AUDIOSENSE DT600

Disclaimer: I received this review unit for free from HifiGO, thank you very much.

Price: 250 usd

Specifications:

DRIVERS: Balanced armatures

Drivers: 2x Knowles (Low) – 2x Knowles (Mid) – 2x Knowles (High)

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 22 KHz

IMPEDANCE: 16 ohms

SPL: 107 +/- 3dB

CABLE LENGTH: 1.25m



Accessories:

S/M/L silicone tips narrow bore (3 types)

Foam tips

Cleaning tool

Pelican case




Cable: Its Audiosense´s typical 8-core cable measuring at 0.35 ohm, not much to say about it. But nowadays it is pretty bad compared to what others are including. IMO; get a better cable that actually matches (looks) well with it. Like the Purple XINHS cable.










Build: Resin shell, size is a bit on the smaller side uses an mmcx connector. The nozzle has a small lip and has a metal mesh.

Fit: Very good, size is basically perfect for me. Shouldn’t be a problem for most people. Might be on the smaller side for people with bigger ears though.

Comfort: Would have been comfortable if there wasn’t pressure build-up which I am sensitive to.

Isolation: Top tier, as expected from a ventless body that also covers my entire ears.

Setup: Schiit Asgard 3 (low-gain, volume around 9 o´clock), Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips, stock cable 3.5mm + 30ohm impedance adapter + Tanchjim Tanya filters

Mod: It needs a 30ohm impedance adapter (using a Dunu adapter, 16 usd) + Tanchjim Tanya filters (22 usd) due to the stock tuning being pretty bad. So, I am considering this as an around 300 usd iem.

Lows: A lot more sub-bass than mid-bass. Is very clean like a BA but also has impressive (considering it is a BA) texture. Very fast and tight, mid-bass is pretty lacking for my library but it is a pretty unique tuning (at least in this price range).

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), very clean but also lacking mid-bass quantity and texture. Very tight and fast as expected from a BA. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper is very clean and hearable.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), Very clean due to the fast and tight bass but also lacking quantity and texture.

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), There is rumble which is impressive for a BA but extension could be better. Punch quantity is pretty good, although could be higher. Texture is good for a BA but could be better, it is very clean due to the speed/tightness.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), texture is impressive for a BA but quantity could be a bit higher. Very clean due to the speed/tightness.

Mids: Excellent female vocals tonality and timbre wise, is also forward. Male vocals tend to lack some warmth due to the very low mid-bass quantity.

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), excellent vocal tonality, detail and clarity, very forward as well as good timbre. Instrument tonality lacks some warmth but is very clean with good timbre.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), Vocal and instrument tonality are great with natural timbre and clean.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), vocals isn’t particularly shouty but treble is a bit peaky.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), peaky treble and fatiguing.

Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), Vocal tonality could be a bit warmer but is very clean and timbre is good. Instrument tonality also lacks some warmth but good timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Vocal and instrument tonality lacks warmth but are clean and with good timbre. Vocals are neutral, could be a bit more forward though.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are a bit sharp but tonally correct, timbre could be better.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), peaky treble but pretty clean and not particularly chaotic.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality lacks some warmth and texture, timbre is pretty good (for a BA) and is very clean and detailed. Violin tonality, treble-extension, detail and clarity are excellent, some slight BA timbre though.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality is pretty good, clean and detailed with good timbre.

Soundstage: Wide soundstage, poor depth.

Tonality: (sub) bass boosted neutral. Very good timbre overall for a BA iem with good coherency. Not the most versatile iem due to the lack of mid-bass for my library though.

Details: Very good, the tuning does help a lot though.

Instrument Separation: Very good, the tuning does help a lot though. Imaging is below average though.

Songs that highlight the IEM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLUguXpUIb0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEgL-3gfexo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWjYjCtlG40 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dVItTfITb8

Good genres: Pop, OST, Acoustic/vocal, Trance

Bad genres: R&B, Rock/Metal

Comparisons:

IEM: Audiosense DT100, Final Audio Type E tips LL, cable A6 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extension is better and rumbles more on the DT600. Punch quantity is similar but more textured on the DT600 as well as much tighter, faster and cleaner. More tonally correct on the DT600 and slightly better timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more textured, cleaner and much faster/tighter on the DT600 but a lot more quantity on the DT100. More tonally correct on the DT100 with slightly better bass timbre as well.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), MUCH cleaner on the DT600, very muddy on the DT100 in comparison due to the looser, slower and lower bass quantity on it.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal quantity is similar, but more tonally correct as well as a lot cleaner and detailed on the DT600 but timbre is better on the DT100.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), more relaxing and fatigue free on the DT100.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), instrument and tonality are more tonally correct as well as a bit better timbre on the DT100 but a lot cleaner and more detailed on the DT600.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are more fatiguing on the DT600 and a bit better timbre on the DT100.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and texture are better on the DT100, but much cleaner and more detailed on the DT600. Violin tonality, texture, detail, clarity and treble-extension are a lot better on the DT600 but timbre is better on the DT100.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality is slightly better on the DT100 as well as timbre but a lot cleaner and more detailed on the DT600.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), a lot wider on the DT600 but deeper and more holographic on the DT100. Imaging, separation and detail are a lot better on the DT600. Timbre is better on the DT100.

Overall: The DT600 is less versatile than the DT100 in tonality, but a lot more technical than it.



IEM: Audiosense DT200, Sony EP-EX11 tips L, cable A6 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends and rumbles a lot more on the DT600. Punch quantity is also a lot higher on the DT600 with much more texture, faster and tighter. More tonally correct on the DT600 but similar timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), Cleaner on the DT600 due to the faster, tighter and lower bass quantity. Timbre is similar.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), a lot cleaner and more detailed on the DT600 due to the faster, tighter and lower bass quantity, texture is also a lot better on it.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), similar vocal quantity, but better tonality, cleaner and more detailed on the DT600, slightly better timbre on the DT200. Instrument tonality and timbre are better on the DT200 but a lot cleaner and detailed on the DT600.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), more relaxing and fatigue free on the DT200.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality are better on the DT200 and slightly better timbre as well. But a lot cleaner and detailed on the DT600.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are more fatiguing due to the tonality on the DT600.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and texture are better on the DT200, but much cleaner and more detailed on the DT600. Violin tonality, texture, detail, clarity and treble-extension are a lot better on the DT600 but timbre is better on the DT200.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality is better on the DT200 as well as timbre but a lot cleaner and more detailed on the DT600.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), a lot wider on the DT600 but deeper and more holographic on the DT200. Imaging, separation and detail are a lot better on the DT600. Timbre is better on the DT200.

Overall: The DT600 is less versatile than the DT200 in tonality, but a lot more technical than it.



