Rockit Sounds R-50

puccipaolo

New Head-Fier
Pros: analitical, cheep
Cons: harsh, fatiguing listening
For my taste are too analitical cans.I try to remove the  high frequencies sibiling using several different tips...shure triple  compy foam....nothing they remain too harsh for my tasty.
I also try using Little dot I+ and 30ohm resistore...They have no musicality ...better Titan 1 or Beyerdynamic 102
seanwee
seanwee
LOL
Ashwin HL
Ashwin HL

avocadobeats123

New Head-Fier
Pros: Detailed Hifi sound. Excellent instrument separation, exceptional soundstage, very light. Sounds incredible with indie, alternative, jazz, rock
Cons: Tips included are not the best. Bass is lacking in quantity (not quality!)
Since 2011 when I first discovered this site, I've experimented with quite a few low/mid-tier earphones and these are my favorite by far. I prefer them over my Vsonic Gr06, Vsonic VC1000, and Yahama EPH-100. The only real problem I have with them is the lack of bass impact. (If you listen to mainly Hip-Hop/EDM, take a look at the yamahas for a similar price). Albums such as Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein, any ATCQ still sounds amazing. Take a look at Shure Comply P-Series foam tips or Etymotic triple-flange tips as the included tips may not provide the perfect seal. For the price, I would absolutely reccomend to a friend.
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Benjamin Leeds

New Head-Fier
Pros: Very open for IEMs. Clarity. Soundstage is actually massive. Comfort.
Cons: Treble is very harsh.
The treble is pretty overwhelming on these guys.  I usually EQ the top band down a couple of dBs.  But the soundstage is pretty crazy for an IEM (in my limited experience).  I had bass problems with these things for the longest time, but I finally found some tips that do the pieces justice.  I'm using the Shure Flex series.  The foams just didn't do it for me.
 
I will say, I think my right earpiece is quieter than the left, which is discouraging.  I've tried switching sides to verify the problem, and I think it's definitely the headphone volume.
 
For design, I would definitely prefer an L shaped plug, but it's okay.  The Y split seems sturdy enough, and I actually like the memory wire.
 
Overall, they are a little harsh, and can give me a headache sometimes.  I tend to prefer a more smooth sound, but I can't knock the tremendous imaging.  I hear things on these all the time that I can't hear with my Audio Technica M-50s.

killeraxemannic

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Decent detail
Cons: Highs are sharp and brittle and in some cases downright painful, Bass is missing on a level I haven't experienced before.
I ordered these biased on the excellent reviews they received here on headfi. If you listen to anyone listen to me. These headphones sound BAD and just plain wrong. I have tried these from 2 sources now. First was my Sound Blaster Z... Completely unusable when connected to it. The highs are so harsh and sibilant that they make everything seem unpleasant tinny and just awful. Cymbal crashes will make you cry in pain, Voices will sound shrill and like nails on a chalkboard and the bass is just gone. Not there in the slightest. Completely and totally missing. Kick drumbs sound like a high pitched click instead of a full boom like they should. Its quite strange.  Using my other source Fiio e7 they are usable but just sound mediocre. It's not as clean as the Creative and the highs are cut off which is beneficial to these headphones. Either source I use the sound stage is tiny and everything sounds very thin and unpleasant. 
 
Compared to my Sennheiser HD598's and my AKG K550's they are just not even in the same ball park. I was hoping they would sound a bit like the 550's but they don't they just sound awful. 
 
Lastly the cords with the way they wrap around your ears is just plain stupid. It's hard to put them on, and they don't stay formed enough to stay hooked over my ears. I have to constantly squeeze them together to keep them formed around the back of my ear. When I bought them I figured I would just not use that and use them like normal ear buds but if you do that the drivers are upside down and are out of phase therefore making them sound very strange. 
 
DO NOT buy these. They are horrid. I took the gamble on them so you don't have to. 
suman134
suman134
go for xba-h1 then , or may be h3 .
LaPierre
LaPierre
Just saying, but being upside down doesn't mean the drivers are out of phase in any sense. Someone has to ask, but have you used IEMs before...? Because it sounds a lot like you don't have a seal, at all?
killeraxemannic
killeraxemannic
I have had a couple other IEM's before from Etamotic, Sure and klipsch. I definitely was getting a good seal. I actually thought that was the problem first off but after I tried all of the sizes that came with as well as tried some foam ones I ordered off of amazon with no changes I can conclude that wasn't the case.
 
They sound very strange upside down... Not sure what the proper terminology for it is but they don't sound right at all. After trying it again sitting here with them I think it is probably just the way they have to be angled when they go in your ear upside down.   

Krisman

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Treble detailing, spacious sound, wide soundstage and layering
Cons: Bass, not enveloping, slightly thin sounding at times, a tad sterile
Just want to state up front my review rating is an absolute rating, not one based on comparative performance, pricing etc. 
 
These are my observations after using an iBasso DX50, MacBook air, FiiO E17 and Sansa Clip Zip as test sources. I found very little variation between those sources with the DX50 maybe bringing out a little bit more richness and depth.
Highs: Well what can I say, the treble is of such a high quality I was surprised. They can be a tad sibilant depending on what you are listening to but generally I would say the highs are of a very high quality not far off earphones that cost a lot more. Detail is there in spades and the wide soundstage and layering is also very good.
Mids: A repeat of the highs really. Very wide, layering even better than in the highs. The start of the weaknesses appears in the mids however. At the lower end things start to fade away and lower mid sounds that should be there are pushed way back. This takes away from the richness of the sound making the overall presentation quite thin. Such a shame.
Lows: If you are even a mild bass head then look the other way, these do not deliver anywhere near the right level of bass. I could not find one track that sounded as it should. The bass was either veiled or just not there at all. I tried every tip available and others I had. Nothing helped. If Rock-it can get the bass right on their next release we could be on for a fantastic pair of earphones.
 
