purpose of this review, I chose to use the Radius Deep Mount ear tips.
Sound:
Going through the specs of the IEM, I found it very strange that the IEM has an impedance of 60 ohms yet the maximum power is rated at 15mW. I initially assumed this may have something to do with the RA FPhase Acoustic Architecture and the Electronic Equalizer Internal Circuit. Alas, after giving it a listen, I’m convinced that this is most likely a printing/translation error in the marketing material. (Facepalm!!)
The RIE-880 has a U-shaped signature with a fairly good presence in the bass region. However, I’d like to highlight that it requires a fairly powerful source to be driven well. I personally found a massive difference in the dynamic range when I ran it off FiiO BTR5 vs FiiO M11 Plus LTD. The latter definitely made it sound much better. There is good rumble and the resolution in the lower region is fairly good, given the price point. Fortunately, the RIE-880 doesn’t bloat the mid-bass to create a sense of boominess. The result is clean sounding and deep hitting bass that makes percussion instruments sound lively and natural. There’s an Indian percussion instrument called “dhol” and since I’ve been digging a lot of dhol based tracks off late, I had a really good time listening to the following tracks on the RIE-880:
The mids on the RIE-880 are recessed, but not too much. This makes the overall tonal balance quite good, although there is some bass bleed into the mids, hence resulting in some graininess, which is perceivable in the lower mids, especially in busy tracks. There is no hint of sibilance in female vocals, but I’d like to mention here that the mids are not the most detailed even when compared to other IEMs in this price range. If you’re someone who wants to hear the nuances of vocals, especially in a track like Ambarsariya – Fukrey (
) or Shelter – The XX (
), then the RIE-880 is probably going to disappoint.
However, if you’re someone who enjoys tracks like Deep in my Soul – 16BL (
) or Far and Wide – 16BL (
), the tonality of RIE-880 is worth a shot if you have a fairly powerful source.
The elevated treble in the RIE-880 makes for a good amount of space, which is welcome, especially since the mids seem somewhat congested. There is good detail here and this is where I felt the Radius deep mount tips did a better job than the stock ear tips. The stock ear tips make the overall tonality somewhat bright, which although not too fatiguing, made it difficult for me to enjoy, especially since I’m hyper treble sensitive. ☹ The radius deep mount tips were able to tweak this region slightly, thereby, resulting in an amazing tonal balance. I usually prefer foam ear tips and if you’re someone like me, who prefers foam tips for comfort, I’d recommend getting the Flare Audio Universal ear tips, should you plan to buy the RIE-880. The soundstage of the RIE-880 is quite wide and tall, though the separation is not the best I’ve heard in this price range.
Conclusion:
The RIE-880 is a good U-shaped IEM that performs well when provided with sufficient power. This IEM may be suitable for those who aren’t looking for nuanced vocals and like their bass deep and hard. Given the price of 130 USD and a relatively hard-to-drive 60-ohm dynamic driver, it makes it hard for me to recommend the RIE-880 over other options available at this price point.
Disclaimer: The RIE-880 was sent to me by HiFiGo.com as part of a review tour in my country, in exchange for my honest opinion. I am neither paid by nor affiliated with HiFiGo or Ranko Acoustics in any way and have no incentive whatsoever, for writing anything positive or negative about the IEM. The views shared in this article are my personal views based on the week or so I spent using the RIE-880. Ranko Acoustics RIE-880 can be purchased from hifigo, using the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/ranko-acoustics-rie-800-in-ear-earphone
The RIE-880 has a single 9.2mm dynamic driver enclosed in a white resin shell. The IEM can be used with a 2-pin 0.78mm cable. RIE-880 is available in 2 color options, white and black. The unit sent to me was the white one. The IEM itself looks quite good with a 3D printed resin shell and a hand-painted faceplate. I had no issues in terms of fit, but given the rather large size of the IEM, I guess smaller ears may have some fit issues. The carry case included with the IEM is quite good and sturdy. In terms of aesthetic appeal, the IEM is let down by its cable. The best way I can describe the stock cable is that looks (and feels) like a twisted pair cable used for wiring electrical appliances. The cable is rigid, unsightly and totally ruins the aesthetic appeal of the otherwise good-looking IEM. The sonic performance of the cable is also nothing to write home about and it just about does the job. However, for the asking price of 130 USD, I guess it isn’t much of a deal-breaker.
The stock ear tips are quite good, but I usually prefer tip-rolling and I found that the IEM sounded best with Radius Deep mount ear tips in silicon and Flare Audio Universal ear tips in memory foam. Other ear tips tried and eliminated include Sony Triple comfort, JVC Spiral Dots ++, JVC Spiral Dots SF, Tennmak Whirlwind tips, SpinFit CP100, SpinFit CP145, SpinFit CP360, Dekoni Mercury, Flare Audio every day (silicon), and Audiophile (memory foam). For the purpose of this review, I chose to use the Radius Deep Mount ear tips.
Sound:
Going through the specs of the IEM, I found it very strange that the IEM has an impedance of 60 ohms yet the maximum power is rated at 15mW. I initially assumed this may have something to do with the RA FPhase Acoustic Architecture and the Electronic Equalizer Internal Circuit. Alas, after giving it a listen, I’m convinced that this is most likely a printing/translation error in the marketing material. (Facepalm!!)
The RIE-880 has a U-shaped signature with a fairly good presence in the bass region. However, I’d like to highlight that it requires a fairly powerful source to be driven well. I personally found a massive difference in the dynamic range when I ran it off FiiO BTR5 vs FiiO M11 Plus LTD. The latter definitely made it sound much better. There is good rumble and the resolution in the lower region is fairly good, given the price point. Fortunately, the RIE-880 doesn’t bloat the mid-bass to create a sense of boominess. The result is clean sounding and deep hitting bass that makes percussion instruments sound lively and natural. There’s an Indian percussion instrument called “dhol” and since I’ve been digging a lot of dhol based tracks off late, I had a really good time listening to the following tracks on the RIE-880:
- Fistful of dhollars – TDF ()
- Dhol Wajda – Let’s Enjoy ()
- Atomizer – Pathan’s Dhol Remix ()
The mids on the RIE-880 are recessed, but not too much. This makes the overall tonal balance quite good, although there is some bass bleed into the mids, hence resulting in some graininess, which is perceivable in the lower mids, especially in busy tracks. There is no hint of sibilance in female vocals, but I’d like to mention here that the mids are not the most detailed even when compared to other IEMs in this price range. If you’re someone who wants to hear the nuances of vocals, especially in a track like Ambarsariya – Fukrey (
However, if you’re someone who enjoys tracks like Deep in my Soul – 16BL (
The elevated treble in the RIE-880 makes for a good amount of space, which is welcome, especially since the mids seem somewhat congested. There is good detail here and this is where I felt the Radius deep mount tips did a better job than the stock ear tips. The stock ear tips make the overall tonality somewhat bright, which although not too fatiguing, made it difficult for me to enjoy, especially since I’m hyper treble sensitive. ☹ The radius deep mount tips were able to tweak this region slightly, thereby, resulting in an amazing tonal balance. I usually prefer foam ear tips and if you’re someone like me, who prefers foam tips for comfort, I’d recommend getting the Flare Audio Universal ear tips, should you plan to buy the RIE-880. The soundstage of the RIE-880 is quite wide and tall, though the separation is not the best I’ve heard in this price range.
