Reecho Insects Awaken

Reecho insects awaken SJ-03

Reecho is a newer brand for me and I have never heard their offerings till I got a chance to hear their excellent single dynamic SG-03 and now the insects awaken. All BA based earphones will be a mainstay of the semi custom resin design so while the design and their implementation is nothing new but as you all know, depends on execution and tuning of the tried and true BA drivers that matter when looking into a set.

Upon opening the very well done box of accessories in a drawer format. Yes something akin to what Sony and Dunu has done. Opening the package I was greeted with one of the nicest looking earphone shells in the price range. Which got me to think if a manufacturer is going to plan how excellent the opening box experience is with a very attractive looking hand painted shell design. These have to sound good.

Before I start my review I would like to thank Penon audio for the review sample. I am in no way affiliated with Penon and the insects awaken was provided for my evaluation of them. You can read more about them and order a set for you here. This is my take on the quad BA Reecho insects awaken.

Why insects awaken? Hey it is a name like any other name thrown out for an IEM title. If anything you will most certainly remember these have to be the only earphones in the industry with insects associated with it. And no they don’t include some type of magical paint material that has parts of flies in them or anything like that. It is a valid name for an IEM. What wakes up insects? Maybe a sound tuning so good it will wake up them insects. In any case I give props to Reecho for coming up with something unique for an IEM name. No one is going to mistake insects awaken for anything else.

The insects awaken comes in a very impressive compact box with 3 drawers. Top has the accessories. Middle has the earphones themselves. Excellent unboxing experience here and the bottom carries the nice square box case. Accessories set include two sets of silicone tips, A pouch, and a 2 pin 8 cored SPC type cable in single ended termination.

A bit of tech jargon. Utilizing two sets of Knowles BAs
Insects awaken utilizes what is called a high precision RLC equalization circuit board, using acoustic filters for each of the bass BAs, one Knowles 32873 BA is handling the frequency at 5-50hz, and another handling 50-500hz. Apparently this was done to maximize bass impact for each driver handling these frequencies while the composite dual Knowles 30017 handles the mids and treble frequencies. The all resin Egger shell was imported from Germany according to reader. Higher quality resin? Don't know but it looks and feels premium. Very comfortable for my average sized ears and passive isolation was also above average.

Sound evaluation was done using my players Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, M5s, M3s, Ibasso DX160, Sony ZX300, Cayin N5ii. Fiio E12a, Ibasso PB3 and IFI black label for amping.

Insects sounds
Reecho Insects awaken has a V shaped signature and most definitely has a pronounced bass presence but not at the sacrifice of the rest of the sound signature. Treble has a clean extension and lower mids take a bit of a step back from both the bass and the treble of the insects awaken. Mids have good presence in the tuning but not exactly forward and I always feel that BA implementation for bass gets some benefits for adding a bit more quantity of bass to offset BA impact effect for bass. I will get into the bass end of the insects awaken more later but to my surprise the sound even out of the box is way more dynamic than an all BA set has a right to be. Technicalities are the strong suit of the insects awaken with a good sense of stage, though average in scope, a higher degree of imaging and detailed enough to really bring instruments and vocals with a good atmosphere and dynamism that is a foundation for the tuning.

Everything about the insects awaken I can tell has been thoroughly well designed. From the packaging to the shells themselves which had a nicely colored hand painted design. Fortunately they sound as good as they look. Tuning of the awaken uses BAs for a more musical tuning which will naturally put out the advantageous aspects of BAs but tuned more for impact and enjoyment more so than being strictly analytical.

It was immediately apparent to me there seems to be some similarities in how the Insects awaken was tuned vs their sibling the SG-03 single dynamic earphones you can read about here. The Awaken is a higher end sound but it seems to me whomever tuned these earphones loves them some bass.

Nothing wrong with that per se, case in point the awaken has some very good bass for BA implementation. These have to be the first Knowles based IEMS I can say that can compete with Sonin BAs for bass that I have heard. I mean if you're gonna do a V shaped tuning for bass emphasis most manufacturers will be using dynamics but here the awaken has shown it can do bass and do it well.