IEM: Audiosense T800, Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, cable A6 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends a bit lower on the T800 and rumbles a lot more on the T800. Punch quantity is higher on the T800 but more textured, tighter, faster and much cleaner on the DT600. Tonality is slightly better on the T800 but better timbre on the DT600.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), a lot more quantity on the T800 but much cleaner on the DT600 due to the tighter and faster bass as well as more textured. More tonally correct on the DT600 as well as with better timbre.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), a lot cleaner on the DT600 due to the much faster, tighter and lower bass quantity, but more textured on the T800.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality, timbre, detail and clarity are better on the DT600 as well as more forward. Instrument tonality is better on the T800 but cleaner and more detailed on the DT600 with similar timbre.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), shoutier vocals and sharper treble on the T800.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Instrument and vocal tonality are a lot better on the T800, with similar timbre but a lot cleaner and detailed on the DT600.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), sharper treble and more fatiguing on the T800 similar timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, texture and timbre are better on the T800 but cleaner and more detailed on the DT600. Violin tonality, texture, treble-extension, detail and clarity are better on the DT600 but similar timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality is better on the T800 but cleaner and more detailed on the DT600 with similar timbre.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider on the DT600 but a lot deeper and more holographic on the T800. separation and detail are better on the DT600. Timbre is similar. But better imaging on the T800.

Overall: The DT600 is overall the more technical iem but tonally the T800 is more suited for my library and more versatile. If you are a basshead, the T800 is better (or if you have a similar library to mine), otherwise the DT600 is the better iem.


IEM: See Audio Bravery, Elecom EHP-CAP20 tips L, stock cable 3.5mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends and rumbles a lot more on the DT600. Punch quantity is a lot higher on the DT600 and a lot more textured, speed and tightness are similar. More tonally correct and with better timbre on the DT600.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more quantity on the Bravery with similar texture but tighter and faster on the DT600. A bit more tonally correct on the Bravery with a bit better timbre on the DT600.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), cleaner on the DT600 due to the tighter and lower bass quantity with more texture, similar speed though.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality is similar but a bit better on the DT600, similar quantity but better timbre and cleaner on the DT600. Instrument tonality is more accurate on the Bravery but better timbre on the DT600 as well as cleaner and more detailed.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), shoutier and peakier on the DT600.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Vocal and instrument tonality is better on the Bravery with similar timbre. But cleaner and more detailed on the DT600.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), peakier and sharper on the DT600, although similar timbre.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality is better on the Bravery but texture, timbre, detail and clarity are better on the DT600. Violin tonality, detail and clarity are better on the DT600 but similar timbre and treble-extension.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), better tonality on the Bravery, but cleaner and more detailed on the DT600. Similar timbre.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), similar width, but a lot deeper and more holographic on the Bravery. Detail and separation are better on the DT600 but better imaging on the Bravery. Timbre is a bit better on the DT600.

Overall: They are quite different in tonality but closer in technicalities. If you want a more laid-back, warmer iem and more versatile iem, the Bravery is more suited for that.





IEM: Tanchjim Oxygen, Final Audio Type E tips LL, cable A6 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends a bit lower on the Oxygen but rumble is pretty similar. Punch quantity is a bit higher on the DT600 with a bit more texture on the Oxygen as well faster and tighter. Cleaner and better timbre on the Oxygen but more tonally correct on the DT600.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), more quantity and texture on the Oxygen, as well as faster and tighter. Better timbre and tonality on the Oxygen.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), more quantity and texture on the Oxygen but similar speed and tightness.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality, timbre and clarity are better on the Oxygen as well as more forward. Instrument tonality is similarly lacking in warmth but better timbre and clarity on the Oxygen.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), a bit shoutier on the Oxygen but similarly peaky treble.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality is slightly better (warmer) on the DT600 but cleaner and better timbre on the Oxygen as well as more forward vocals.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are slightly sharper on the DT600 but similarly fatiguing tonality.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality is very similar but better timbre, texture, detail and clarity on the Oxygen. Violin tonality, timbre, detail and clarity are better on the Oxygen with similar treble-extension.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), slightly better tonality on the Oxygen with better timbre and clarity.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), a bit wider and a lot deeper on the Oxygen. Imaging, micro-detail and timbre are better on the Oxygen with similar separation and macro-detail.

Overall: The Oxygen is the better iem here, I would only recommend the DT600 over the Oxygen if you want a BA iem or an iem with more sub-bass that is still somewhat similar in what genres they perform well with.



Conclusion: The DT600 needs some work, namely using an impedance adapter (30 ohm) and the Tanchjim Tanya filters. But it does have a lot of potential after and is impressing me. It is currently my favorite BA iem and the nr 1 BA iem recommendation. So if you want a BA iem, I will recommend this, but if you don’t care about the driver setup, then there are better iems at this price range (like the Tanchjim Oxygen).

Graph:


Cable source:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...zTm4ei7HEfP8AI1zxswrMw2ho/edit#gid=1801072063

Reference/test songs:

TONALITY: 8.6/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.6/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.6/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.6/10

AUDIOSENSE is a very active Chinese earphones company specializing in hybrid and multi-BA iem. Their first iem Line up was the T series, based on Knowles balanced armature driver. It includes T180 (1BA), T200 (2BA), T300 (3BA) and the legendary T800 (8BA). While i've tested all T serie earphones and praise to the sky the flagship T800, I never give a listen to other DT iem like the promising DT200. In the other hand, I did test the hybrid AQ3 and didn't enjoy it's warm tonality.
When I see that Audiosense launch a new 6BA iem priced only 250$, my hope that this could be on par with my beloved T800 make me obsess about trying them. Called DT600, this IEM use a mix of Knowles and customs BA.
Let's see today if Audiosense are back on track for well-tuned multi-BA IEM.


PACKAGING



Minimalist boxing and maximalist accessories. The typical Audiosense package includes a very nice and sturdy pelican-like protective case with enough space to store 2 cables and as much eartips as you wish. You have a very generous amount of silicone and memory foams ear tips. You got a brush and cleaning clothes (forget to include in the pic). You have an excellent 8 cores litz copper cable. Interestingly, you even have a 80ohm impedance adapter.

CONSTRUCTION



Those are sure candy for the eyes, with a unique backplate artwork that is sure to make you feel unique when you wear them. The resin plastic used is very light and feels sturdy, it's notably smaller than T800 making them way more comfortable and easier to achieve a proper fit. The MMCX connector is well embedded in the shell and doesn't feel it will loosen after lot of use. Not only is it fascinating to loot at the backplate but the translucide shell too, which show the 3 separation tube connected to 3 pairs of balanced armature.



The 8strands 16 cores OFC copper litz cable is the very same included with the T800. I still have this cable and it works perfectly after 3 years of intense use, so I can confirm it's a good sturdy one. My only complaint is about the ear hook, which is a bit too tight for my big ears.


SOUND IMPRESSIONS
(using SMSL SU-9+SH-9 and Xduoo X20)


TONALITY : Smooth W to L shape with important sub-bass boost, lean full mids and relaxed treble. We can say it’s harman target inspired too, it’s warm yet well resolve and the mids take the center of the show even if bass can color them.

TIMBRE : Warm, natural, organic yet nuanced in texture. Bass is notably warmer and less textured.

SOUNDSTAGE : Depending on the ear tips you use, it can go from intimate to above average wide with good deepness but average tallness. KZ Starlines add deepness short wide bore offer a very wide and out of your head spatiality.