Conclusion:
The RIE-880 is a good U-shaped IEM that performs well when provided with sufficient power. This IEM may be suitable for those who aren’t looking for nuanced vocals and like their bass deep and hard. Given the price of 130 USD and a relatively hard-to-drive 60-ohm dynamic driver, it makes it hard for me to recommend the RIE-880 over other options available at this price point.
Disclaimer
Ranko Acoustics RIE-880 has been provided to me for review purposes as part of HiFiGo's India Tour. I am in no way related to them, nor work for them. Impressions provided by me are subjective to gear used and my listening capabilities. You can purchase RIE-880 for 140 USD from HiFiGo through following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/ranko-acoustics-rie-800-in-ear-earphone
About
Ranko Acoustics has released their latest single DD set of in-ear monitors, meet the all-new Ranko RIE-880. Bringing you the magic of a single 9.2mm Dynamic Driver on each side, the pair is tuned to deliver a crisp, balanced sound with high-resolution clarity through a wide frequency range. The pair adopts Ranko Acoustics's Patented RA FPhase acoustic architecture for smooth, distortion-free output. It comes with a high-purity RHA-1050(OCC Copper+Silver-Plated Copper) cable with a gold-plated 3.5mm termination plug.
Fit & Finish
RIE-880 is made of resin and feels very good in hand and build quality. Shell size is on the larger side, though I didn't find it troublesome, but it may be for some people. Shells are finished in white color with a very nice faceplate design(which is hand painted) . It looks beautiful. Finish is very good. Rank Acoustics did provide good case to carry the IEM and cable around, but it's smaller size and can only accommodate IEM and cable, with relatively no space for additional tips. Provided cable is of decent quality, and for the price we can't ask much, it does the duty.
Source Used
I used my DAP, HiBy R6 2020 to test RIE-880. I used it with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm HO.
Sound Quality
Overall, RIE-880 has decent sound quality. Shows average performance across the spectrum. It sounds for me as an unfinished project. It performs good enough for most part, only to be pulled back by lack of clarity at every spectrum. As this is a single DD IEM, with an impedance rating of 60 ohm, it does need more power to sound at full capacity. But even with powerful sources, it doesn't scale much.
Coming back to sound quality, 880 starts off well with good, enjoyable bass performance. Bass has very good quantity and of decent quality. Sub bass has very good slam, making it very enjoyable listen. Bass go deep and has little slower decay. But, as much as it excels in quantity, it suffers in quality. There's graininess in bass and it also bleeds into mids.
Mids are recessed apart from carrying the aforementioned bass bleed and graininess. Vocals sound good, but they sound unnatural on occasions. Male vocals sound good. Female vocals sound good and have very good extensions, but again bass bleed and grain spoil the party here.
Soundstage has decent width and depth. It doesn't have out of head experience, but in your head kind of experience. There's decent air and instruments are nicely separated. Imaging capabilities are good. Detail retrieval is good enough for the price. Instrument separation is good and nowhere does it sound congested.
Treble is harmless and smooth. It does perform decently, but lack extensions and air that will make sound more exciting. Same graininess can be found here too. Treble details are decent.
Verdict
Ranko Acoustics has done decent job with RIE-880. It could have been a better offering if not for the grainy sound all through the spectrum and the bass bleed. I wish Ranko Acoustics rectify these issues in their next iteration of this product, as this IEM has the potential to succeed at this price point.
Ranko Acoustics RIE-880 has been provided to me for review purposes as part of HiFiGo's India Tour. I am in no way related to them, nor work for them. Impressions provided by me are subjective to gear used and my listening capabilities. You can purchase RIE-880 for 140 USD from HiFiGo through following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/ranko-acoustics-rie-800-in-ear-earphone
About
Ranko Acoustics has released their latest single DD set of in-ear monitors, meet the all-new Ranko RIE-880. Bringing you the magic of a single 9.2mm Dynamic Driver on each side, the pair is tuned to deliver a crisp, balanced sound with high-resolution clarity through a wide frequency range. The pair adopts Ranko Acoustics's Patented RA FPhase acoustic architecture for smooth, distortion-free output. It comes with a high-purity RHA-1050(OCC Copper+Silver-Plated Copper) cable with a gold-plated 3.5mm termination plug.
Fit & Finish
RIE-880 is made of resin and feels very good in hand and build quality. Shell size is on the larger side, though I didn't find it troublesome, but it may be for some people. Shells are finished in white color with a very nice faceplate design(which is hand painted) . It looks beautiful. Finish is very good. Rank Acoustics did provide good case to carry the IEM and cable around, but it's smaller size and can only accommodate IEM and cable, with relatively no space for additional tips. Provided cable is of decent quality, and for the price we can't ask much, it does the duty.
Source Used
I used my DAP, HiBy R6 2020 to test RIE-880. I used it with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm HO.
Sound Quality
Overall, RIE-880 has decent sound quality. Shows average performance across the spectrum. It sounds for me as an unfinished project. It performs good enough for most part, only to be pulled back by lack of clarity at every spectrum. As this is a single DD IEM, with an impedance rating of 60 ohm, it does need more power to sound at full capacity. But even with powerful sources, it doesn't scale much.
Coming back to sound quality, 880 starts off well with good, enjoyable bass performance. Bass has very good quantity and of decent quality. Sub bass has very good slam, making it very enjoyable listen. Bass go deep and has little slower decay. But, as much as it excels in quantity, it suffers in quality. There's graininess in bass and it also bleeds into mids.