The awaken is easy to drive and easy enough to maintain its good looks. A handy lint free cloth is recommended to clean the very nice looking shiny shells. I have to say the more I look at the design the more I wish manufacturers would pay attention to how the earphones look. These get the thumbs up as far as looks goes and thankfully they sound just as good as they look.

After finding out what Reecho has done for the sound design. It was interesting to hear how everything was going to work out as it is dedicating two BAs each with its own bass purpose and a dual BA that will take care of mids and treble. This configuration makes sense especially if you want to tune the bass end to have maximum efficiency for BAs. I had several quad BA setups so I was expecting more of the same here but I was wrong.

Bass end of the awaken is some of the best brawny BA bass I have heard especially for the price point which is comparable to much higher end BA bass performers. This was quite the revelation to be honest. No way was I thinking these are going to have a potent and punchy bass end but I was wrong in assuming this. Some earphones just do bass better and I have realized that Reecho tuners are probably bassheads. Take a listen to their SG-03 and you will see where I get that conclusion. BA bass is presented a bit differently than Dynamic bass as you all should know. BA bass has immediate speed but can and does morph into every type of bass note imaginable. Bass tonality was also very surprising. While sub bass rumble is not as textured as dynamic bass you will not be left wondering what happened to the sub bass. It is all there with a surprising presence and detail with a deep extension that again was very surprising. I have always had a feeling that Sonion did BA bass better but here are two Knowles BAs that are putting up a real good fight when it comes to BA bass and are clearly putting up a fight against Sonions known bass prowess. It has just as much authority, punch and definition. I think it was how they were tuned to be specific in a certain bass frequency each that really makes a difference here that turns out to be a brilliant BA implementation for bass. Now I am wondering why others can’t squeeze this type of authoritative bass notes from BAs.

Treble end has good balance with the bass end of the awaken.
Has good energy and presence to the treble notes but not overly cooked. This to me is very important as I have done reviews recently with earphones that has spikes that ruin an otherwise great sounding earphone. The Reecho Insects does it right. Treble has a completeness that I am detecting and has a very good balance of lower to mid treble emphasis with sparkly upper treble notes that are not overly splashy in the region. Upper treble extension has a roll off hence treble notes sound a touch dry, lacks a bit of air but overall presentation is clean and has good sparkle when called upon with good precision. Treble has a fine balance of emphasis, quick transient response with ample detail which adds to the musical factor with crisp sparkly notes. Detail in the treble is done well with a bit of that BA timbre for treble notes. Treble does a good job complimenting this sound signature and to me that is important and not to stand on its own for the region.

Cohesion from the awaken is very good as it all sounds like one driver which should be the ultimate goal for multi BA designs. Lower mids take a step back from the treble and bass notes but really when acoustic tracks play the Awaken sounds well balanced more than anything especially for stringed instruments. Mids exhibit some great natural vocals and instrumental performances. It has a good 10dbs of upper mid pinna gain which is ample for good clarity for the mids. Male vocals seem a bit subdued due to the design but female vocals stand a bit more forward. Again this is due to the mids implementation. For folks that love them some forward mids the Reecho insects are not that but has a clean defined mid range that could use a touch more lower mid emphasis for even better balancing with a richer tone. The tonal quality at the mids are typical of BA designs but again a touch dry in presentation and lacks some dimensional aspects of more pricier multi BA designs.

Overall taken as a whole, I would say the Reecho Insects awaken is a well tuned V shaped iem that sounds very good with modern music genres. They have a good implementation of their quad BA driver configuration which yields surprising bass authority with one part technical and another part musical cohesive presentation. Its lively detailed treble balances well with the outstanding BA bass implementation add to that some clean natural sounding mids that will get you into your music. The Awaken has proven that BAs can and does bass well when you design and implement them correctly. If you're in the market for a very well designed quad BA IEM. The insects Awaken is ideal as it has a very versatile tuning and has a surprising dynamic sound quality.