IMAGING : Holographic and very generous in sounds layers with a circular positioning that doesn’t forget center instrument placement. It isn’t the crispest accuracy but still accurate when you travel in the condensed spatiality. Instrument separation isn’t the widest, neither the cleanest especially when their alot going on in center stage.

The BASS is extremely surprising in term of quantity for a balanced armature, it has big slam and rumble, it really can move air which sometimes is too much and will hollow lower mids and warm overall tonality. It isn’t a basshead IEM like it’s big brother T800, but the lower end is the most boosted part of spectrum, L shape way, so it can distract you from other instruments in bass heavy track. In fact, i find imprevisible the bass performance, sometimes it’s very impressive and well-articulated, tight in impact, other time it’s overly boomy and resonant, like toms don’t have natural decay and will lack proper definition. Kick drum can sound clear and punchy with electric bass, but less so with acoustic bass. I was very impressed by the powerful rumble listening to sub-bassy track like ‘’Moonlight’’ from IAMDD, it was hard to believe I listen to a Multi-BA, this time, kick punch hard with good weight and stay on top of pure sub-bass line, but the presentation wasn’t as airy and clean as i’m use too and treble seem a bit recessed, still, everything was well layered and vocal stay upfront. Perhaps people don’t believe in BA burn in, but i’m pretty sure BA woofer gains in flexibility after 50H of use. But a BA have limitation in natural extension and flexibility, and the bass feel sometimes ‘’shooted’’ and lack proper definition and edge, acoustic bass sound scooped in extension, it lacks texture in lower harmonics. This make the bass better fitted for electric bass and electronic instrument in general. It’s a fun slightly imprevisible bass, for extra juicy guilty pleasure of an otherwise near-neutral tuned IEM.

The MIDS are my favorite part of the DT600, they are extremely well layered, smoothly natural in timbre, rich in nuance and accurate even with busy track. Sure, it’s not the weightiest in term of impact weight, like piano note could benefit from more meat, but the attack speed permit good articulation and clean presence. The tone is right and all instruments sound realistic without the edge that can make them aggressive, saxophone and woodwinds are wide and transparent, dense and rich in texture, while the violin is smooth yet well define, electric guitar could earn from more bite but are rich in timbre.
Male and Female are both forwards and neither congested or recessed as if a magic trick happen to always extract them and put the under the spot light. Male is well-bodied enough, clean, open and flat, not boosted in lower harmonic. Timber Timbre song ‘’I get low’’ offer a smooth, highly revealing listen where the voice take all your attention but doesn’t hollow rest of the instruments, the voice has it’s own layer space and doesn’t melt with rest of music while keeping the presentation natural and balanced. Agnes Obel song ‘’Broken sleep’’ sound very rich with the DT600, she has a great presence that doesn’t feel as boosted as other IEM with more upper mids boost, i’m very use of this song so while it’s condensed in layers it lacks a bit of air to make her voice better extract and centered, this song has a lot of string picking that lack some treble snap and cello, piano and violin play in similar range as well as the voice which thicken layers presentation, the result is smooth, highly informative and organic as a whole. While these are very versatile and well resolve mids, sometime it will get warmed by the lower end, this is what happen with Agnes song, the cello is the black sheep in there that darken-thicken tonality.

If you like your TREBLE sweet and smooth, nuanced in body density and so balanced you need to dig into your music to find it’s secret micro-details treasure, your in for a long listening pleasure, because the high will never scream, bite or ring at you, they are very docile, very polite. Safely tuned yet nor dark or lacking in details, the DT600 highs are very refined and well calibrate. Sure, if your a treble head that want your IEM to deconstruct your music for you, you will wish the upper highs to be more boosted, to my ears it only lack sparkle and air. Unlike agressive treble that wow you at first until it annoy you with it’s excited presence, the DT600 unfold nuance and details of your music gently, organically, holographically. It’s harder to fully enjoy it’s refinement when you have lot of instruments with wide presence play together. The percussions take the back seat but keep their life-like details, they aren’t splashy nor edgy. High pitched violin and piano sound superb, with a tigh decay that permits fast articulation, it doesnt sound thin or grainy bright like lot of other IEM with forced clarity. Listening to post-rock group The Pirate Ship Quartet is pure bliss with the DT600, for this ‘’You’re Next’’track spatial positioning and layering is ultra-accurate, the 2 guitar playing at each side while the violon has it’s own clean presence with a smooth lush tone, when guitars go electric distortion the rendering is dense but not opaque, have rich feedback and never go messy or harsh, the snare is very snappy and percussions stay in the back and show their highlight presence when needed, and even the bass line are well rendered here, so DT600 nail the electric bass tone. In fact, I have beard goosebumps (yep, not joking) listening to this album. If you wanna listen to rock without having to endure an aggressive tonality that will spoil long listening pleasure, DT600 is a great bet. Unless you only listen to clavicord or acoustic steel guitar that need long decay, the treble will gently but surely charm your ears.



SIDE NOTES:
With the 80ohm adapter=about 2 times harder to drive, tamed dynamic impact so less bass bleed but less amount of sound layers articulation, leaner bass and mids, brighter treble&texture, thinner timbre.
Eartips are of fundamental importance and can drastically inflict on sound spatiality as well as tonal balance to a less extend. Short wide bore tips will open up the sound, but make the bass warmer and less controlled. Included ear tips seem to compress layering and soundstage. KZ Starlines is the best of both world, you get some bass control as well as deep wide soundstage and better-balanced treble.
Cable inflict minimally on sound rendering, it can tame bass or treble a bit, included cable make the bass warmer and dynamic weightier.
Like the Audiosense T800, the DT600 doesn’t like audio source with high output impedance, this is why i guess a 80ohm adapter is included. Clean neutral source with low impedance output like the Xduoo X20 or SMSL SU-9+SH-9 are good pairing. DT600 are easy to drive and doesn't benefit from powerful amping, unless you use the 80ohm adapter.

COMPARISONS

VS AUDIOSENSE T800 (8knowles BA-300$)

There you go for the ultimate duel. My sub-500$ favorite multi-BA that give me daily eargasm and headbanging fun for more than 2 years. Let just say i’m a bit biased here, my emotional connection being very intense with this T800. But hey, these 2 beasts are quite different and here the T800 is the less maturely tuned we can say.
TONALITY : T800 is brighter, more W shape and more boosted in bass. DT600 feel flater and less vivid in dynamic, more organic and neutral.
TIMBRE : Very similar, but T800 is a bit thicker, more textured and grainy while transparency go to DT600.
BASS : Well, if i was waiting for an upgrade in this department, i feel underwhelmed because the DT600 bass isn’t as full and natural as T800, it’s slam is even more boomy and restrain in mid and high bass presence, so the kick hit feel more scooped and definition is more abstract.
MIDS : T800 is brighter and less natural, it can go agressive too which the DT600 don’t. DT600 have leaner, smoother mids with greater transparency and resolution. Female vocal feel more recessed due to softer upper mids.
TREBLE : DT600 have smoother fuller leaner colder treble, it deal better with busy track and feel more balanced. It have less bite than T800 as well as less crunchy texture, but it doesn’t put micro-details as forwards and can lack definition edge.
SOUNDSTAGE : T800 have wider-taller spatiality and a more holographic out of your head presentation. DT600 is a bit deeper, but overall more intimate.
IMAGING : T800 have greater amount of sound layer, but lacking the DT600 transparency it’s harder to dig in and precisely spot instrument placement, DT600 is better in this aspect.