Overall: After living with these for a couple of months I am deeply frustrated. Rarely at the lower price ranges have I found anything near what I could call 'very good' sound quality. Most things sound cheap, unnatural, unbalanced or just plain wrong. I am happy to report that if you can live without much bass then these are a bit of a bargain. The build quality, as others have pointed out, leaves a lot to be desired. They feel very delicate and may break easily. Another point is the physical size of these, they are tiny. I find that a good thing as the fit snuggly in the ear and once inserted remain in place no matter what you are up to.
 
I am very much looking forward to the next release!
gradoist
gradoist
R-50s r the only choice in that price range though I know they r definitely not the best iems in this world. However, like I said in my review, I don't agree that "these do not deliver anywhere near the right level of bass". In fact, they delivery the exactly same bass as my HD580s and RS1is (both r reference lvl headphones) can do IMHO.
Alberto01
Alberto01
"While I appreciate effort of the review, my one gripe is that you seem to be proclaiming yourself as the objective authority on sound quality, and no such thing exists."
 
I don't see anything wrong with your review, Krisman.  If you can't review a product using our experience as "the objective authority" for your review content, then there is no purpose in writing a review.
 
As stated in my review, I thirst/hunger for bass as much as bassheads do.  That makes it obvious that the R-50 are bass light when I am in basshead mode.  But, in normal mode the R-50 are not bass light to my ears.  I find that the amount of bass is clinically correct.  They have a little more (or perhaps better) bass than my GRADO SR80.  Moving from the low frequencies into the middle frequencies, I find your review spot on about the lower mids being weak in presence or pushed back.
 
Why do some people find the bass right with the R-50 while others find them bass light?  Our brains adapt to the amount of bass that we have been listening lately.  The R-50 do not fit well in an IEM cycle where bass heavy IEMs are involved.  They will definitely sound bass light if they are used in that fashion.  Still, when I get used to their bass amount after listening to the R-50 only for days, that is, when the R-50 are at their best for an evaluation, the lower mids sound like you wrote in your review with most recordings.
 
So, if the R-50 had more robust lower middle frequencies notes while keeping the bass the same, I would have to disagree with the overall picture of your review.  But, that is not the case and I don't find your review misleading at all, when looking at the overall sound profile that your ears get from the R-50.
 
You are loved, valued and accepted in this fallen world, which was not supposed to be fallen, at all.  Jesus is who the Bible says he is.  He came and bore your sin and death so that you could go back home in due time.  Giving your life to him will get you reservations for the trip back home.  2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-21 says so.
 
Grace be with you,
 
Alberto
gjmallory
gjmallory
Thanks for the review!  I picked mine up on Ebay last month and they have become my "go to" all day EIM.  The crazy part is  that I predominantly listen to very bass driven music (Hip-hop, Trap, R&B, Gospel, and top 40) and I am more than satisfied with the level of bass.  However, I am using a Fiio E17 DAC\AMP with the bass kicked up to "2"...sometimes "4"  LOL!

gradoist

Head-Fier
Pros: Balanced
Cons: None yet
Some people say it lack bass. They are wrong definitely. Their bass is just right!

samwell7

Head-Fier
Pros: Balanced Sound, Amazing Detail, Very quick, Great Sensitivity and moderate impedance.
Cons: Lack of tips, case it comes with is a little small.
I love accuracy and detailed audio reproduction and I was looking to get a set of Etymotic HF5's but after talking to Billy at Noisy Motel I was introduced to the Rockit R50, these had unbelievably good write-ups here on head-fi and are a great price so I thought I need to check them out.  Billy's customer service was great and he agreed to wait at the office to meet me after hours (thanks again if you're reading this Billy!).
 
I currently have a pair of Etymotic MC5's, and Monoprice 9927's as my other IEM's, the R50's absolutely blitz both of those units.  The sound is comparable to my AKG K702 with a little more bass and a much smaller soundstage and less air (as can be expected).
 
At first I was very impressed, but then I let some music play through them at moderate volume for a few hours (I'm a burn in believer, even if it probably doesn't work with BA drivers).  After this I put a set of Etymotic triple-flange tips on and I put them back on and listened to some music I was very familiar with, WOW!.
 
I could hear new details in tracks I've listened to countless times with countless headphones, I could finally hear what those background voices in some of my Boards of Canada tracks were saying.  The natural sound and neutrality of these IEM's is very very impressive, they seem so effortless and balanced.  They handle bass well, they handle treble very well (although not super-high airy treble, but I think this may be because they are actually inside my ear), the mids are a tiny tiny bit recessed but really I'm being very picky. 
 
These are nothing short of amazing at the $129 I paid for them.  Also if you're like me and you don't want to fiddle with memory wire and looping these over the ear you can just straighten the wire out and use them like normal IEM's (although the Left side goes in the Right ear).  I've heard complaints about build quality but I was told this had been rectified with the newest version although they are still not the most durable IEM's available, but with them having a silicone coating on the outside these feel quite good and I don't feel like these are just going to fall apart. 
 