Mids are recessed apart from carrying the aforementioned bass bleed and graininess. Vocals sound good, but they sound unnatural on occasions. Male vocals sound good. Female vocals sound good and have very good extensions, but again bass bleed and grain spoil the party here.
Soundstage has decent width and depth. It doesn't have out of head experience, but in your head kind of experience. There's decent air and instruments are nicely separated. Imaging capabilities are good. Detail retrieval is good enough for the price. Instrument separation is good and nowhere does it sound congested.
Treble is harmless and smooth. It does perform decently, but lack extensions and air that will make sound more exciting. Same graininess can be found here too. Treble details are decent.
Verdict
Ranko Acoustics has done decent job with RIE-880. It could have been a better offering if not for the grainy sound all through the spectrum and the bass bleed. I wish Ranko Acoustics rectify these issues in their next iteration of this product, as this IEM has the potential to succeed at this price point.
INTRODUCTION:
Ranko Acoustics is a HiFi audio equipment company and they primarily focused on the development of high quality audio cables and accessories and last year they have decided to enter the IEM market and launched their first flagship product RIE 1000 and to continue its line-up they have also launched the RIE 880. In this review let’s see how does this 880 performs
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by HiFiGo and thanks to the team for considering me and giving me this opportunity. I have not been paid by any means to manipulate this review hence this review is completely based on my experience with this product and it might differ from person to person since this relies upon the type of source used to test out the gears.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 9.2mm Single Dynamic Driver
Frequency Response Range: 5Hz-30 kHz
Maximum Power: 15mW
Impedance: 60 Ohm
Jack: 3.5mm
Connector: 0.78mm 2-Pin
PACKAGE:
Since this is a review sample circulated among our group members only the earphones along with the case is provided and from that perspective the case is really the best. The case is made of plastic but its hard plastic. Inside the case there is a soft sponge layer to protect the earphones from scratches. The case is locked by a hinge clip on mechanism which is pretty sturdy and feels very premium.
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the 880 is custom shell shaped and the overall size is pretty average and can fit most of the ears. The faceplate is unique with some lamination, they are hand painted too and the overall build is seamlessly finished with no cracks or gaps.
The 2 pin connector area is nicely recessed and the nozzle is pretty good in length with lip seal to prevent the tips from slipping on. The fit is actually good with nice noise isolation and the tips included are pretty good enough.
The cable looks like an electrical cable, the texture looks very sturdy. The cable is not that supple and feels very hard in hand. The cable is twisted and overall aesthetically they are not that pleasing. Sonically it does the job and if you need some premium feel and to match the aesthetics, then get an aftermarket cable.
SOUND:
The overall sound signature of the 880 is U shaped sound with recessed midrange and the boosted bass and the treble. I personally like the U shaped since they are not that recessed like the V shaped and attains that sweet spot for the midrange. The midrange will be smoother and fatigue free in this signature and in this review let’s see whether this one really lives up to my expectations.
Source: iPhone + Zorloo Ztella + iFi Zen Can
LOW END:
880 has one of the best low ends in the game. It's not the deepest extension but it does well in its range. The sub bass is more elevated than the mid bass thus making the midrange pretty clean and sweet. The sub bass has enough rumble and the texture and separation is above average.
The resolution in the low end is pretty great too with nice micro detail retrieval in the low end. The mid bass is fairly balanced here thus it never reaches the boomy side of the bass whereas it sounds very controlled and clean in the low end.
Overall the low end has enough warmth and has great technicalities for the price. This might not be the bass head level but will never disappoint even the bass heads too thus making this a very good pair to buy if you love the controlled and well resolved low end.
Tracks Used:
The midrange here is slightly recessed and laid back in signature. Since it's a U shaped signature the midrange is pretty relaxed and sometimes it's not that engaging in sound. Personally I like the forward presentation of the midrange especially the instruments but here they are pretty laid back but yeah this might be preferred by a set of people.
The other aspect that I don't like here is the tonality and timbre. It’s brighter! The vocals sound very bright and even the instrument's timbre is brighter. The kick drums appear natural but percussion instruments like the piano notes, trumpet and the acoustic guitar picks are pretty brighter thus not providing the natural listening experience.
The midrange overall is pretty clean and well layered. This is the best aspect of the 880, the layering and the separation is impeccable. The detail retrieval in the midrange is pretty great too. Despite the tonality and the timbre they perform really nicely in the midrange. Both the upper and the lower midrange is pretty balanced and thanks to the clean mid bass which lead to the clean vocals and the instruments making the lower mid section not fuzzy.
Tracks Used:
The treble here is inoffensive and smooth. After extended listening I can confirm that this is definitely a fatigue free and non sibilant earphone for sure. The treble has nice separation and detail retrieval. The amount of air that it has is very impressive thus creating that nice spaciousness in between the instruments.
The cymbal crashes again. It's very bright but thankfully they are not splashy. I don’t know what went wrong but the tonality and the timbre is pretty bright for me thus I cant use this as my primary iem. The electric guitar sounds very bright too thus they don’t sound natural, thus making it more metallic or artificial.
The extension is pretty good and good in terms of detail retrieval. Overall the highs are non sibilant and pretty offensive during my listening. The treble energy may not be present like that of the all BA but for this configuration this is pretty good.
Tracks Used:
Soundstage: The soundstage here is pretty good with enough width, height and the depth. This is not the widest but it's great overall and it doesn’t have that in head effect. The depth and the width are proportionate and overall they are pretty nice and spacious.
Imaging: The imaging is very precise and the transient movements are smooth and the sweep is pretty smooth across the channels. Since each frequencies are separated well even in faster tracks the precise pointing of instruments is made easily.
The detail retrieval and the separation resolution are above average for the price and overall it has excellent technicalities. The layering is another exceptional quality of this earphone making this pretty engaging to listen to.
VERDICT:
The 880 RIE, a latest offering from the Ranko Acoustics is a pretty welcome package which does most of the aspects correct. From the build to the sound everything is pretty great for the asking price. Has nice technicalities and good consumer friendly audio signature but for me this is a big deal breaker since the tonality and timbre is what i expect to be better than the technicalities. I would have preferred a less brighter tonality and timbre which the Ranko can ofcourse make it perfect in their next iteration of earphones.