All in all, while I have more fun with the T800, i can say DT600 is a step up in terms of balance, resolution and precision...but not in bass presence and control, soundstage and attack edge. Unlike other Audiosense IEM i heard, the DT600 is a turning stone and valuable proof of tuning refinement...now, it’s time they take some bass lessons!


VS SEEAUDIO YUME (1DD+2knowlesBA-170$)

Another legendary IEM, the YUME have a similar tonality to the DT600 but use a dynamic driver for it’s bass. Both follow the bassy Harman target, but the final result have more slam with the woofer BA on steroid of the DT600.

TONALITY : DT600 is a bit more U shape and warmer while the Yume is mid centric to W shape and a hint brighter and cleaner as well as better balanced.
TIMBRE : These 2 use knowles BA and similarity is very hearable, even if DT600 seem more damped, so a bit warmer, denser and more natural but less textured than the Yume.
BASS : There you go for the hard truth about the limitation of bass BA, which is about flexibility and natural extension, the Yume have leaner response and is more extended, better controled and less boosted-boomy. It doesn’t warm lower mid range like the DT600 either. DT600 bass can feel faster in impact but lack control and proper definition.
MIDS : DT600 have thicker warmer mids, wider in presence but not as lively and upfront as the Yume, especially when it come to female vocal, which are cleaner-crisper. The Yume have more intimate mids still, not as widely layered and weighty as the DT600.
TREBLE : Again...so similar it’s hard to pull them apart, DT600 seem a bit fuller and more extended as well as softer, it can pick up more micro details as well as background audio artefact.
SOUNDSTAGE : The DT600 is notably wider and taller but less deep. Yume feel like listening in a tunnel compared to DT600.
IMAGING : DT600 have more amount of sound layers but is less clean, so it isn’t as accurate than the Yume even if more holographic and spacious.

All in all, i do think the DT600 is an upgrade over the Yume even if less refined in balance, if you find your Yume underwhelming in term of musicality and too dry in timbre, the DT600 solve this and have a bigger soundstage too as well as richer resolution.



VS Unique Melody 3DT (3DD-320$)

3DD against 6BA, yeah, why not? One would think the all DD Unique Melody would be warmer, but it isn’t the case, it’s brighter and more energic. Oh, and the bass doesn’t dig as deep, how’s possible?? Let see.
TONALITY : UM is more agressive W shape with boosted mid bass-mid-treble while the DT600 is more boosted in sub-bass and leaner in mid-treble (L shape).
BASS: Notably more textured and tighter with 3DT, thicker, denser, tonaly more accurate and realist but doesn’t offer the DT600 (strange) rumble.
MIDS : More energic and bright, again more textured but a bit rougher too, not as informative as the DT600, especially in busy track.
TREBLE : More crunchy, more bite, more body, less extension than DT600, less airy and well separated too. A bit more splashy too, so less fast in attack.
SOUNDSTAGE : Just a hint wider and taller, but in a panoramic way (aka in your face wide wall of sound way)
IMAGING : Sub-par compared to DT600, layers are opaque and mix togheter in a thick way so you can’t dig as much through them as DT600, as well, accuracy is vague compared to DT600.

All in all, these 2 offer me a so much different sound experience that I can’t choose a winner, technically the DT600 is better, but it isn’t as full-sounding and textured so overall musicality would go to brighter and more cohesive 3DT.

CONCLUSION

The Audiosense DT600 are among the best multi-BA earphones I've tested, and it finds it's singular place between the Seeaudio Yume and Audiosense T800. DT600 doesn't try to overpush it's technical prowess, which can lead to a clinical sound often find with inferior multi-BA, instead, it aims for an organic cohesion with a hint of bass warmth.
The tonality is smooth, natural, versatile yet immersive and holographic, and very revealing in macro-resolution layering. Having a powerful thumpy bass coming from a BA is very surprising too, even if this is the guilty pleasure part of the sound.
But that's what Audiosense achieve with the DT600 too, a sound presentation that is both fun and refined to listen to, and never creates ear fatigue due to it's smooth yet very informative treble.
In the end, you have a versatile sounding IEM that will enrich the musicality of 99% of your music, from rock to jazz to classical to folk to IDM and electronic, the DT600 can handle it effortlessly.
I'm sincerly impress by the DT600 and feel Audiosense evolve in the right way.
If you are searching for an upgrade to your Seeaudio Yume or Fiio FH3, the DT600 should be on your top list!


-------
PS: I wanna thanks Audiosense for selling me the DT600 at a discounted price on my request. As seen with my other AS iem reviews, i'm 100% independent of mind. I have no affiliation with this respectable audio company.

You can buy the DT600 directly from their official store HERE.


For more audio products review, please give a look (and subscribe!) to my reviews blog HERE.

Introduction:
Audiosense is a Chinese company that specializes in producing in-ear monitors. Their lineup mostly consists of IEMs with full BA setups. Their DT and T series exclusively use BAs, while their AQ series uses a hybrid setup of BA + DD. The DT600 is the fourth and newest model in their DT series that is aimed to succeed the T800, which used to be Audiosense's all-BA flagship. The DT600 currently retails for 248 USD, and was provided to me at a discounted price by Audiosense in exchange for this review.

International purchase link

Specifications:
Driver units: 6 Knowles balanced armature (equally divided 2 for the lows, 2 for the mids, and 2 for the highs)
Impedance: 16 ohms
Sensitivity: 106 ± 3 dB
Frequency response range: 20 Hz - 22 kHz

Source:
Poco X3 paired with iBasso DC03 and Shanling UA1

Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.

Unboxing and Accessories:
The DT600 comes in a black rectangular sleeved box. Removing the sleeve and lifting the magnetic flap up reveals the signature Audiosense clear waterproof case that contains the earphones nested on foams, cables, and other accessories including a cleaning tool, 4 sets of different eartips, velcro strap for the cable, and an instruction manual.

Additionally, Audiosense included an 80 ohm impedance adapter. This seems to be a last-minute addition since the adapter is simply taped to the box instead of being inside of it. This adapter gives the DT600, or basically any IEM that uses a balanced armature driver, a different sound signature which I will discuss in detail below.

The eartips, from left to right in the picture, are the GT40S, S400, generic silicone tips, and the AT400/AT100 foam tips.

Build:
The shell is made of 3D printed transparent resin with a very smooth and glossy surface. The faceplates sport the Audiosense logo adorned with purple abalone and silver flakes. Much like what Audiosense did with the DT300, the pattern of the flakes is unique to each shell, so no two shells and pairs share the same pattern. Looking at the other side you will see the 6 custom balanced armature driver units that they used with a tube attached to their individual nozzles going to the main nozzle of the shell. Audiosense also added a small vent near the female MMCX connectors to ease the pressure when wearing the earphones.