I've noticed they do sound better out of my o2 than out of a portable player (the treble seems to be more apparent out of the o2).  I am going to make a 75 or 150 ohm impedance adapter to use with these (and my Sony MDR 7520's) soon, mainly so I can turn the amp up more than anything else (120db sensitivity!) but I'll report back if it changes the sound at all.
 
If you're like me and you crave accuracy and detail in your music then give these a go, you will not be disappointed!

danikus

New Head-Fier
Pros: Sound quality (transparency, balance, detail, soundstage), comfort.
Cons: Accessories
Let’s start with the accessories, which are 3 pairs of silicone tips (small, medium and large size), airline adapter plug (should replace it with foam tips or something else more practical IMO) and a small nylon carrying case.
Even with the stock tips isolation is very good, it does isolate from almost all unwelcome outside noises but you will still be able to hear car beeping or someone calling you loudly
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 which is quite important to me.
Comfort wise they are rather good too, housings are light and small, though my ears did ache from wearing them first few days, now I don’t even feel that they’re in.
Housings are well built and they won’t break unless you want them to, but in this price range you can find better solutions if durability is a top priority. Cable is on the thin side but feels sturdy enough to not be afraid of tearing it accidentally.
And I acctualy like their looks, it suits well my military style 
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And now about the sound. First what I noticed listening R-50 is how transparent they are comparing to all the earphones I’ve listened before, there is no bass leakage or background noises whatsoever, at least to my hearing.
I find R-50 to be perfectly balanced.  To my hearing bass isn’t lacking at all, it’s clean, tight and punchy, with short decay time.
There is slight midrange domination over the other frequencies. Midrange is clean and accurate and intimate, vocals sound very natural and close, which is rather thrilling.
Just as everyone describes it treble is sparkly, clean and with great extension. At the first listen I didn’t like treble being too sparkly and even tended to use equalizer, but after few hours of listening I got used to it and started enjoing it 
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Separation and detail is probably as good as it can get, you can clearly distinguish different instruments even on a very busy and fast track. R-50 also offers good soundstage but not better than my SoundMagic E30. 
Many state R-50 to be too analytical and fatiguing. I in my turn consider them quite musical and enjoyable for casual listening 
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ayaflo
ayaflo
nice ! if you find the treble too sparkly and want a bit of bass texture - use shure olives! thats the game changer, paired with the r50 - its just amazing

pro1137

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Incredible detail, massive soundstage, great build, super comfortable
Cons: Memory wire seems a bit iffy, stock tips are pretty terrible, may need an EQ and/or better tips to truly shine
First, I would like to thank Rockit Sounds for giving me a 50% discount on these for this review.
 
The Rockit Sounds R-50 is unreal.
 
The moment the R-50 arrived at my house, I was ecstatic and literally jumping for joy. I had heard so much about these, I just had to have the experience of actually hearing them. 
I took them out of their container and gazed upon what would become my favorite IEM. Dual balanced armatures, braided cables; it was perfect.
I put them in, and began to have a sonic experience that I'd not ever heard from an IEM before. I put on some of my favorite tracks and was immediately overtaken by the incredible quality of the R-50. 
 
This IEM is so incredible.
 
Build - Sturdy plastic housings with soft silicone cover. It feels excellently crafted. Memory wire is very soft. The joint between the wire and housing worries me ever so slightly.

Comfort - I've never used any IEM that was this comfortable. The silicone casing around it really takes away any discomfort that I've had with other IEMs.
 
Isolation - Pretty average. Greatly improves with tri-flange tips.

Sound - I can't believe how good these are. The overall presentation is so clear; so detailed. I was extremely impressed with my first listen, and I'm still impressed every time I put them in my ears. 
 
The lows are well extended, detailed, and most definitely not overwhelming or bloated. However, they don't really add any warmth to the sound. With the stock tips, the lows can be underwhelming. 
 
The midrange here is perfectly reproduced. I find it to excel at whatever genre I play. Both female and male vocals sound lifelike. The R-50 has such clear and balanced mids. They're some of the best I've heard. Definitely better than a good amount of over-ears I've used around the price.
 
Treble frequencies are what I find these do best. I've not heard any kind of clarity like this before. It was the first thing that I noticed with these. Snares, cymbals, everything sounds so crisp. It can get sibilant, however, especially with the stock tips. 
 
The soundstage of the R-50 is pure bliss. There is so much space in the presentation. It's absolutely incredible, and, without a doubt, I like it more than almost every over-ear I've tried.
 
Accessories - 3 sizes of silicone tips, clamshell carrying case, and airline adapter. The tips are pretty bad, if you didn't notice. I wouldn't dare use them for casual listening. The sound greatly improves with aftermarket tips.

Tips and sound changes

Stock - Like I said, these are pretty bad. The bass is very underwhelming, and the treble is very sibilant, even for me, as I like bright treble.
 
Shure Gray Flex - Much, much better than the stock tips. Sibilance is reduced, while bass comes out to what I would consider to be a natural/balanced level. 
 
Shure Gray Flex substitutes from eBay seller 'lostearbuds' - My favorite single-flange tip for the R-50 for sure. Has the same sonic changes as the real Gray Flex tips. The fit is amazing too. These are the most grippy tips I've ever used. I actually think I prefer these over the real Shure Gray Flex. Plus, they're much lower in price.
 
Shure Black Soft Flex - These were what I used before the Gray Flex and substitutes arrived. Still a good improvement over the stock tips. Compared to the Gray Flex/subs, these still have some of sibilance and bass is a little underwhelming, but nowhere near the level of the stock tips.
 