Bonus
TIP MOD

Yes folks I only suggest things that push the sound to be greater than your usual conventions. Reason why I suggest this tip mod is that this little mod is easy to do and will bring out a larger more dimensional sound from the Reecho Insects Awaken. A well known inverse tip mod I am gonna suggest for the Awaken and the good news here is the tips included with the package provide to be perfect tips for the Awaken but way better inversed. Here is what I mean: look at this video and then try it with the included blue tips. With this little easy mod the sound expands in all directions and gives greater dynamics to the sound. I feel this little mod is substantial for the insects awaken as the stock tips in normal form limit the sound perception of them. The enhanced spatial effect of the sound is most definitely worth doing this, give it a go.

Reecho is a relatively newcomer in the IEM scene. They seem to have garnered some recognition thanks to their Seasons Series of IEMs (Spring, Summer) which tried to make a niche in the $100–150 bracket.


Reecho Insects Awaken is their latest release and seems to be their “flagship” of sorts, at least in the international market. It’s a 4BA setup and at $330 aims to take on some of the favorite mid-rangers, which is never an easy task. Quite a bit to explore, thus without further ado.

This review was originally published on Audioreviews

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Penon Audio was kind enough to send a review unit of the Reecho Insects Awaken. Disclaimer.

Sources used: Questyle CMA-400i, Cowon Plenue R2

Price, while reviewed: $300. Can be purchased from Penon Official Store.

Build: Reecho Insects Awaken (man I’m gonna have a hard time getting used to this name) has a 3D printed resin shell, which is quite common nowadays. What’s not so common is the hand-painted shells where the colors are apparently poured inside the cavity and thus has subtle differences between units which makes each of them unique. I personally like the faceplate artwork, it’s quite appealing.



Since this is an all-BA design there’s no visible vent. The nozzle has two separate bores (one for the bass, another for mid+treble from what I gather). The nozzles have differing size too which is at times overlooked in certain designs.




Overall, I like the design and find the build solid. The only thing I’m not a fan of is the flush 2-pin connector which doesn’t feel as secure as recessed ones.
4.5/5

Accessories: The packaging of the Reecho Insects Awaken is a looker indeed. I personally don’t like to describe boxes but this here demands a few words. The IEMs are placed inside a multi-tiered jewelry-box like contraption. The doors swing outwards and you slide out each compartment for the IEMs/cables/tips etc. Very neat and unlike anything I’ve found in the price bracket.



Unfortunately, the stellar unboxing experience doesn’t quite translate to the accessories. There is no compact carry case, for one, as you’re supposed to use on the compartments in the box as carrying case (they are too large for that purpose). Moreover, the cable on mine came with reversed polarity so I had to go for another cable in my possession. This might be a unit-specific issue and you will get a new cable in such cases as a replacement but it’s an inconvenience nonetheless.

Fortunately, the tips are of good quality, and the cable itself looks well-built. Just that I expected more when I started unboxing them.
3.5/5

Comfort and Isolation: Due to their pseudo-custom design and surprisingly lightweight nature, the Reecho Insects Awaken has superb wearing comfort. They also isolate noise well due to the sealed housing.
4.5/5

Now, about the sound.

The Reecho Insects Awaken is a 4 balanced armature configuration, with two Knowles RAF-32873 full-range drivers tasked with tackling the bass (15–500Hz), and the composite/dual Knowles 30017 driver handling the midrange/treble. The unique thing about this implementation is that Reecho used two full-range drivers solely as bass drivers. They achieved this is by employing a dual-acoustic ultra-low frequency acoustic filter where one filter handles frequencies between 5–50Hz and the other deals with frequencies between 50–500Hz. I was personally a bit perplexed as to why they didn’t just use a vented BA (for better bass slam) or one of the Knowles bass drivers in tandem but after listening to the Insects Awaken I came to respect Reecho’s decision.

The general tuning is sub-bass focused/V-shaped with extended treble.

Sound impressions are made using the Spinfit CP-145 tips and stock blue tips. Stock cable was replaced with $35 CEMA Electro Acousti OCC one (2.5mm)

Bass: The bass on the Reecho Insects Awaken has a strong sub-bass focus. It has a pretty sizable boost between 20–80Hz and thus emphasizes the sub-bass notes by ~10dB over the lower-midrange. In case of a regular dynamic driver IEM this amount of sub-bass rise would only make sense in a bass-head tuning. However, due to the BA drivers and their lower excursion, this sub-bass doesn’t become overzealous for the most part.