Overall this is really a solid buy for people looking for some U shaped sound with nice technicalities in this price range. Based on my experience with other similarly priced iem’s i question that does this thing do anything different? Can't find the answer but I hope Ranko can deliver this answer via their next iteration of product.
Ranko Acoustics is a HiFi audio equipment company and they primarily focused on the development of high quality audio cables and accessories and last year they have decided to enter the IEM market and launched their first flagship product RIE 1000 and to continue its line-up they have also launched the RIE 880. In this review let’s see how does this 880 performs
DISCLAIMER:
This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by HiFiGo and thanks to the team for considering me and giving me this opportunity. I have not been paid by any means to manipulate this review hence this review is completely based on my experience with this product and it might differ from person to person since this relies upon the type of source used to test out the gears.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Driver: 9.2mm Single Dynamic Driver
Frequency Response Range: 5Hz-30 kHz
Maximum Power: 15mW
Impedance: 60 Ohm
Jack: 3.5mm
Connector: 0.78mm 2-Pin
PACKAGE:
Since this is a review sample circulated among our group members only the earphones along with the case is provided and from that perspective the case is really the best. The case is made of plastic but its hard plastic. Inside the case there is a soft sponge layer to protect the earphones from scratches. The case is locked by a hinge clip on mechanism which is pretty sturdy and feels very premium.
DESIGN AND FIT:
The design of the 880 is custom shell shaped and the overall size is pretty average and can fit most of the ears. The faceplate is unique with some lamination, they are hand painted too and the overall build is seamlessly finished with no cracks or gaps.
The 2 pin connector area is nicely recessed and the nozzle is pretty good in length with lip seal to prevent the tips from slipping on. The fit is actually good with nice noise isolation and the tips included are pretty good enough.
The cable looks like an electrical cable, the texture looks very sturdy. The cable is not that supple and feels very hard in hand. The cable is twisted and overall aesthetically they are not that pleasing. Sonically it does the job and if you need some premium feel and to match the aesthetics, then get an aftermarket cable.
SOUND:
The overall sound signature of the 880 is U shaped sound with recessed midrange and the boosted bass and the treble. I personally like the U shaped since they are not that recessed like the V shaped and attains that sweet spot for the midrange. The midrange will be smoother and fatigue free in this signature and in this review let’s see whether this one really lives up to my expectations.
Source: iPhone + Zorloo Ztella + iFi Zen Can
LOW END:
880 has one of the best low ends in the game. It's not the deepest extension but it does well in its range. The sub bass is more elevated than the mid bass thus making the midrange pretty clean and sweet. The sub bass has enough rumble and the texture and separation is above average.
The resolution in the low end is pretty great too with nice micro detail retrieval in the low end. The mid bass is fairly balanced here thus it never reaches the boomy side of the bass whereas it sounds very controlled and clean in the low end.
Overall the low end has enough warmth and has great technicalities for the price. This might not be the bass head level but will never disappoint even the bass heads too thus making this a very good pair to buy if you love the controlled and well resolved low end.
Tracks Used:
- Why Do We Fall – Hans Zimmer
- What Are You Going To Do When You Are Not Saving The World – Hans Zimmer
- Bigfoot – MALFNKTION
- Even Heaven – Aimer
The midrange here is slightly recessed and laid back in signature. Since it's a U shaped signature the midrange is pretty relaxed and sometimes it's not that engaging in sound. Personally I like the forward presentation of the midrange especially the instruments but here they are pretty laid back but yeah this might be preferred by a set of people.
The other aspect that I don't like here is the tonality and timbre. It’s brighter! The vocals sound very bright and even the instrument's timbre is brighter. The kick drums appear natural but percussion instruments like the piano notes, trumpet and the acoustic guitar picks are pretty brighter thus not providing the natural listening experience.
The midrange overall is pretty clean and well layered. This is the best aspect of the 880, the layering and the separation is impeccable. The detail retrieval in the midrange is pretty great too. Despite the tonality and the timbre they perform really nicely in the midrange. Both the upper and the lower midrange is pretty balanced and thanks to the clean mid bass which lead to the clean vocals and the instruments making the lower mid section not fuzzy.
Tracks Used:
- Cardigan – Folklore
- Every Little Thing – Eric Clapton
- Me Love – Sean Kingston
The treble here is inoffensive and smooth. After extended listening I can confirm that this is definitely a fatigue free and non sibilant earphone for sure. The treble has nice separation and detail retrieval. The amount of air that it has is very impressive thus creating that nice spaciousness in between the instruments.
The cymbal crashes again. It's very bright but thankfully they are not splashy. I don’t know what went wrong but the tonality and the timbre is pretty bright for me thus I cant use this as my primary iem. The electric guitar sounds very bright too thus they don’t sound natural, thus making it more metallic or artificial.
The extension is pretty good and good in terms of detail retrieval. Overall the highs are non sibilant and pretty offensive during my listening. The treble energy may not be present like that of the all BA but for this configuration this is pretty good.
Tracks Used:
- Move Your Body – Sia
- Something Happened On The Way To Heaven – Phil Collins
- Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
Soundstage: The soundstage here is pretty good with enough width, height and the depth. This is not the widest but it's great overall and it doesn’t have that in head effect. The depth and the width are proportionate and overall they are pretty nice and spacious.
Imaging: The imaging is very precise and the transient movements are smooth and the sweep is pretty smooth across the channels. Since each frequencies are separated well even in faster tracks the precise pointing of instruments is made easily.
The detail retrieval and the separation resolution are above average for the price and overall it has excellent technicalities. The layering is another exceptional quality of this earphone making this pretty engaging to listen to.
VERDICT:
The 880 RIE, a latest offering from the Ranko Acoustics is a pretty welcome package which does most of the aspects correct. From the build to the sound everything is pretty great for the asking price. Has nice technicalities and good consumer friendly audio signature but for me this is a big deal breaker since the tonality and timbre is what i expect to be better than the technicalities. I would have preferred a less brighter tonality and timbre which the Ranko can ofcourse make it perfect in their next iteration of earphones.
Overall this is really a solid buy for people looking for some U shaped sound with nice technicalities in this price range. Based on my experience with other similarly priced iem’s i question that does this thing do anything different? Can't find the answer but I hope Ranko can deliver this answer via their next iteration of product.