Shure Tri-flange - Sibilance is 98% removed, and the entire frequency spectrum comes into harmony.
 
Etymotic Tri-flange - Sibilance is completely removed. Other than that and possibly the fit (which I found these to be much more comfortable), these tips sound identical to the Shure tri-flanges. The Etymotic tri-flange tips are my most recommended tri-flange tips, and tips in general for the R-50. I recommend these most.

Monster/Generic tri-flange - I kind of just took a shot with these. These are about on-par with the Shure Black Soft Flex, but with a tiny bit more control on the sibilance. 

Hopefully to come sometime in the future...

Westone STAR tips
Westone True Fit tips
Etymotic Glider tips
Etymotic Foam tips
Shure Black Foam tips (Olives)
Shure Yellow Foam tips
Assorted Comply tips

The Rockit Sounds R-50 is probably the best IEM you can get with this kind of signature (balanced/articulate) at this price ($120).
I absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for this kind of sound. The R-50 is a true winner.
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drsamdc
drsamdc
I find the Ety Triflange seat so deep that the buds are nearly horizontal. Try some Klipsch ovals. Very comfortable, good seal and tames the trebles around 6khz.
pro1137
pro1137
I like the horizontal positioning. Much more comfortable to me

ayaflo

Formerly known as turgid & facilitator.
Pros: Detail, Speed and Presentation
Cons: Some of the worst build quality, Design and Comfort.
^^( First I would like to thank Rob Reyna of In Ear Customs who got me the R-50 to make up for my reshelled GH-ERC-DMS getting stolen in POST )
 
I am writing this review as I will be parting with my R-50 within another day or two, the left cable has come loose and rotates around the housing, making the IEM unusable as it can only be worn around ear.
 
 
On to the sound quality, this for me is the TWFK to be. A role model of sorts. The sound quality is excellent, imaging is the best I have heard from an IEM. The treble dont get very peaky like my GH-ERC-DMS(another TWFK). Mind you, the treble will definitely get annoying to listeners sensitive to brightness/treble emphasis also with the sibilance that is present.
I don't think TWFK Knowles implemented earphones really need a second introduction to detail reproduction, as far as I know they are second to none. 
 
The bass is real tight and fast. Does n't show much sub-bass body but the mid-bass is excellent in quality and to an extent satisfying in quantity. 
 
With comply tips, the sound really is something astonishing. The brightness is reduced by a good margin and the over-all sound remains airy yet delicate and detailed. A slightly warmer presentation with extended treble and better bass body while the sibilance in the mids is nullified. I think, this is the best presentation for me and reminds me of the RE-272 by Hifiman, with better bass and better present treble.
 
The imaging is spectacular and beats all my previous earphones by a mile, and the transient response is also stunning with these earphones. 
 
As evident, my only gripe is the ridiculous,sub-par, atrocious build quality that really annoys me to have it send back.
 
I ll do a couple of comparison for you other IEM owners out there although much of them is from memory(which is clear)
 
1. Sony MH1C
 
The sony is very very very forgiving compared to the R-50. The bass is the highlight, yet the mids are present to a very appreciable extent and the treble just dies down but is well extended. They resolve a very good amount and is generally a perfect signature for the casual listener. Their sound stage offers very good width and height but loses in accuracy and imaging to the R-50, which also has an amazing height in its presentation yet not so much width. Micro-detailing is completely polar to the MH1C, and the overall sound is very very warm to my ears to get the real hang of things in music.
 
2. GH-ERC-DMS
 
The GH-ERC-DMS was my first TWFK Knowles dual BA monitor that provided excellent imaging, great resolution and adequate bass. With comply tips the sound was excellent albeit brighter and more treble tilted than the R-50. The micro-detail is on par with the R-50 but the refinement and imaging is not. The mids are also much more forward than on the R-50 and the over all balance is towards to the uppermids-treble.
 
3. SE-535
 
Mid-forward presentation with the best bass I have heard from an IEM. They are not so resolving as the R-50 nor has the height in presentation. Their build quality was just light years ahead of the R-50, but to me that is almost what you pay for. I think the R-50 is much more transparent of the recording and their imaging still beats the $300+ Shures. Their transients are good yet not in the level of the R-50. The bass is very refined on the SE-535 and much better in quantity and quality over the R-50s.
 
4. RE-272
 
So far my reference, I do not know what exactly happened to these godly IEMs or why Fang Bian decided to replace them with the new line up. Their paper filter version(which I auditioned first) is more of what I prefer over the metal filter version(which I acquired second). I think the R-50 offer much better imaging and is also more transparent of the recording than the RE-272. The R-50 has better treble presence, yet quality of the treble on the RE-272 is simply better. The bass is very low in quantity on the RE-272 and the R-50 just feels better with the low-end. The mids on both are fairly flat, yet I think the RE-272 has the edge. 
 
If you want an IEM for re-shelling get the R-50, that's all I have to recommend to you. I do not think that they are supposed to be used for long time and are like disposable cameras, only good for the roll of film inside.
 
Thanks for reading 
pro1137
pro1137
The build is excellent. The hook parts just make it feel cheap.
ayaflo
ayaflo
I dont think so, compared to the cheaper B2 by Brainwavz, I think Rockit sounds is not as good with the strain relievers. My left wire came off loose within 10 days of purchase... I cant support your statement with such an experience.

foolsgold1986

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Mids, Highs, Lows evenly balanced and sounding great
Cons: Not the coolest to look at
I just got these and so far these are an exceptional pair of in ear headphone.  I would not say they are aestetically beautiful but who cares when you put them on it is something great.  I will update the longer I have them but right now very happy.
 