Sub-bass rumble is adequate, though it doesn’t sound as good as some dynamic driver offerings in this range. Mid-bass has good amount of body and slam making snare hits sound satisfactory. There’s no discernible bass bleed into lower-mids, though in bass-heavy tracks the sub-bass masks male vocals. Bass does lack texture as is common with BA drivers. In fast flowing bass sections the drivers seem to smear the notes a bit, sadly.

In short, the bass-focus will satisfy those who listen to a lot of modern music. It won’t replicate the rumble and texture/thickness of a good ol’ dynamic driver but for an all-BA offering it’s quite good indeed.
4/5

Mids: The lower-mids on the Reecho Insects Awaken, as stated before, is recessed compared to the bass/upper-mids/treble. Aside from the masking effect, the male vocals are also a bit behind female ones in songs where you’ve both of them. Baritone vocals lack their usual heft as a result. Fortunately the upper-mids are devoid of any shoutiness and remains smooth, non-fatiguing throughout. There’s a peak at 3KHz that’s just about on the same level as the sub-bass shelf which reigns in the shrillness.

All is not rosy, however, as we encounter the dreaded BA timbre here. The vocals sound alright but string instruments lack the body and tactility one might expect. Same applies to percussion instruments.

One thing that’s above-average here is the microdynamics. Subtle gradations in volume is well portrayed unlike many other offerings in the range. Resolved detail is also above-average.
4/5

Treble: The treble on the Reecho Insects Awaken is quite extended. It does have a peak around the presence region (5.5/6KHz) and then starts gradually rolling off. This peak can become a bit problematic on some cymbal heavy tracks as it brings the leading edge of cymbal hits on the forefront, but at the same time this was quite enjoyable in some of the metal tracks that I regularly listen to (e.g. Lamb of God discography). The audible extension goes until ~12KHz or so after which the treble becomes muted. This leads to sensation of airiness to some degree. Rest assured: the Reecho Insects Awaken is not a dark sounding IEM and will cater well to those who want some airiness in the presentation.
4/5

Soundstage: Staging has good width, average height, and good depth. It won’t give you an out-of-the-head experience but won’t sound congested either. Layering of instruments is also quite well executed. I found the Reecho Insects Awaken to be very good for watching movies and gaming for these reasons.
4/5

Imaging: Vocals are projected slightly at the front while instruments surround them. Spatial cues originate from cardinal and ordinal positions unlike some other IEMs in the range. Instrument separation is great in most cases (for the price) but can suffer in tracks that have heavy bass emphasis (the sub-bass focus congests the air between instruments). For most cases, however, the imaging/instrument positioning is excellent.
4.5/5

Source and Amping: At 13ohms and 110dB of sensitivity, the Reecho Insects Awaken is very easy to drive. However, it is prone to source hiss, so I’d recommend a source with low noise floor. Also I won’t recommend connecting it to sources with high output impedance and high voltage swings.

Bang-for-buck: The competition is stiff at around the $300 bracket. You got the perennial favorite Moondrop Blessing 2/Blessing 2 Dusk, the neutral-head’s bible Etymotic ER2XR, and the plethora of other multi-BA/hybrid offerings that pop up in this particular bracket every now and then and get hyped to the moon. Despite all that, I find the Reecho Insects Awaken to be competitive in terms of sound quality and it looks gorgeous to boot. It does lack the visceral bass thump/tactility of a dynamic driver in a hybrid configuration (very popular lately). However, those who’d prefer an all-BA setup due to the faster transients of such drivers and won’t mind/want a V-shaped tuning will find the Insects Awaken a good option.
4/5



Select Comparisons

vs Cayin YB-04 ($400): The Cayin YB-04 is a relatively obscure model but has quite a bit of similarity with the Reecho Insects Awaken in terms of driver setup/price. The Cayin YB-04 also has a dual-BA for the low-end and two BA drivers for mids and highs. In terms of build quality, I prefer the Cayin model over Reecho Insects Awaken simply because of how dense it feels in hand. As a result, comfort suffers though, and the Reecho Insects Awaken is far more comfortable to wire (and also has a more snug fit).