The cable is the standard Audiosense 8 core 6N single crystal copper which is very soft, lightweight, and tightly braided. The male MMCX connectors are made of plastic with color coded side indicators. The splitter and chin slider are made of metal, while the 3.5mm L-type gold plated plug is made of hard rubber.

Now let's get to the sound.

Lows:
The lows are reproduced in a full-bodied fashion. Subbass has a lot more focus than the midbass. The depth in the subbass can go really low accompanied by a resounding rumble, and the balanced armature pair that handles this section really showcases its abilities with bass heavy tracks. The midbass, on the other hand, has a slightly below average weight in its notes and impact to its punch.

Overall, similar to the DT300, Audiosense managed to tune the lows in a way that it doesn't sound like the section is handled by balanced armatures. That being said, the bass doesn't feel loose or disjointed for the DT600 to be considered as a bassy set of IEMs, and most importantly, it doesn't contaminate the midrange.

Mids:
The mids are moderately forward with a linear approach; upper and lower mids share the same slightly elevated thickness. Despite having a bit of a warm timbre, the mids are reproduced with great clarity. Male and female vocals have an above average articulation, and most instruments like the piano and guitar are well-defined.

Overall, the mids have that nice warmth in them that I really prefer as I find it more relaxing compared to bright sounding mids. If this is not for you, you can always tweak it by using widebore eartips.

Highs:
The highs are relaxed a bit but with a decent amount of shimmer in them. Treble reach is slightly elevated, with an accompanying decay that is just adequate. Due to the non-aggressive nature of the highs, the DT600 can be listened to for extended periods of time without fatigue.

Overall, despite the said quality and quantity of the highs, there is still a great amount of details present in this section. Additionally, it never gets overshadowed by the presence of the lows.

Soundstage and Imaging:
The stage has an above average expansion, with the width having a tad more volume than the height. Imaging and instrument separation has great precision; different instruments and their position in the stage can be identified with minimal effort. Instruments are also layered nicely with very minimal congestion on complex tracks.

Comparisons:
with the 80 ohm impedance adapter attached
The lows became recessed and relaxed. Subbass was reduced significantly especially the rumble, while the decay stayed the same. Midbass impact was also reduced but it was only partial. The mids became brighter yet it also became smoother. Upper mids were notably elevated, and instruments sounded more airy and spacious. Now, the highs are where the adapter had the most changes. The treble became a lot more forward, the reach was heightened, and the decay was also extended. With the soundstage, the expansion in both the height and width was enlarged. Imaging was also slightly improved as well as the layering and instrument separation.

Audiosense DT600 (6 BA, 248 USD) vs. Audiosense DT300 (3 BA, 180 USD)
Both of them have the same level of rumble, depth and decay in the subbass. However, the midbass of the DT300 is more forward, has more thickness and hits harder and heavier. In the mids section, they share the same texture and timbre but the mids of the DT300 sounds a bit more forward, while the mids of the DT600 have better transparency and clarity. Instruments also sound more airy and more detailed in the DT600. The decay in the highs are identical, but the DT600 has marginally more reach. In the soundstage department, they are also identical in the depth, but the DT600 has a slight edge in the width. Imaging has better clarity in the DT600, as well as the layering and instrument separation.

Audiosense DT600 (6 BA, 248 USD) vs. See Audio Bravery (4 BA, 279 USD)
The lows of the DT600 have significantly more presence. Subbass reaches deeper in the DT600 and much more felt, while the midbass is more forward and has more weight. The mids are more forward and have better articulation with the Bravery, but the mids of the DT600 sound thicker especially the lower mids. The highs sound almost the same. They both have the same amount of reach. The Bravery has a slightly longer decay but the highs of the DT600 sound more forward. In the soundstage department, the Bravery has more expansion in both the height and width. Instruments have better layering and it feels like there is more air between them, and the imaging is clearer with the Bravery.

Conclusion:
Audiosense is on a roll right now, releasing one IEM after another that satisfies in both visual and technical aspect of things. Following the DT300, the DT600 has that same level of build quality, well thought out design and commendable sonic performance. Also, like its little sibling, the DT600 performs extremely well in the low frequencies, providing a powerful, rich yet inoffensive bass that resembles dynamic drivers; rightfully succeeding the T800.

Hello mates and welcome to my another IEM review.

In this current tough, very competitive and saturated audio market, we see a lot of new products that were offered from a multitude of audio companies in almost weekly basis as these companies are now vying and make themselves relevant as they try to flood the audio market with their product that are just rehashed from their previous product.



Audiosense is one of the few companies that doesn't follow this kind of business practice by just releasing some rehash products that some audio companies have done since the explosion of chi-fi products in audio market. It takes them a number of months just to release a product for they meticulously conceiving it via research and development just to make sure that they will deliver a good quality product to their customers.



I've done a review on their previous product before, The Audiosense DT300 and I gave it a high mark due to its balanced and well-tuned tonality that most audio enthusiasts will like its neutral tuning. And now, I was given another opportunity by Audiosense to do a review on their higher-tier product offering that was over US$200/£150 price range which is in the midrange category.



Introducing their latest offering, The Audiosense DT600. DT600 is an all- balanced armature driver set-up IEM like its cheaper predecessor, The DT300 but it has more drivers than the latter one. It also consider as a true successor of the Audiosense's previous highly-regarded product, The Audiosense T800. This IEM is currently available in e-commerce stores and some physical audio stores and it cost around US$248/£184.



The packaging box is very similar to DT300 but it has a slightly different illustration print at front as it shows a DT600 in purple outline and some basic specifications at the back of its black coloured cardboard sleeve. And it has an inner box with a magnetic flap where the contents were placed. The following contents are the IEMs, Four (4) different types of eartips in different standard sizes from silicone tips ones to memory foam ear tips (S,M,L), a cleaning tool kit, a braided multi-core 6N Single crystal copper cable with a L-shaped 3.5mm termination jack, an instruction manual, a velcro cable winder and a sturdy built medium-sized clear Pelican container-like IEM case.



The Audiosense DT600 shell is made of high quality medical-grade resin to attained that skin friendly experience on wearer's ear and a substantial quality that houses its important components inside. The inner components are the six (6) customised balanced armature drivers from a premium audio solution manufacturer, Knowles specifically for this unit as each drivers are individually connected with their own respective tube channels to deliver an efficient reverberations and contrast of each part of frequency range along with its frequency dividing capacitor to avoid any unwanted distortion.



It has a smooth texture and seamless contour as I touched it all over with my fingers if I can find any gaps and unwanted edges but it doesn't have any particular issue for it as is a 3D printed mould IEM. It has a MMCX connector that Audiosense usually implemented on their products for flexibility purposes. The aesthetics design choices of Audiosense DT600 is praiseworthy and astonishingly beautiful due to its purple hue with an abalone-inspired pattern on its faceplate. It has single vent hole near at the buttom area of the MMCX connector to regulate the released air pressure which will have a pleasant experience on some people who usually irritated to unvented IEMs due to build up air pressure coming off from the BAs.




The wearability of this IEM is really comfortable and snug fitting as it really seals well in my lug holes due to more improved design on helix and tragus part of the base shell and also it isolates well from external noise. The IEM shells are unexpectedly lighter for a multi-BA set.