Attachments
Disclaimer: The unit was provided as a part of a review tour by Hifigo. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Build & Fit
Like almost all IEMs out there, the RIE-880 is made of resin but the shells are on the bigger side so people with small ears need to be wary of the fit. It wasn't a perfectly comfortable fit for my ears, as it was big for my medium ears. The hand painted faceplates are pretty to look at; both the Black and White variants. I have the white one today. The cable is a 6N OCC SPC cable which has a PVC sheath which is quite uncommon to see. Feels a bit weird, but does the job as it is quite flexible so its not an issue at all. It is to be noted that the sheath is on the thicker side. So even when coiled up, with the big shells, the IEM is on the bigger side of things.
The 2 pin entry is ridged so you always plug the 2pin the correct way - smart!
Amp Needs
It is a (wait for it...) 60 ohm driver! Sensitivity unknown. It has a maximum input power of 15mW but portable sources in general won't have enough voltage to pump. This is definitely a weird design choice, it defeats the entire idea of portability.
Portable amp is mandatory for the RIE-880. My testing was done on a solid state desktop amp.
Sound Quality
The tuning lacks coherence and balance for me. The midrange seems to be behind a veil and distant, but what was troublesome for me was the associated grain with the sound. The timbre is not entirely correct. There is some wonkiness going on in the upper midrange-lower treble region for sure as is evident on most tracks. The bass response is solid and hard hitting but unfortunately is not clean, bleeding into the mids and has a slight hint of muddiness.
The redeeming quality here is that the bass is fairly textured and detailed. There is a clear presence of lower treble which is forward in comparison, which is a welcome change given the laid back and relaxed midrange. There is proper energy in this region which is affirmed by certain genres of music like contemporary jazz. The treble extension is not reaching the summit, but has enough extension. A little more extension would have added some air up top which could have aided the tuning. The omnipresent sneaky grain in the sound does indeed mask micro detail and prevents to portray a black background unfortunately. This in turn affects transparency and resolution as a whole. Soundstage is average and mostly inside your head, competitive to most of the IEMs in this price class.
Conclusion
I can see the RIE-880 perform well with genres that don't take advantage of midrange in general but other than that compatibility with other genres might be a hit or a miss. The tuning seems to be the cause of the shortcomings of the RIE-880, which if improved with EQ should do the trick. What still baffles me is the choice of a 60 ohm transducer.
Build & Fit
Like almost all IEMs out there, the RIE-880 is made of resin but the shells are on the bigger side so people with small ears need to be wary of the fit. It wasn't a perfectly comfortable fit for my ears, as it was big for my medium ears. The hand painted faceplates are pretty to look at; both the Black and White variants. I have the white one today. The cable is a 6N OCC SPC cable which has a PVC sheath which is quite uncommon to see. Feels a bit weird, but does the job as it is quite flexible so its not an issue at all. It is to be noted that the sheath is on the thicker side. So even when coiled up, with the big shells, the IEM is on the bigger side of things.
The 2 pin entry is ridged so you always plug the 2pin the correct way - smart!
Amp Needs
It is a (wait for it...) 60 ohm driver! Sensitivity unknown. It has a maximum input power of 15mW but portable sources in general won't have enough voltage to pump. This is definitely a weird design choice, it defeats the entire idea of portability.
Portable amp is mandatory for the RIE-880. My testing was done on a solid state desktop amp.
Sound Quality
The tuning lacks coherence and balance for me. The midrange seems to be behind a veil and distant, but what was troublesome for me was the associated grain with the sound. The timbre is not entirely correct. There is some wonkiness going on in the upper midrange-lower treble region for sure as is evident on most tracks. The bass response is solid and hard hitting but unfortunately is not clean, bleeding into the mids and has a slight hint of muddiness.
The redeeming quality here is that the bass is fairly textured and detailed. There is a clear presence of lower treble which is forward in comparison, which is a welcome change given the laid back and relaxed midrange. There is proper energy in this region which is affirmed by certain genres of music like contemporary jazz. The treble extension is not reaching the summit, but has enough extension. A little more extension would have added some air up top which could have aided the tuning. The omnipresent sneaky grain in the sound does indeed mask micro detail and prevents to portray a black background unfortunately. This in turn affects transparency and resolution as a whole. Soundstage is average and mostly inside your head, competitive to most of the IEMs in this price class.
Conclusion
I can see the RIE-880 perform well with genres that don't take advantage of midrange in general but other than that compatibility with other genres might be a hit or a miss. The tuning seems to be the cause of the shortcomings of the RIE-880, which if improved with EQ should do the trick. What still baffles me is the choice of a 60 ohm transducer.
RANKO ACOUSTICS- RIE 880
RANKO ACOUSTICS is a new company in the Chinese iem world. But they are already known for their cables and accessories and with their new iem launched just last year they are entering this new audiophile world. Their first launch is RIE-880 with their RA FPhase Patented proprietary Acoustic Technology and a 9.2mm DD.
DISCLAIMER- The RIE-880 is provided by the courtesy of HIFIGO as part of review tour in INDIA. But this subjective review of mine are my own thoughts and I am not being paid anything to say positive or negative about this iem. That said I want to thank HIFIGO for giving me an opportunity to hear it!!! You can find the store link here(not affiliated, of course LOL)
UNBOXING-
Now this is underwhelming haha but hey I got to try their new iem, it just came in a small box – written RANKO ACOUSTICS IN RED and inside which were two beautiful, resin made, white iems and a Grey cable terminated in 3.5mm connection.
SPECS-
The iems are resin build and have a decent build quality. They have a dense feel to them yet are light enough. They have two vents on the top. The iems are white all around and lots of gold and grey patterned faceplate, showing just RK. The nozzle is about 6mm big and has a grill on front. Fit for me was decent, it gave good enough isolation and didn’t fall down at all. But it did fit much snuggly like others, so I used it with a larger tip size. NOTE this has recessed 2 pin connectors haha!!!
CABLE-
The cable is decent, it’s an 6N SPC cable and OCC copper wires named as RHA-1050. The coating is like soft rubber don’t know how long it will last, seems good a little different than others. The connectors though are 2 pin type and really had bad coating of paint of them haha!!! They need to fix that and also the ear hooks guide is way too stiff. The terminal is also just 3.5mm so decent but if they provide other options, it would be better. The cable has no microphonics and is easy to reshape but it’s a bit on the heavier side. The coating also could need a rework, the gluing point is visible.
