-Introduction-
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]It’s not easy to find information about Rose Technology. They are a relatively small company, based in China, formed directly from researchers and graduates of a Chinese university. Their specialty? 3D-printing their earphones. While it’s not exactly a unique trait, it is certainly one that is well executed, across their entire line of earphones. This, combined with Rose’s designers impeccable sense of style and attention to detail makes their earphones pretty compelling.[/color][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]You can buy the Rose 3D-7 (also known as the Rose №7) here, starting at $125.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Disclaimer: I’ve bought the Rose 3D-7 from Penon Audio with my own hard-earned cash. I’m not affiliated with Rose or Penon Audio. I have not been paid or incentivised to write this review.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Preference and Bias: Before reading a review, it is worth mentioning that there is no way for a reviewer to objectively pass judgment on the enjoy-ability of a product: such a thing is inherently subjective. Therefore, I find it necessary for you to read and understand what I take a natural liking to and how that might affect my rating of a product.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]My ideal sound signature would be an extended sub-bass with a leveled, but textured, bass. The mids should be slightly less pronounced than the treble, but still ahead of the bass. I prefer a more bright upper range.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Source: The 3D-7 was powered like so:[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]PC optical out-> HifiMe SPDIF 9018 DAC 3.5mm out-> earphones[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]-and-[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Hidizs AP100 3.5mm out -> earphones[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]All music was served as MP3 @320Kbps or as FLAC.[/color]
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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]-Sound Signature-[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Initial Impressions:[/color][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Rose definitely did a good job tuning the 3D-7. I’m hearing a mid-recessed sound signature, with a tinge of warmth. There is a boost in lower-midbass and sub-bass, which really helps bass details come through. Treble is present but not forward, giving the 3D-7’s presentation a lax feeling. Left/right separation isn’t as strong as I would have liked, but this can likely be improved with an aftermarket cable. Sound staging is a little tricky to quantify, but feels pretty deep.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Another interesting thing I’ve noticed is that the 3D-7 treats songs with older production methods and styles quite nicely. For example, Kiss’s album, Destroyer, sounds much less flat on the 3D-7 than almost every IEM in my collection. The trend continues onto U2’s Greatest Hits album.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Treble: Songs used: White Flag, Midnight City, Outlands[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Treble is not the focus of the 3D-7. There’s a small amount of roll-off in the upper-treble, but it’s not noticeable most of the time given the 3D-7’s generally relaxed sound signature. You’ll find that Rose tuned these earphones to place the treble-based elements of these earphones within the song, instead of in front of it. Since there’s little-to-no smudging and good instrumental separation, the treble’s positioning feels quite natural and organic, not over-processed and sharp. The 3D-7 did manage to do a decent job producing a symphonic experience during the playback of Outlands, given the very good separation each of the violins had from each other.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]While I find the treble’s clarity to be quite good, it’s not exactly the most transparent. I’ve heard reports that switching to a different cable can alleviate this problem, but I’m skeptical of this given the lack of evidence supporting the notion that a cable can change the actually frequency response of an IEM in a non-negligible manner.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Mids: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Good Life[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]As I mentioned in my initial impressions, the 3D-7 does have some mid-range recession. It’s not a deal breaker for me though. I find there to be a good amount of detail and clarity in the mid-range, despite their positioning in the mix. The guitars of Flagpole Sitta and Jacked Up sound electric and dynamic. Pianos finally have the hard-edged separation I’ve been looking for in an IEM![/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Vocals sound great, and are full-bodied and clear. It sounds as though Rose did introduce some spikes around the 1–2Khz range to move vocals closer to the front of the mix. I find that the vocals, while never becoming clipped or smudged, never sit at the very front of the mix, and instead prefer to interact with the rest of the instruments right in the thick of things. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed this type of tuning until I’d spent a lot of time with the 3D-7.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Bass: Songs used: Lights, Gold Dust, 99 Problems (Hugo Cover), Leave Me[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Bass is what I would consider to be one of the 3D-7’s biggest selling points. While it’s bass drops won’t register on the Richter scale, the 3D-7 is no slouch. Even Light’s relatively tame kick-drum has impact to it, breathing depth and dynamicism into what could have been a shallow and barren song (such as with the Simgot EN700). This translates well for songs liked Gold Dust. The 3D-7 is the first IEM in my collections which has truly been able to an impactful, but still clear, bass drop. This stems from the 3D-7 being able to push its bass quantity to its limits without compromising other frequencies’ ability to present themselves in the mix. The good news continues on into Leave Me, which has a very satisfying rumble to it.