Update:
I have owned these for a long time now.  The quality of sound production holds up.  For me oem are just supposed to be fun.  These pull that off amazingly.  I put some memory foam tips which improved the comfort.  I am very happy with my purchase.  Sadly, I work outside twice a week at my job and I was hit by a storm which I ended up being drenched.  Hopefully, my r-50s survived being drenched.  If they don't I am pretty sure I will buy them again.
nagrive
nagrive
Glad to hear that! Look forward to the full review..

Alberto01

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Bass, mids, treble and soundstage are of very good quality.
Cons: Bass quantity is small for those who like a lot of bass.
Here is my review on the audio quality of the Rockit Sounds R-50.


LISTENING BACKGROUND

Besides the headphones/IEMs, from my experience audio quality is also affected by the following conditions, which I list in order of impact:

1) Equalization.  This is a must for me with enough equalizer bands to be able to tailor the sound to what my ears desire.  31 bands or more is the ideal.  So, PMPs with 5 or 7 EQ bands do not qualify for me.

2) Quality of recording.  This is also a must, in order to have a good audio quality.  Nowadays there should be no CDs with low audio quality, but they still exist and there is not much that I can do about this.

3) Amplification.  Not for louder sound, but for richer sound.  Sound is richer with an amplifier not only with headphones, but also with IEMs.



My audio setup consists of the following:

1) My desktop PC using foobar2000.  This program has an 18 band equalizer and an added 31 band equalizer plugin that has exactly the same frequencies that are included in analog equalizers used for live sound.  This renders a total of 49 bands.  If I only count once the bands that are present (repeated) in both EQs, there is a total of 45 bands available to tailor the sound, ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. (20 kHz).

2) WAV lossless tracks.
3) E-MU 0202 USB audio interface (24-bit/192 kHz DAC) with Kernel Streaming drivers.


Sound Preference

I like a lot of bass with more deep bass than mid bass.  I thirst (or hunger?) for bass rumble (subwoofer type) and bass punch.  At the same time, bass spilling over the middle and high frequencies (muddy sound) making them muffled or veiled is unacceptable, even in small amounts.  Mids that are neither forward, nor recessed are the best for me.  Boxy (cave like, coming from a bottle) sounding mids, are unacceptable.  There is a minimum of mids sharpness (like in a TV screen sharpness) or detail that my ears ask for.  After that level, more detail is good but it does not add much value to the sound experience.  A good treble decay is appreciated by my ears.  The bigger the soundstage, the better the sound.



SOUND OF THE R-50.

I equalize my R-50 with what looks like a cup cake equalization.  The mid frequencies are flat (from 200 Hz to 3.15 kHz).  The bass frequencies are raised with a constant upward slope (upward straight line) starting at 160 Hz down to 20 Hz. The high frequencies are also raised with a constant upward slope (upward straight line) starting at 3.5 kHz up to 20 kHz.  How does this sound to my ears?


1)  BASS

The good:  Even though they are not overabundant, there is a good amount of both deep bass and mid bass and their quality is excellent.  The bass that is there is just exquisite.  The bass placement is excellent with a perfect balance between deep bass and mid bass.

The not so good:  No subwoofer bass here.  Bass going deeper in the frequency spectrum would be an improvement.  Extending the bass (not moving it, but expanding it) to the left (deeper bass) in the frequency spectrum and making the mid bass a little more responsive when asked for by the equalizer, would be a nice improvemet.

Bass enjoyment rating:  8.0 out of 10.


2)  MIDS

The good:  Mids placement is perfect.  They are neither forward, nor recessed.  The tonality is also perfect.  They sound airy and natural.  Mids sharpness (like in a TV picture sharpness) or detail, is excellent.

The not so good:  With many recordings, the middle frequencies lack a little body; that is, the notes lean toward being thin on the lower middle frequencies.  This is due to the limited amount of bass.  But, I address this issue here because the effect is heard in the middle frequencies.

Mids enjoyment rating: 9.4 out of 10.


3)  TREBLE

The good:  There is a large amount of treble.  This is especially important with tracks that do not have a good amount of treble from their recording.  Treble is perfectly placed, is fluid and sounds natural.  The treble frequencies that cause fatigue and make the treble sound piercing (<6 kHz) when there is an abundance of them, are restrained to just the right amount as compared to those frequencies (around 10 kHz) that make the treble sweet.

The not so good:  If treble decay (ssssshhhh) were a little longer, the treble would be perfect.

Treble enjoyment rating:  9.7 out of 10.


4)  IMAGING, SEPARATION AND SOUNDSTAGE

The good:  Imaging is very good and coherent.  Nothing sounds out of place, like too forward or too recessed, or too far to the right or the left.  Separation is also very good with no part of the sound rubbing against any other part of the sound.  Soundstage is excellent with an appreciable sense of width, height and depth.

The not so good:  My ears ask if there could be a greater sense of spaciousness from the R-50.  They do not let me tell them that these are IEMs and not headphones, and that is too much to ask from IEMs.

Imaging, separation and soundstage enjoyment rating:  9.5 out of 10.