ACCESSORIES-
The box is a pretty decent hard case with foam inside but they need to increase the size a bit haha!!! Its difficult to even put the iem and cables in there unless you open them.
The tips are decent silicon tips. Tip rolling, I didn’t do much but a larger size tip would be great to use. My best used tips though was large RHA Tips among the few tips I tried- beyerdynamics stock tips, BGV A08 and Reverse KZ starline for wide bore.
NOTE- MY SOURCE IS-
SUBBASS-
This is a DD iem with an L type signature haha!!! So be sure to rock yourself up the whole night ahmm! Listening to music obviously
The rumble is wonderful per se. It will make your ears bleed haha. The sub-bass is nicely textured and does have more presence, in comparison to midbass but not too overly done. The tonality depends pretty much on your choice but here the notes are thick, with great body though lacking a lot on the edges and beginning. The notes do go pretty deep, doing a tone check on bass I could hear 20hz rumble and that was exciting for me!!! All in all, really good at sub-bass.
BASS-
The mid-bass is decent and is less in volume than sub-bass but it doesn’t overtake it. It packs a good punch and has a good atmospheric feel to it. The midbass has a thicker body but lacks in overall beginning, the ending though is quite good. The decay is fast leaving very little timbre feel to it. The tonality is more on the balanced and natural side. The upper bass registers good on the male vocals but more on it in the mids section. The bass is not much dynamic but different notes hits are registered properly. They reach the same height as the mids and are quite tall. They have a more controlled bass which is more in my preference rather than loose bass. It has a lot of energy in the bass and needs a bit more definition. Separation is average too between notes, though it’s really good for its price.
MIDS-
Here the story is somehow way too much different. Let’s start with Male Vocals; these are the best part of the Mids. To get things out of the way firstly is, it doesn’t have mid-bass bleed which is great. The male vocals are more controlled and leaner and well extended and really makes you feel them right to the edge of the sonic soundstage in the vertical axis. The differentiation between different male vocalists is easy to make too given the easier work of the DD to get the tonality correct . The microdetails are nearly all missing, but a good thing is, it makes the vocals have a bit more air hence more presence.
Female vocals on the other hand is like the Surtur who smashed Asgard entirely
They sound good and tall, have energy but simply don’t feel that much extended. They seem rather boxed in a small space and have great body but the endings are not at all decent. Are they sibilant? For me yeah ‘ssss’ are there but more in those tracks which have a lot of them haha! They have a good amount of air though.
Mids. are different altogether. Instruments in the mids have good tonality. The lower mids are more prominent but more on the natural leaner side than the thicker side. The pianos have good body but similarly lack beginning and ending on the notes. The decays are fast and hence very little timbre remains. But they have a lot of dynamism in notes, which is a really great sight to see. The endings get mixed up a few times in the instruments yet the body remains well separated. Stage is average at best. The microdetails do come up sometimes. The lower mids still have more presence and also forward hence warrants an engaging listen overall. Upper mids- somehow with guitars do have much less presence but better separation and feel more thicker overall. Timbre was below average but its better to have something than none. The dynamics are great but the presence is lacking a lot. The string instruments felt on the duller side. But they did have good body overall, with having more separation between different string pulls. Better extension and transparency would have suited my tastes better. Using tubes to run this made it much better since its much better overall experience with a thicker tonality and also mids get a good uplift so win win situation.
TREBLE-
Lower treble seems like having good presence compared to upper mids. The electronic guitars have much more presence and extends well. They have more energy and transparency too. The microdetails are lacking in the treble region and overall, it’s a smoother experience. Trumpets and other wind instruments, all do have good air in them but they are much on the smoother side lacking the energy and extension. The notes have a thicker tonality and do have similarly better body than the beginning or the ending of them. There is not much treble extension though which is a bummer. They have decent dynamism and separation in the treble region which is much better to feel.
IMAGING, SEPARATION AND HEADSTAGE-
Imaging is decent with vocals and bass being felt much more forward than the treble region. The instruments have decent imaging on the head stage, it’s more of a diffused kind of imaging rather than an accurate kind of imaging but it does a good job overall for its price. The separation is average at best with being much better in the treble region rather than the other regions. The soundstage is average with very tall soundstage and not sonic headroom left. The width is okayish more in the line between narrow and not narrow haha!!! No real depth though. Coherency seemed a lot lacking too.
COMPARISONS-
PROS OF FIIO FD3
Better timbre
Fuller vocals
Better Midbass
Better treble extension and energy
Better mids
Wider headstage and great stage depth
Better separation and details
PROS OF RIE-880
Better sub-bass
Better air in vocals and guitars
PROS OF TRI I3 PRO
Better timbre
Vocals are fuller
Better midbass and texture
Better width in stage and depth
Better layering
More transparency
Better timbre
PROS OF RIE-880
Better sub-bass
Midbass is fuller
Better air in vocals and guitars
Better dynamics in treble region
PROS OF AKOUSTYX R-110
Better details
Better transparency
Better dynamics
Better separation
Better fuller vocals
Better details
Much more textured
Better treble extension
Better stage depth
PROS OF RIE-880
Better sub-bass
Better air in vocals and guitars
Better bass
Male vocals a tiny bit better
Taller soundstage
SUMMARY
For the price, this does things really good but there are better iems a tad bit behind. If you are a mids guy with wanting decent air in your vocals and strings and you love your bass and sub-bass and can do without much staging, this is an iem for you. For me though, this doesn’t get my recommendation. But since they are new, I hope they become much better later on!!!
RANKO ACOUSTICS is a new company in the Chinese iem world. But they are already known for their cables and accessories and with their new iem launched just last year they are entering this new audiophile world. Their first launch is RIE-880 with their RA FPhase Patented proprietary Acoustic Technology and a 9.2mm DD.
DISCLAIMER- The RIE-880 is provided by the courtesy of HIFIGO as part of review tour in INDIA. But this subjective review of mine are my own thoughts and I am not being paid anything to say positive or negative about this iem. That said I want to thank HIFIGO for giving me an opportunity to hear it!!! You can find the store link here(not affiliated, of course LOL)
UNBOXING-
Now this is underwhelming haha but hey I got to try their new iem, it just came in a small box – written RANKO ACOUSTICS IN RED and inside which were two beautiful, resin made, white iems and a Grey cable terminated in 3.5mm connection.
SPECS-
- Powerful 9.2mm Dynamic Driver unit on each side
- High-performance OCC Monocrystalline Silver-plated copper cable.