It is noticeable that this IEM is easy to drive from any decent sources like smartphones, laptops and other multimedia devices due to its low impedance rating and good sensitivity number of 107 dB. This IEM scales well on good hi-fi DAC/Amp devices as it really shines and shows it fullest potential as a superbly well-tuned earphone with its improvements on dynamics and spatial extend.(According to some reviewers, putting up an impedance adapter on this IEM seems to work properly as it give more textured and vibrancy of its tonality.)



And now, when it comes the tonal signature of this IEM. I classify them as a balanced-neutral with some boost on bass part, linear mids and smoother treble response. (When using a impedance adapter. It is more on that U-shape sound signature)

Here are some characteristic on its tonality of each part of audio frequency spectrum.

LOWS/BASS:

I assuredly that this is the most prominent asset of DT600, its bass response. Punchy, vigorous and a quantify slam that most basshead that are looking for. For a BA set, this is one of a few IEMs that surprises me on how it really sound almost on par with the dynamics and deep response characteristic of a DD Bass. It subbass performs satisfactory as on it reaches the finite depth of lowest frequency as I felt that rumbling, guttural and thumpiness which indeed quite a surprise for woofer BA.

Midbass has a good amount of texture as it is give some of best tonal characteristic on some certain instruments and voice, from bass guitar to a bass-baritone vocals. Bass guitar has that growl and resonant feeling as I feel every tapping, fretting and slapping style on every bass guitar finger techniques, double bass kicks sounds very impactful and authoritative as I perceived and a deep, powerful and throaty sounding of male bass-baritone vocals. The transient capability of this set is impressive as it deliver a faster decay response. Despite of that well-textured midbass body, Suprisingly that it manage to control it very well that I don't even felt even a hint of bass bleed across the frequency range.

MIDS:

Another asset of DT600 was its midrange quality. Transparent, clean, neutral and organic. It has a hint of warmth that it has mingle well that it gave a sense of cohesion along with the bass response in the spectrum. I do sometimes hear that on some tracks, mids are slightly less forward but still its sound beautifully rendered without any compromises that ruin the texture. Both vocals on both gender sounds even more impressive as it show its natural and vibrancy. Male vocals has the thick and deep voice quality to show its prominence across the mix while female vocals has that clarity, energy and detail that even gave a better resolution.

Percussive, rhythm and wind instruments are presented well with a right amount of note weight and prolificness on its timbre attribute. As the sound of guitars has that soulful crisp, intricate and crunchiness, the mellowness and rich sounding of each pressing of the keynote on a piano and lastly, that snappy and rattling sound of a snare drum strikes.


HIGHS/TREBLE:

This is the frequency range where I have some subtleties on it. It's more on balanced side of high frequency spectrum as it is smooth, refined and has a good extension of airiness. It retrieves a good amount of details in high definition quality. It has a decent amount of sparkle just to give enough energy not to sound rasping, sharp nor hollowness due some scoop and less peaks on upper mids.There is not even a hint of sibilance. It has one of the unoffensive treble tuning that Ive heard as reminds me a certain TOTL IEM with bass boost neutrality.

It has a right amount of shimmer as it gives a cymbal strikes more natural and delineate manner. While the crashing and clanging on hi-hats gives the crisp and soften fast decaying chicky sound even portraying it more realistically.

Overall, it is certainly that DT600 treble was tuned safely and might even consider to some as laid-back treble as it was intended by Audiosense to have its distinct flavour on their in-house tuning.


SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING:

DT600 has a good spacious and open sounding in an imaginary soundfield as it has a wide soundstage with a good reach on height and decent depth as I do some estimation on its dimensional size.

Layering and imaging attributes on this set is even more excellent as it has a good amount of spacing on each instrument and a singer/s either in a simple studio band set-up or a multi-row placement of instrument of an orchestra band. And as it really defined the specific location of each instruments, I can fairly precisely to pinpoint out their respective placement accurately. While this is not the most holographic IEM that I've tested but somehow, it is quite an immersive experience as I feel that I'm one of the audience that watching and listening on the performing artist. It is nice to have a experience on this kind of IEM with good technicalities under $300/£222 range.




As I concluded my review here, DT600 is very competent IEM that performs admirably. While this is not a flawless IEM that most audio enthusiast seeking for more refine audiophiliac tuning for faithfully reproducing from their preferred sources due to that prominent bass region that defined them as coloured sounding.

You will also wonder in how on earth did Audiosense manage to deliver a cohesive and coherent sounding all-BA set-up that is very comparable to some $300-500 hybrids and all-BA competitors currently in the market.

To wrap this thing up, I certainly believe that Audiosense DT600 delivers one of the best IEMs in $200/£148 price range as it shows that an all-BA setup can deliver a bass on quantity and quality similar to a good DD IEM set. This IEM will deliver a joy on both consumer and audio enthusiasts that will put a smile on their faces while they do their listening session.





SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: Audiosense DT600
IMPEDANCE: 16Ω
SENSITIVITY: 107dB +/- 3dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 15Hz-22KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.25M
PIN TYPE: MMCX CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNITS: Six(6) custom Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers of each side.

Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss- A Living Prayer *
Debbie Gibson- Foolish Beat *'*
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks *'*
Santana - Europa *
Europe - Final Countdown *
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Barry White - Never, Never Ever Give You Up
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Agent Steel - Bleed for the Godz*
Metallica- Fade to Black **
Camouflage - The Great Commandment *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean *
Bad Manners - Just a Feeling *
Riot- Warrior *
Mariah Carey- Love Takes Time *
Layla Kaylif - Shakespeare in Love *
Stone Temple Pilots - Plush *
David Bowie - Heroes **
Prince - When the Doves Cry *
Exodus - Metal Command *
Marduk - Blond Beast *
P. Diddy - Last Night *





P.S.
I am not affliated to AUDIOSENSE nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to thank Elaine Wong for this providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on her generosity towards me and other reviewers.

Intro

Audiosense is coming out with another model which is the DT600. It is a pure balanced armature setup which consists of 6BAs per side. As far as i know, all of the BAs are Knowles’s BA.

Let us find out today how they stack up against other competitors out there.

Packaging

I’ve always favoured Audiosense’s packaging. Having tried several products ranging from AQ0 to DT200 and now DT600, the bundled accessories are very generous and it came with a big Pelican like storage case which houses the IEM itself and the bundled eartips and cable. There are 4 types of eartips bundled which you can tip roll to whichever you prefer. My personal favourite is the S400 with the light green tube as below. It has got the spinfit kind of tube where it can swivel around.
9/10 for packaging


Build and Comfort

The shell of DT600 is 3D printed and each of the panels is personalized according to the marketing material of Audiosense, that means you won’t have the same panel design and each DT600’s face plate will be unique. I’ve been giving it a lot of time and wearing them for several hours straight in a day without feeling any discomfort.
8/10 for build and comfort



Source

Foobar2k -> Audioquest DragonFly Red -> AudioSense DT600
Cayin N3 Pro (Solid State) -> DT600


Sound

I might sound a little biased here but I have always favoured Audiosense’s tuning ever since I tried their AQ0. Having tried several models from them, they have always retained that smooth and organic kind of tuning for their models. DT600 is no exception as well. Smooth and very pleasant to listen to even when the volume is cranked high.