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Clarity: Songs used: Throne, Map of The Problimatique, I’m Not Alright[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]This is where the 3D-7 begins to sweat. While all three of my test songs were played back without distortion, I did detect a couple missing beats, strums, vocal echoes, and other details. It’s obvious that the 3D-7 can’t be good at everything, and it appears that the crux of the 3D-7 is its slightly diminished technical skill.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Sound Stage[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]This is a weird one. Normally an IEM can provide a decent amount of width, but struggles to maintain a deep and dynamic sound stage. However, the 3D-7 bucks that trend, and instead gives us a quite deep sound stage, with limited width. It creates an interesting effect, giving music both an intimate and a spacious feeling, as instruments can move back and forth in depth.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Clarity and airiness do suffer from the relaxed treble. While I wouldn’t go so far as to declare the 3D-7 to sound cloudy, it’s not the crystal clear presenter that the Accutone Pisces BA is. I’d place it a little behind the AAW Q in terms of airiness and transparency.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Comparisons[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Rose 3D-7 v.s RHA MA750i ($130)[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The MA750i does feel much more sturdy than the 3D-7, given its stainless-steel construction and beefy cabling. However, the 3D-7 sounds much better. Bass is much clearer, as are the lower-mids. The MA750i lacks general transparency, making even the 3D-7 sounds open by comparison. Given the detachable cables and better sound, I’d take the 3D-7.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]-Packaging / Unboxing-[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The 3D-7 comes in a pretty standard black box. The lack of garish computer-rendered 3D models of the 3D-7 make it pretty refined and classy in comparison to a large number of its competitors. I prefer this approach as it saves on the production cost.[/color][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]However, the interior could use some work. While it’s not terrible, I found the box to not be entirely suited to hold all of what it was carrying. For example, the case didn’t really fit too well inside the box. Other than that, the presentation was very nice.[/color]
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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]-Build-[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Construction Quality[/color][color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Rose chose to go with a removable MMCX connector for the 3D-7. While the connector itself has various pros and cons (which I won’t get into), I’m glad the cable is at least detachable. The cable, when attached, feels solidly embedded inside the 3D-7’s 3D-printed body.[/color]
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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Speaking of the 3D-printed body, I have to say that it’s quite nice. It’s smooth and light, and devoid of any obvious blemishes.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The nozzle/stem has to be my favorite in all of my collection due to its lack of a stupidly thick or wide lip. The gentle flare at the top makes it easy to switch between eartips.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The stock cable itself is decent. It’s not as premium-feeling as some other braided cables are, but doesn’t feel cheap by any means. The cable is flexible enough to be coiled easily, but isn’t too thin. The cable doesn’t catch on random surfaces either. Furthermore, the Y-splitter and 3.5mm jack are plated in a metal similar in both look and feel to that of the Accutone Pavo’s jack and y-splitter.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Comfort[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The 3D-7 is very comfortable. It’s light weight combined with its smooth and well-molded shell makes is a pleasure to wear. It doesn’t quite “dissappear”, but isn’t ever overbearing and cloying. It isolates quite well too. Unfortunately, no genuine Comply was provided, but there were some decent knockoffs packaged with the 3D-7. These do isolate well, but simply aren’t as good as the real thing.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Accessories[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]I can’t find an official list of included accessories, so I’m going to base this off of what came inside the box.[/color]
- [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]3x pairs of Spin-Fit eartips[/color]
- [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]3x pairs of standard eartips[/color]
- [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]1x pair of memory foam eartips[/color]
- [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]1x pair of double-flange eartips[/color]
- [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]1x soft carrying pouch[/color]
- [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]1x hard carrying case[/color]
- [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]1x hard earbud container[/color]
- [color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]1x Furukawa OFC MMCX cable[/color]