 
5)  OVERALL ENJOYMENT:  Let’s add all the ratings so far and divide by the number of them to get the overall enjoyment.  That would be (8.0+9.4+9.7+9.5)/4 = 9.15

6)  COMPLEMENTARY REMARKS:  The large amount of good quality treble and the easily attainable good sound quality on the R-50 (with just a cup cake equalization), allow for these IEMs to sound acceptable with recordings that have sound quality flaws in the treble and mid range frequencies.  This should also make them work well with sources that have a limited amount of equalization capacity, such as PMPs or cell phones.
 
My R-50 sound quality is noticeably improved with amplification.  Still, amplification has a greater impact on sound quality with other more bass capable headphones/IEMs.

Music with electronic drum machines (EDM), such as trance and the like, doesn't give me a satisfactory bass impact through the R-50.  Their bass impact is far below from what I want when listening to EDM music.  For everything else, the R-50 are top performers!
 
When you come from IEMs that have a fuller sound or a bigger sound room than the R-50, you feel like the sound of the R-50 is underdeveloped.  It is like driving a four wheel drive vehicle with a 4.0 liter engine and switching to a smaller car with a 1.6 liter engine.  At first, there is the feeling that the smaller car has a weak engine.  After some time driving it, then the driver gets used to the smaller engine power and realizes that it is more than enough to make the smaller car accelerate quickly and develop good speed.  That happens to me all the time when using a bass heavy IEM that has a bigger sound room and switching to the R-50.  The sound is really disappointing right after switching IEMs.  It stays like that for about one hour.  After then, my ears get used to it and the high quality of the R-50's sound is felt and greatly enjoyed.
 
If someone is wondering if my sound setup could make any headphones/IEMs sound good to me, other headphones overall ratings would make things clear on that matter.  Here they are:
 
GRADO SR80: 8.5; Technics RP-DH1200: 7.3; Philips SHE9500: 7.3.
 
Over the ear IEMs will never be as comfortable as straight down style IEMs.  Fortunately, the R-50 can be worn in a straight down position.  To do so effectively and comfortably, I wear the right earphone on my left ear and the left earphone on my right ear.  This way, the earphone-ear ergonomics work as intended by the designer(s).
 
UPDATE (December 1, 2012):  Beware of the fact that the R-50 do not have enough bass, for bass lovers.  I am one of them, and the R-50 are like dessert to me.  I can only eat so much of it, but I want some of it.
Alberto01
Alberto01
You got me thinking about doing that. What happens with me is that all headphones/IEMs sound dull to me without equalization. I do not enjoy listening to anything without at least pumping up the lowest frequencies and the highest frequencies. If the middle frequencies are recessed, then I would also have to raise those (from 500 Hz to 2.5 Hz, with a peak of around +2.5 dB at 1-1.2 kHz), so that the mids won't stay behind (i.e. ATH-CKS77). I do not listen through PMPs because they do not have enough EQ bands for me. Still, I tried the R-50 with my cellphone and the 5 band equalizer made a big difference in how they sounded.
Beware of the fact that if the headphones have no good bass capacity, the EQ will not produce the rich bass that I want. The same goes for the mids and the treble.
If you are interested in the R-50 and you want me to run an specific test for you, just let me know. I will be happy do my best in meeting the test conditions and report the results back to you.
ThickT
ThickT
I don't think its right to give something a glowing review based on its performance through a lot of high end additional equipment. A friggin EarPod prolly sounds like heaven through all that stuff you had hooked up. I could see something simple like an e11 or something, but geeze. I guess what's the point in spending all that money on those things if you cant use them in every evaluation of budget earphones you can, right?
Alberto01
Alberto01
HA, HA.  You are totally right.  But, my ears are hard to keep happy.  That makes up for all the sound improvements that I get with my setup.  Looking into it for the R-50, I removed the amplifier from the audio line, because the R-50 were sounding better without it.  That leaves us with 24/96 tracks and the 45 band EQ.  The EQ is what makes the most difference here.  I would take a portable player with 320 kbps MP3 files if it had 31+ EQ bands any day to keep my ears happy.
 
Specifically, the R-50 do not require demanding adjustments in equalization other than increasing the lows and highs with a cup cake looking equalization.  Mids stay flat.  That makes them easy to equalize using fewer EQ bands, such as 10.

Prashanth R

Head-Fier
Pros: Soundstage, Presentation, Micro details, Treble, detailsin and speed of Bass, aaaaaand PRICE
Cons: Included "Accessories"
 
 

 
[size=12pt]Shopping experience:[/size]
I got it from Rockit sounds website. Payment was through Paypal. There were no shipping charges to India, so all I spent from my wallet was 120$. It was sent through Hong Kong mail. I got the IEM on the 7th day. Yumi from Rockit sounds was in constant touch through Email. He (She?) sent me an Email when they shipped the product (which was well within 24 hours of ordering), and responded promptly to my queries. It was all smooth and easy.
 
[size=12pt]First  impressions/packaging[/size]:
So a week after ordering the Rockit sounds R-50, I get this parcel, from Yumi. I rip it open, smell the inside of the parcel, open the box, pull out the phones, and my first impression is: “What the.. I’ve been conned!” The packaging is OK, nothing to boast about, doesn’t pamper you, minimalistic, but the phones are puny.. On first look, they look really cheap! I admit, I was a lil worried..
 