- RA FPhase Patented proprietary Acoustic Technology- Ranko's patented RA FPhase acoustic architecture that helps maintain the correct phase and accurate response for all the frequencies-Meaning no overlap and happy to say there’s none.
- Resin Material Shells.
- Maximum Power: 15mW
- Impedance: 60 Ohm.
- Weight: 3.5 grams for each earpiece
- Standard 0.78mm, recessed 2-Pin Termination
- PRICE- 149$
The iems are resin build and have a decent build quality. They have a dense feel to them yet are light enough. They have two vents on the top. The iems are white all around and lots of gold and grey patterned faceplate, showing just RK. The nozzle is about 6mm big and has a grill on front. Fit for me was decent, it gave good enough isolation and didn’t fall down at all. But it did fit much snuggly like others, so I used it with a larger tip size. NOTE this has recessed 2 pin connectors haha!!!
CABLE-
The cable is decent, it’s an 6N SPC cable and OCC copper wires named as RHA-1050. The coating is like soft rubber don’t know how long it will last, seems good a little different than others. The connectors though are 2 pin type and really had bad coating of paint of them haha!!! They need to fix that and also the ear hooks guide is way too stiff. The terminal is also just 3.5mm so decent but if they provide other options, it would be better. The cable has no microphonics and is easy to reshape but it’s a bit on the heavier side. The coating also could need a rework, the gluing point is visible.
ACCESSORIES-
The box is a pretty decent hard case with foam inside but they need to increase the size a bit haha!!! Its difficult to even put the iem and cables in there unless you open them.
The tips are decent silicon tips. Tip rolling, I didn’t do much but a larger size tip would be great to use. My best used tips though was large RHA Tips among the few tips I tried- beyerdynamics stock tips, BGV A08 and Reverse KZ starline for wide bore.
NOTE- MY SOURCE IS-
- PORTABLE -N6II WITH T01 MODULE, BTR5 AND LG G8X
- DESKTOP- DAC- N6II WITH T01 LINEOUT
- AMP- TOPPING A30 MODDED WITH BURSON V5I D OR TOPPING L30 OR XDUOO MT602(NOT USED HERE FOR REVIEW BUT HEY IT DOES HELP TO ADD A BIT OF TUBE TOUCH)
- Would like to add that my DAP N6ii ran it on high gain at 30-45 on volume.
SUBBASS-
This is a DD iem with an L type signature haha!!! So be sure to rock yourself up the whole night ahmm! Listening to music obviously
The rumble is wonderful per se. It will make your ears bleed haha. The sub-bass is nicely textured and does have more presence, in comparison to midbass but not too overly done. The tonality depends pretty much on your choice but here the notes are thick, with great body though lacking a lot on the edges and beginning. The notes do go pretty deep, doing a tone check on bass I could hear 20hz rumble and that was exciting for me!!! All in all, really good at sub-bass.BASS-
The mid-bass is decent and is less in volume than sub-bass but it doesn’t overtake it. It packs a good punch and has a good atmospheric feel to it. The midbass has a thicker body but lacks in overall beginning, the ending though is quite good. The decay is fast leaving very little timbre feel to it. The tonality is more on the balanced and natural side. The upper bass registers good on the male vocals but more on it in the mids section. The bass is not much dynamic but different notes hits are registered properly. They reach the same height as the mids and are quite tall. They have a more controlled bass which is more in my preference rather than loose bass. It has a lot of energy in the bass and needs a bit more definition. Separation is average too between notes, though it’s really good for its price.
MIDS-
Here the story is somehow way too much different. Let’s start with Male Vocals; these are the best part of the Mids. To get things out of the way firstly is, it doesn’t have mid-bass bleed which is great. The male vocals are more controlled and leaner and well extended and really makes you feel them right to the edge of the sonic soundstage in the vertical axis. The differentiation between different male vocalists is easy to make too given the easier work of the DD to get the tonality correct
. The microdetails are nearly all missing, but a good thing is, it makes the vocals have a bit more air hence more presence.Female vocals on the other hand is like the Surtur who smashed Asgard entirely
They sound good and tall, have energy but simply don’t feel that much extended. They seem rather boxed in a small space and have great body but the endings are not at all decent. Are they sibilant? For me yeah ‘ssss’ are there but more in those tracks which have a lot of them haha! They have a good amount of air though.Mids. are different altogether. Instruments in the mids have good tonality. The lower mids are more prominent but more on the natural leaner side than the thicker side. The pianos have good body but similarly lack beginning and ending on the notes. The decays are fast and hence very little timbre remains. But they have a lot of dynamism in notes, which is a really great sight to see. The endings get mixed up a few times in the instruments yet the body remains well separated. Stage is average at best. The microdetails do come up sometimes. The lower mids still have more presence and also forward hence warrants an engaging listen overall. Upper mids- somehow with guitars do have much less presence but better separation and feel more thicker overall. Timbre was below average but its better to have something than none. The dynamics are great but the presence is lacking a lot. The string instruments felt on the duller side. But they did have good body overall, with having more separation between different string pulls. Better extension and transparency would have suited my tastes better. Using tubes to run this made it much better since its much better overall experience with a thicker tonality and also mids get a good uplift so win win situation.
TREBLE-
Lower treble seems like having good presence compared to upper mids. The electronic guitars have much more presence and extends well. They have more energy and transparency too. The microdetails are lacking in the treble region and overall, it’s a smoother experience. Trumpets and other wind instruments, all do have good air in them but they are much on the smoother side lacking the energy and extension. The notes have a thicker tonality and do have similarly better body than the beginning or the ending of them. There is not much treble extension though which is a bummer. They have decent dynamism and separation in the treble region which is much better to feel.
IMAGING, SEPARATION AND HEADSTAGE-
Imaging is decent with vocals and bass being felt much more forward than the treble region. The instruments have decent imaging on the head stage, it’s more of a diffused kind of imaging rather than an accurate kind of imaging but it does a good job overall for its price. The separation is average at best with being much better in the treble region rather than the other regions. The soundstage is average with very tall soundstage and not sonic headroom left. The width is okayish more in the line between narrow and not narrow haha!!! No real depth though. Coherency seemed a lot lacking too.