As for the sound, the YB-04 has a very anemic low-end and has more upper-mid/lower-treble emphasis compared to the Insects Awaken. This results in a sense of better perceived clarity at the expense of potential listening fatigue. Soundstage is similar on both but imaging is better on the Insects Awaken. Given the superior bass response and a warmer presentation in the mids, I’d pick the Insects Awaken over the YB-04 myself all things considered. However, if you want more clarity and even more extended treble, the Cayin YB-04 will be the better pick.

vs Moondrop Blessing2 ($300): The Moondrop Blessing 2 (and the Crinacle tune version dubbed Blessing2 Dusk) has pretty much become the standard in the sub-$500 category. Compared to the Insects Awaken, the Blessing 2 has a similar build but inferior comfort. The Blessing2 has a thick nozzle and that can be problematic for many.

However, if you can get past the fit issues the Blessing2 has an overall superior sound to the Insects Awaken IMO in terms of overall technicalities. Due to being a 1DD+4BA model, the bass on the Blessing2 has better texture and dynamics (even though it’s nowhere near the best bass in this price bracket). The vocals on the Blessing2 has better articulation and the lower mids are fuller, though it can get slightly hot on certain tracks which the Insects Awaken avoids. Treble has similar extension though the sense of air is better felt on the Insects Awaken. Soundstage is wider on the Insects Awaken but depth/height is similar. Where the Blessing2 trumps the Insects Awaken is even better imaging (the Blessing2 has pretty much the best imaging in its price-class, along with a couple IMR IEMs). One thing that’s a big issue on the Blessing2 is its incohorency. The dynamic driver sounds radically different from the BAs which showcase even stronger BA timbre than on the Insects Awaken.

To summarize: if fit is not an issue and you don’t mind the incohorency — the Moondrop Blessing2 will be the better buy (though I hate the stock cable). However, if you want a more coherent presentation, wider stage, airier treble, and more agile sub-bass response the Reecho Insects Awaken might suit you better. I personally don’t like the Blessing2 that much due to the incohorency so there’s that.

vs Dunu Studio SA6 ($550): The Dunu Studio SA6 retails for $220 more than the Reecho Insects Awaken and thus does not really share the same price bracket. However, since I already have one in possession and both are all-BA offerings I decided to do a little comparison.

The Dunu Studio SA6 has a six BA driver setup with two vented Sonion woofers that offer near-DD like thump/rumble. You can also control the amount of low-end with a switch on the housing. It has a more snug fit and far better accessories than the Insects Awaken. In terms of sound, it is indeed a wholesale upgrade on all front. Probably the stage width is where Reecho gains some upper-hand but overall resolution, staging, separation is perceptibly superior on the Dunu Studio SA6.

That being said, whether it’s worth spending the extra $200 on the Studio SA6 for the superior bass response and fuller lower-mids is something a buyer should decide themselves.



Conclusion
Reecho Insects Awaken doesn’t do much wrong, frankly. It’s tuned well, has no glaring tonal flaws, and the issues it suffers from are more inherent to BA tech itself (timbre/lack of bass texture). I can recommend the Reecho Insects Awaken to those who want an all-BA IEM with a slight V-shaped tuning and good imaging. The Reecho Insects Awaken works across a variety of genre and will suit movies/gaming purposes as well. It’s flown under the radar so far due to the hype surrounding Blessing2, but those who wasn’t impressed with Blessing2’s incoherency or had fitting issues should give this one a try IMO.

On the next release I hope they don’t scoop the lower-mids as much as it’s done on this one, and also employs vented Sonion woofers instead of the current Knowles one. Reecho seems to have found a good tuning formula and managed to pique my interest with that, so I am eager to see what they come up with in the future.

Overall rating: 3.5/5​

#Recommended. An overall solid offering that suffers from some BA timbral issues.