[size=12pt]Cable and build, design:[/size]
One of the first things I did was to rip off that ghastly silicone/rubber thing off the IEM housing… dunno what its purpose is, comfort I guess, but they really degrade the look of these IEMs. The cable, though braided, is one of the thinnest I’ve come across, on IEMs costing 25 bucks and above. But again, I’ve neither had DBA-02 nor B2, and on close inspection of their snapshots, I guess they’re that thin too. But I do plan a recable soon, for something more durable. The wires also get tangled occasionally, they have a little stretch in them. But there is a chord slider, so tangling is minimum. The IEMs themselves, are tiny .You’d get a good idea of this in the photographs, when comparing the size of the IEMs with the tips. And, the nozzle is long. I like this very much, cause it gives scope for deep insertion. That in turn, almost certainly guarantees seal and bass. The strain reliefs are built well at the Y split and the jack. I wish there was a L jack though, it’s so much more durable. In case of any pull, the cable is going to snap first. I dint notice any strain reliefs on the housings, though the memory wire (which I think is just a copper wire) entering the IEMs does a really good job. The memory wire is of good quality, and serves the purpose well. I Twisted and turned the wires a lot during my tip experimentation and when I removed that rubber thingee. The strain reliefs were subjected to a lot of stress too, then. And still the iems stood up well. So yeah, build quality is average.
 
[size=12pt]Accessories[/size]
 I put them on , using the large tips, and nothing.. no seal what so ever. The included tips are crap, believe me. You get this kinda tips with 10$ earphones. The tips just slide over the nozzle, and does not do any help for deep insertion, which I hold as essential to get the best of these phones. I had to make my own tips, using the vsonic large tips, S-400 and the stock small tips.  The included case is the same ones you get with soundmagic PL30, but mine is a little crushed, and the zipper is faulty. I brought out my sunrise case (which happens to be my favorite :) ) and am using them ever since. Hence, I give zero marks for the included “accessories”. And yeah, there was an included shirt clip.
 
[size=12pt]Isolation[/size]
Tip dependant. But with the right tips, the isolation is very good (Better than the GR07).The housing is completely closed, with no vents. And it has long nozzles too(with 2mm openings). I like to listen to music when I’m out for a walk, and the traffic sounds were completely blocked out by the R50 and Bass was completely audible too. Keep your eyes skinned if you use these on the road. These are suitable for the bus and the tube too.
 
[size=12pt]Sound [/size]
Source: Cowon I audio9 (unamped) Volume:35, EQ:normal
For the most part, I shall be comparing the R50 with Vsonic GR07.
 
Sound signature
It lays bang at the centroid of an equilateral triangle, whose 3 points are Warm-sweet, balanced and analytical respectively. Difficult to categorize. It doesnt wear you down, or induce fatigue during long listening sessions. The GR07 sounds warmer than these.
 
Soundstage
3-D, cohesive, immersive. The width is more or less the same size as GR07, which is above average, but it’s the depth, layers and height that makes it stand apart. You hear some instruments behind your head and the vocals in front you. The vocals are not forward though. They are slightly recessed. Imaging is really good, so good, that I automatically want to close my eyes, and immerse myself, and it’s a long time since I’ve done that. The instrument separation is better than the GR07. The presentation is spacious, cohesive,3-D and addictive.  
 
Detailing
Details…Details…Details.. So much of them.. It feels like you’ve got a whole new playlist. I particularly like how you can catch on to one of the instruments and follow it without any trouble at all. I guess it has something to do with the speed of the TWFK drivers. Details in the cymbals particularly, are laid out in front of you for examination. It brings out all the flaws in a recording. Every tiny nuance is presented effortlessly. Full marks here!
 
Treble
Simply put, it is the best I’ve heard. Extends well, and importantly, is not sibilant. But if the recording is sibilant, it shows up. Good news is that it’s not offensive. It does not have any scary spikes. It also twinkles and sparkles pleasantly when called for, particularly in guitar harmonics (Antoine dufour: These moments, reality), harp, tiny bells, musical box (Nutcracker-sugar plum fairy). The details in the cymbals are impeccable, I found myself surprised more than once, in many familiar tracks. It is also very easy to follow the cymbals and hear them decay.  
 
Mids:
Slightly recessed, Cannot really be called “sweet”. It is detailed. Especially with classical music. Strings float smoothly in front of you. Timbre is remarkable, you get a natural feel of the instruments. The speed shows you all the tiny little shakes quakes and breath intakes in the vocals. The R50 does not smooth over recording sibilance in vocals (Eg: Katie Melua tracks).This although is not offensive.
 
Bass   
Fast, detailed. The decay is very low, so it brings out a lot of details in the bass. No discernable Mid-bass hump, no bleed of bass into mids. The quantity is lower than the GR07, but the quality is better. The quantity is such that it is in par with the mids and highs. It comes out when asked for, though. It loses a hair of extension(does it? Im not very sure!!),  just a tiny bit, at the sub-bass. Personally, I found it more enjoyable than the GR07. Speed is its biggest strength. Double bass kicks are clearly audible and discernable. There’s a decent amount of impact, and it also creates a good “environment”. There is also a fair amount of punch and body. And the good isolation helps a lot, along with the BA drivers, which eliminate any kind of driver flex. All the aforementioned qualities improve significantly with the fiio-e11     
Preferred volume/Amping
35 on my cowon I audio 9, 70% on Ipod classic brings out the best in R50. It is a low volume iem. I find that it synergizes well with both I-pod HO and the cowon(Boy that was a surprise). Although, I find myself slightly preferring the Cowon.It does not need any amping. It also responds well to EQ.
 