Tonality wise, I would describe them as slightly warm and organic. The overall presentation is very smooth and pleasant to listen to. I’m sure there are several graphs out there that depict how good/bad DT600 is, to me personally, the graph only tells part of a story, in order to really know how it sounds, you have to listen to it. No offence to all the graph lovers out there. Peace.

Bass

• On first listen, i'm trying to convince myself that the bass produced by DT600 is coming from BA. They slam hard, sub bass rumble is good, punchy as well
• Doesn’t feel bloated, clean bass
• Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious at the 3:30 mark, the rumbles rendered by DT600 is very very impressive especially coming from balanced armature
• Bass has very good body, thick and well textured
• The bass reproduction from this is very similar to a dynamic driver, heck even some dynamic driver IEM doesn’t rumble this hard!
• You can test this with Armin van Bureen’s Ping Pong, i don't listen to EDM generally, but with DT600, I kinda enjoy it actually.

Mids

• Vocal placement is slightly forward, doesn’t sound feel intimate
• Male and female vocal has got very good body, feels very thick and rich, very pleasant to listen to
• Upper mids is lacking a little, thus you will find that it doesn’t sound that airy, having said that, it will not sound congested even in busy tracks like Duality by Slipknot

Treble

• Personally think that spectrum of frequency is DT600’s weakness, i mean it is not bad at all, i just wished that it has got extension
• The treble here is smooth and non fatiguing,not sibilant nor harsh
• Smooth even when the volume is cranked higher
• Detail retrieval and technicality is good enough

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is average in my opinion. Lacking in depth, but the width is alright
• Imaging is good as the instruments can be pinpointed easily
• Nothing much to shout out here as it doesn’t make you feel boxed in nor gives you the out of head kind of soundstage experience. Just enough for you to feel the sense of space

Driveability

• Easy to drive and you will get acceptable volume level even off smartphone
• Benefit from better source/dac/amp

Comparison with SeeAudio’s Bravery

• The reason for this comparison is because both of them are using an all balanced armature setup. Bravery being Quad while DT600 having 6 BAs
• Bravery is priced at 278$ while DT600 is a little lower at 248$
• Bravery has got more air compared to DT600 hence sounding more open
• However the bass response of Bravery does lack behind DT600,i preferred the bass response of DT600 over Bravery, not that Bravery is bad, it's just my preference
• Technicality and detail retrieval, Bravery is ahead of DT600, if you favors details and technicalities, Bravery is for you, however if you are like me, you prefer a more musical sounding set, DT600 is for you
• Shell size of Bravery is slightly bigger compared to DT600, both are comfortable

Final Thoughts

I have been listening to DT600 throughout the week at several hours a day, when i rotate to Bravery, yes, Bravery renders the music with plenty of details and has very good technicality, but i’d still go back to DT600 even though they are not as detailed as Bravery nor do they excel in technicality, that is because i favoured DT600’s tuning more than Bravery’s.

This by all means does not mean that both of the IEM are bad even though they’re lacking in certain areas. For me, I preferred the tuning of DT600 because they sound good to my ears. If you are like me, you like what i described as best as i can, then you will like DT600 like me as well.

What is very clear to me is that, at the end of the day, you have to find out and know what you prefer, a review can only help you to understand the IEM subjectively, a graph can help you to view it objectively, the best is still for you to listen to it yourself.

I’m giving the DT600 a solid 4.5/5

At a Glance:

Overall Rating: (S+ to C-)

Stock: S-

With IA: S-

Category: B (100-300 USD), MSRP: 250 USD, Acquired at 80 USD (Review Unit)





Disclaimer:

This IEM was kindly provided to me by Audiosense at a discounted price in exchange for a fair and honest review. (Thank you, Elaine). As always, review unit or not, all thoughts and opinions are my own and I shall write as unbiasedly as possible.




Overview:

The DT600 is Audiosense’s latest offering in the 200-300 USD price range, competing directly with IEMs like the Moondrop Blessing 2 and Ibasso AM05. It comes with a very-high quality waterproof case, 4 pairs of eartips and an 8 core SPC braided cable. It features an all-BA setup with 6 knowles drivers in a solid 3-D printed resin housing.






Inclusions: S-

The unboxing experience is incredibly premium. It comes in a minimalist slide-out box the opens to reveal a very high-quality waterproof “pressure venting” case. Inside are the IEMs nestled in some cut foam and the accessories. 4 sets of eartips (with SML sizes) are included, two sets are non-descript, 1 is a set of the common “Sony Hybrid” tips, and 1 single size 3-pack of memory foam tips. The included cable is a copper colored, 8-core braided cable that I consider to be very mediocre. It’s quite thin, it has a little bit of memory and the earhooks are a little stiff but is otherwise very serviceable. Only the splitter and chin-slider are metal, with the MMCX and 3.5mm terminations being made of a hardened rubber material. (Note: This IEM comes in the exact same box with the exact same inclusions as it’s younger sibling the DT300, with only a different colored cable and some different box print.)





Build: A+

This IEM is built out of a solid chunk of 3d printed resin with a decorative faceplate attached to it, the printing is very smooth, with no lines of demarcation that you can touch, and only a small line you can only see and not feel where the faceplate is attached to the rest of the housing. The 6 knowles BAs are split into 3 groups are fed to the nozzle with tubes. It uses an MMCX connector which is somewhat wobbly in your hands (would’ve preferred to see a recessed 2-pin or NX7 connector personally, the spinning of the MMCX connector also adds to the tangly-dangly of the cable). The shell is a safe shape with very rounded protrusions, slightly wide but quite flat which is great for those who listen in bed. The shell has only a very small vent hole (likely for the bass) which can occasionally be an issue when using silicone tips, as pushing them in at all would cause a pressure vacuum to form causing some discomfort and affecting the sound. I found that using the included foam tips managed to circumvent this issue, as it doesn’t seal off air in the same way the silicone tips did and doing that resulted in superb comfort. Your mileage may vary with this issue though, some people are more sensitive than others. Isolation on these is excellent, the solid 3D printed shells are quite good at absorbing noise, particularly with the foam tips.



Sound Overview:



Given the nature of this IEM, it becomes necessary to discuss the situation with the Impedance Adaptor. As you may already know, the Output Impedance of an amplifier audibly and measurably affects the sound of many IEMs, with balanced armature drivers being particularly prone to this, thanks to their design and their low impedances. This IEM and it’s younger sibling the DT300 are known for having people who enjoy both the stock tuning and the sound with the use of an Impedance Adapter (IA), a device that simulates high OI. Thus, as a reviewer, I find it necessary to carry out separate sound reviews for both the stock tuning and the tuning with an IA. Audiosense has also recognized this situation, and now bundles an 80ohm IA with their products. Said IA shall be what I use to carry out this review. Please bear with the length of this review as a result.