COMPARISONS-
PROS OF FIIO FD3
Better timbre
Fuller vocals
Better Midbass
Better treble extension and energy
Better mids
Wider headstage and great stage depth
Better separation and details
PROS OF RIE-880
Better sub-bass
Better air in vocals and guitars
PROS OF TRI I3 PRO
Better timbre
Vocals are fuller
Better midbass and texture
Better width in stage and depth
Better layering
More transparency
Better timbre
PROS OF RIE-880
Better sub-bass
Midbass is fuller
Better air in vocals and guitars
Better dynamics in treble region
PROS OF AKOUSTYX R-110
Better details
Better transparency
Better dynamics
Better separation
Better fuller vocals
Better details
Much more textured
Better treble extension
Better stage depth
PROS OF RIE-880
Better sub-bass
Better air in vocals and guitars
Better bass
Male vocals a tiny bit better
Taller soundstage
SUMMARY
For the price, this does things really good but there are better iems a tad bit behind. If you are a mids guy with wanting decent air in your vocals and strings and you love your bass and sub-bass and can do without much staging, this is an iem for you. For me though, this doesn’t get my recommendation. But since they are new, I hope they become much better later on!!!
Attachments
Disclaimer:
The Ranko Acoustics RIE-880 has been sent to me by Hifigo as a part of a review circle. I am not working or affiliated to Hifigo and I am not being paid or influenced otherwise to say anything positive or negative about this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Note: Please note that my opinions and ratings are based on price, category, market competition and personal expectations and are subjective in nature.
Build Quality and comfort
RIE-880 has a good build quality. The white shells are made with high precision 3d printing technology using a skin friendly Resin material. The faceplates are beautifully hand painted. The IEM fits well and are lightweight at just 3.5gms each, long listening sessions does not cause any stress on the ears. RIE 880 features a 9.2mm dynamic driver.
The cable is a high purity RHA-1050 cable made with 6N OCC Silver-Plated copper and OCC copper wires. It has flexible PVC insulation, standard 0.78mm 2pin connectors and a gold plated 3.5mm termination plug. The cable is very well built and should be able to withstand stresses and the test of time. No microphonics were observed. The included carry case looks premium and sturdy too.
Score: 4.5/5
Sources Used
Cayin N6ii (A01) via 3.5mm phone out
Cayin N6ii (A01) Line Out to Pico Power
Sound
The lows in the RIE880 are well detailed, and not too high in quantity, the sub bass has got good punch and has decent extension. The bass is not accentuated hence supporting the overall neutrality in the sound signature. The mids are relaxed and has a good texture. They are appropriately forward for my taste. The upper midrange has some peak but are not fatiguing. The treble is smooth and sounds clean. The extension is not that great but I feel, the way this IEM is tuned, it doesn’t matter. It sounds quite fun anyway. The Cayin N6ii with A01 is a warm source and with it I didn’t notice the sibilance.
Score: 4/5
Soundstage, Imaging, Separation
Soundstage on the RIE-880 is pretty wide and has good depth. The imaging is good and has fairly distinct positioning. The layering is decent. However, RIE-880 struggles with busy music, I felt it to be slightly congested in the mid and high frequencies. That also depends on the quality of music, with good quality music it didn’t struggle as much. Now that also explains the revealing quality of this IEM, it is fairly good.
Score: 4/5
Source and drivability
RIE-880 is fairly easy to drive, it can be easily driven off the Cayin N6ii A01 PO. There is a slight improvement in sound quality when listening from Pico Power. Sound signature has opened up and more air is observed in the treble region.
Conclusion:
This is the first IEM I have tried from Ranko Acoustics. I am amazed by their build quality, these are beautifully made and the cable looks really sturdy. The sound signature is well balanced. The tonality can still be improved and probably a bit more extension in both the ends could have made it no brainer in this price range. But even then it performs fairly well for the price of 140 USD.
Overall rating: 4/5
The Ranko Acoustics RIE-880 has been sent to me by Hifigo as a part of a review circle. I am not working or affiliated to Hifigo and I am not being paid or influenced otherwise to say anything positive or negative about this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Note: Please note that my opinions and ratings are based on price, category, market competition and personal expectations and are subjective in nature.
Build Quality and comfort
RIE-880 has a good build quality. The white shells are made with high precision 3d printing technology using a skin friendly Resin material. The faceplates are beautifully hand painted. The IEM fits well and are lightweight at just 3.5gms each, long listening sessions does not cause any stress on the ears. RIE 880 features a 9.2mm dynamic driver.
The cable is a high purity RHA-1050 cable made with 6N OCC Silver-Plated copper and OCC copper wires. It has flexible PVC insulation, standard 0.78mm 2pin connectors and a gold plated 3.5mm termination plug. The cable is very well built and should be able to withstand stresses and the test of time. No microphonics were observed. The included carry case looks premium and sturdy too.
Score: 4.5/5
Sources Used
Cayin N6ii (A01) via 3.5mm phone out
Cayin N6ii (A01) Line Out to Pico Power
Sound
The lows in the RIE880 are well detailed, and not too high in quantity, the sub bass has got good punch and has decent extension. The bass is not accentuated hence supporting the overall neutrality in the sound signature. The mids are relaxed and has a good texture. They are appropriately forward for my taste. The upper midrange has some peak but are not fatiguing. The treble is smooth and sounds clean. The extension is not that great but I feel, the way this IEM is tuned, it doesn’t matter. It sounds quite fun anyway. The Cayin N6ii with A01 is a warm source and with it I didn’t notice the sibilance.
Score: 4/5
Soundstage, Imaging, Separation
Soundstage on the RIE-880 is pretty wide and has good depth. The imaging is good and has fairly distinct positioning. The layering is decent. However, RIE-880 struggles with busy music, I felt it to be slightly congested in the mid and high frequencies. That also depends on the quality of music, with good quality music it didn’t struggle as much. Now that also explains the revealing quality of this IEM, it is fairly good.
Score: 4/5
Source and drivability
RIE-880 is fairly easy to drive, it can be easily driven off the Cayin N6ii A01 PO. There is a slight improvement in sound quality when listening from Pico Power. Sound signature has opened up and more air is observed in the treble region.
Conclusion:
This is the first IEM I have tried from Ranko Acoustics. I am amazed by their build quality, these are beautifully made and the cable looks really sturdy. The sound signature is well balanced. The tonality can still be improved and probably a bit more extension in both the ends could have made it no brainer in this price range. But even then it performs fairly well for the price of 140 USD.
Overall rating: 4/5
Attachments