Fiio E11 Juices up this IEM, and brings out it's best. The sound becomes significantly stronger and gains more authority. And the Bass boost of the e-11 is wonderful with the perfect amount, and resisting any temptation to bleed into the mids.However, the bass boost does not extend to the sub-bass.Soundstage widens, and the presentation becomes more immersive.There is a tiny loss of detail in the lower treble.
 
[size=12pt]Value[/size]
I would unhesitatingly pay up 250$ for this sound. But they retail @120 $.(what wud we do if not for china!) Although, remember that you most certainly will have to purchase new tips. Some might even consider a recable. But still, these are giant killers. These are the only IEMs with which I could just close my eyes and immerse myself into the music, without getting distracted by the shortcomings of the gear. 120$ is a ridiculously low price for that.
TheAstray
TheAstray
Hi! Can you please compare the r-50 with the Hifiman re-400(if you have experience with it). Thanks :) 

Techno Kid

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: very detailed, smooth, large soundstage, comfortable fit, good isolation
Cons: not a lot of accessories
 
Specs
 
Price - $119.99
Driver Unit - Knowles TWFK dual BA
Impedance - 31ohms, 110dB @ 1kHz
Frequency Response - 20Hz - 20kHz
 
Accessories - Now they don't have one of the most accessory packed sets really its quite small.  You get 3 sets of S,M,L tips which might present some people to have fit issues but for me the stocks ones that were on them work great.  You also get a nice little round case and a airline adapter, so theres not much to talk about here.
 
 
Build Quality - I think the build quality is pretty good for a small company.  The IEM housing seem built well and the rubber thats over it seem like it would protect it from cracking or braking.  I really like the braided cord and its has a small amount of stretch to it though it can get tangled from time to time but its not to bad.  The Y connection imo is one of the best I've come across as its very forgiving and has a strain relief on both ends.  I wish they had a L shaped jack but the straight one the use is still very good and for $119.99 I'm not complaining.
 
 
Fit - As for the fit they're very good, easy to put in and I get a good seal with the stock tips (made with non-allergic silicone).  Comfort is A+ I don't feel them after a few mins and the memory wire they use its much better then say the TF10's.  Another effect from the rubber around the housing is that it adds to the comfort so you don't have the hard plastic in your ear.
 
 
Sound - Now for the really reason you by IEM's, the sound (at least for me it is).  
 
 
Treble - The R-50 has some of the best all around highs I've heard from IEM's.  What I mean by that is they have wonderful detail and extend as good as any of my other IEM's but they're still very smooth and non fatiguing.  They can be bright when the track calls for it but they still retain that smooth over all feel.  Compared to the treble on my PFE 112 the R-50 has the same amount of micro detail but on tracks that have bright treble it doesn't get sibilant like the PFE can.  
 
 
Mids - The mids are very clear and also have great detail.  They're not really forward or even a little recessed but centered perfectly and vocal sound where they should while being crystal clear and they sound very natural.  For music like edm they mid range melodies and synths sound very good as well.  Now comparing the R-50's mids to some of my mid centric like the SE425 or e-Q7 they have all the detail but you can hear everything else very clearly and not being dominated by the mids like mid-centrics can do. 
 
 
Bass - As for the bass this is one of my favorite parts (along with soundstage).  For a BA and quite a small one at that the bass has a good amount of punch for the 4/4 kicks in edm and it really can go pretty deep, also has just the right amount of mid bass to.  I love the texture and the decay is really good for a BA so bass heavy music like edm and hip hop work well with the R-50. Now they're not bass monsters by means but have plenty if your not a bass head.  Another comparison this time with the TF10's which have a good amount of bass for a BA the R-50 stacks up really good.  While they don't have the same quantity of the UE's I think the R-50 has better quality like in the sub an mid bass, its just an over all cleaner sound imo (I do use a bit of bass boost whether with an amp or by EQ'ing).  
 
 
Soundstage - This is one of the places where the R-50 shines imo.  While it might not be the largest soundstage out there its defiantly still on the larger side.  The width is excellent and I get a good since of depth all so, I'd say width is as good as the GR07 but with better depth.  I'm not to good at judging height so I can't speak on that.  They also have a nice 3D presentation and I'd say its as good or better than the EPH-100.  Separation and Imaging is another strong suit of the R-50.  I can make out ever little nuance of a track and hear where everything is coming from.  I don't think I have a pair thats better and of the more expensive IEM's I've heard theres not one that just kills theses either.  Between these and the TF10's which also have a large soundstage the I'd say the TF10 is a bit wider but both have the same amount of depth and the R-50 has better separation and imaging imo.
 
 
Conclusion - For the $119.99 these go for I think they're easily one of the best bang for bucks around, I can't think of any that would sound much better at their price point.  With a very detailed sound as you'd expect with a good TWFK based IEM it does it in a smoother way than most and I've had mine in now for almost 4 hours which is hard to do with really bright analytical IEM's imo.  All in all these are fantastic and I hope more people give them a try, like the ones who have another TWFK IEM and these would be a great compliment to those.  Also if you like the analytical sound but would like it to have a little bit of a warmer presentation the R-50 is perfect.  So I'm sold and looking forward to what Rockit Sounds might have in-store sometime in the future.
Sweden
Sweden
Never heard of this company.
Sounds impressive if what you say is correct. You should offer Joker or ClieOS a loan so they can fit this one in their multi-review threads.
Techno Kid
Techno Kid
I told joker about them and he said he might get a pair to review after the ones he's doing clear up some, but I would loan them to him if he wanted me to.
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