Sound Review Conditions:

• Listening was done with both an impedance adapter (Audiosense-included 80ohm) and also without. Separate reviews will be carried out.
• A combination of the foam tips, silicon tips and third party hybrid tips (Symbio W) were used.
• Stock MMCX Cable was used
• Sources used: Deezer and Tidal HiFI, Signalyst HQ Player, Foobar 2000 HR-FLACs and PCM, Spotify, and YT Premium
• DAC/AMPs: Zishan Z1, KGUSS BH-3, and AVANI, JM20, CX-PRO, JM6 Dongles

Sound: Without IA (stock)



Bass: S



This IEM has very prominent and powerful bass in this configuration. Unlike the DT300 and like the popular T800, this IEM features a bass vent. The quantity and quality of the bass resemble a Hybrid or Dynamic Driver set-up more than it resembles an all-BA IEM. The bass is very heavy in impact and has a lot of weight behind each note that reminds me of a planar magnetic/ driver. However, the BAs still lend themselves quite well to a fast attack in the transients of the bass notes which allow this IEM to not feel particularly bloated in the bass region, despite the bass quantity. The separation and layering of bass notes are quite good, though on busy tracks (particularly poorly mastered ones with too much boomy or bleeding bass in their recordings) it does get quite “dirty” sounding. However, that does not mean that the notes start bleeding into each other and the sound becomes indistinct, it is still possible to distinguish the notes and note source, however, the sheer quantity can get overwhelming for a typical listener. Timbre leans fairly warm and is quite good. This IEM is viable for bassheads. Overall bass performance is absolutely unmatched by likely any all-BA IEM in this price range and easily competes with setups that feature DDs. I don’t quite know how Audiosense did it.



Mids: S

The midrange performance of this IEM is characterized by a warm tint in the lower registers with that tint gradually evening out into a more neutral response in the upper-mids. This is especially good for female vocalists and other instruments that require a thinner, colder tonality to their sound as it can sound “off’ otherwise. Despite the quantity of bass that this IEM has, the mids are still quite prominent in the mix and are about even with the bass for forwardness, preventing this IEM from just being a typical bassy set (albeit a rare all-BA one). Vocals sound very detailed and tonally accurate almost all the time, with plenty of texture and harmonics to their sound. Strings also sound very good out of this IEM, with enough “airiness” but also “body” to their sound. In conclusion, you’d expect the mids to take a back seat to the bass but here they still feature prominently and hold their own. Overall mids performance is just as great as the bass.



Treble: A+

This IEMs treble is one of the few things I was not impressed by in this configuration. In the mix, it sounds very much like the DT300s treble, which was also quite underwhelming. It’s present and audible, and it does a commendable job in not getting totally drowned out given just how forward the bass and mids are in comparison. However, for an all-BA set its quite…. meh. The detail retrieval, soundstage and imaging superiority this carries over the DT300s mean that overall treble performance is indeed better though. I should say though. It’s not at all bad, in any way: It doesn’t do anything wrong. It’s just not noteworthy or exceptional when compared to the bass and mids performance.



Technicalities: S-

Technicalities are very well-refined even in this configuration. As noted awhile ago, layering and separation is great across the whole sound spectrum even with the quantity of the bass. The soundstage is also very wide, though still an oblong in terms of shape. Being an all-BA IEM, transient performance is also very good. Detail retrieval is good but a bit understated thanks to the relative recession in the treble area.







Sound: (With IA, included 80ohms)





Bass: S-

The bass performance in this configuration is rather lean in comparison to the stock tuning, similar in quantity to the DT300’s stock tuning. However, it is very well extended all the way down and has quite plentiful sub-bass. It retains the quick “snap” and attack speed that seems to be inherent to BAs, meaning that transient dependent bass like the snare or the high toms sound very good. Additionally, despite the quantity being rather lean, the sense of “punch” thanks to the amount of weight provided by the plentiful sub-bass region means that this IEM doesn’t leave you hanging on tracks that requite some bass to sound “fun”. Timbre shifts to a more neutral leaning sound. Performance in busy tracks improves, and there is now practically no track that this doesn’t play well with short of full-on EDM. (which you should be listening to with the stock configuration anyway). Overall bass performance here is still very good as it works well with this tuning and sounds good on it’s own.



Mids: S

Overall mids performance can be described as neutral, with hints of analytical. Despite having about the same quantity in lower mids as the stock tuning, a bit of extra upper mids and a 3k peak arguably improve the overall tonal quality. Both vocals and instruments in this range are timbrically neutral in tuning, taking on an uncolored quality through the range, in comparison to the warm tinged lower mids of the stock tuning. The slightly increased upper-mids, in addition to the general forwardness of the mid range results in more of an initial bite to the notes. However, this does not mean that the lower mids are neglected. In tracks where the lower mids are emphasized, this IEM does a commendable job in making sure that instruments and vocals in that range are still and supported rather than be too thin like with some other upper-mid heavy IEMs, guitar still has that grunge and crunch to it, and lower male vocals still thrum with energy for example. Overall mid range performance is great as well.



Treble: S-

The treble performance is likely the biggest beneficiary of this IA configuration. It’s still quite rolled off in the upper treble but not nearly as much as the stock tuning. Additionally, a lot of the extra treble energy is placed into peaks, however, said peaks are still quite low in the mix which results in enough treble that an average listener wouldn’t miss it anymore but at a quantity that still prevents this IEM from being sibilant and harsh in all but the most terrible of recordings. Additionally, the reduction in bass allows it to shine more in the mix, fixing some of that overt recession that was present in the stock tuning. Treble snap and more importantly air are now more perceivable, making this configuration quite balanced in the treble region. Overall treble performance is also quite good and certainly an improvement over the stock tuning.



Technicalities: S

The stock tuning already had great technicalities. However, the reduction in bass and extra treble energy results in this IEM gaining an overall sense of extra clarity all across the sound. Detail retrieval, both perceived and actual improve by virtue of the extra top end energy and reduction of the bass respectively. A/B testing with the stock tuning makes the stock sound like it has a veil, which isn’t actually too bad, just something that shows up when you look for it explicitly. Soundstage is virtually the same but a bit more clear thanks to less bass. Imaging, separation all take a boost, again thanks to the extra upper range energy and bass cut. Overall technicalities are great, and definitely better than the stock tuning.






Sound Conclusion:

There is no superior tuning in this case, there is only preference IMO. I have seen people enjoy both the stock and IA tuning, and the fact that we can get those two in a single IEM is fantastic, especially considering the IA is included with your purchase. The stock tuning is bass-mids focused, incredibly fun and totally not something you expect from an all-BA IEM. On the other hand, the IA tuning offers superb resolution and clarity and a more balanced approach to tuning overall. But again, remember. You get them both. (just be sure you have some power for the IA version and ideally a neutral source to be able to utilize both tunings well)





(PS: This IEM seems to change quite a lot when cable, tip and OI rolled. I won't get into my experiences, since it's quite preference dependent. You can almost tweak it to your exact preference. It’s incredibly versatile in that regard.)



Overall Conclusion:

This IEM is an overall fantastic package. It comes with plenty of stuff in a premium package, gorgeous looks and varied tuning that caters to two different palates. In a price range as competitive as this, it stands out as a uniquely versatile IEM. Highly Recommended