Rose North Forest

My experience with ROSE TECHNICS brand has started with Mini series, leaving very positive impression about the sound from such tiny IEMs. There were some comments from other owners about build quality issues but the units that I have for more than half a year now are still in a perfect condition. Therefore, concerning both — impressive sound quality and absence of physical problems I have defined ROSE TECHNICS brand as one of my favorites…



It is a time now for a kind of flashback: want to share my opinion about ROSE North Forest — budget IEMs that were released to this market quite long time ago but are still on sales and still remain popular.

ROSE North Forest technical specifications:

• Driver: titanium metal rare-earth magnet steel dynamic driver
• Frequency response: 14 ~ 23000Hz
• Sensitivity: 104db
• Impedance: 18Ω
• Cable: 128 shares, 4N OFC + anti-pull wire
• Shells: magnesium-aluminum alloy

AFR:



Packaging and design:

ROSE North Forest are supplied in small box with outer cardboard layer that contains product picture, brand and product names and short technical description with AFR at the back. Box itself is matt black with shiny silver brand logo and name imprints. Inner box compartment has soft insert that retains IEMs and extra eartips at place.



Box contents:

• North Forest IEMs with cable
• 1 pair of 2 flange silicone eartips
• 3 pairs of regular silicone eartips

Nothing more. Of course, some modern budget products might give you a better value from money if to consider the amount of accessories but I’d prefer to have better sound quality instead of optional items in the box. If the SQ of North Forest is good — no problems with such stock set.



Build quality and finish of North Forest is great. IEMs are totally made of magnesium-alloy, consist of two parts: base painted in glossy blue or red and matt black top cover that forms one piece with the sound output nozzle.



Bases also include white brand logo and one compensational opening at the very bottom. Top covers have another opening close to the output nozzles. Unfortunately, cable is not detachable. Although, it has long rubber protection to avoid bending.



Stock cable is OFC, packed in soft silicone braid, with aluminum Y-splitter and 3.5mm jack housing. Microphone effect is present, to some extent. I would prefer to be able to switch to another cable in nylon or fabric braid.



Fit:

Thanks to the output bullet-like shape and quite long output nozzles — North Forest sit very tight and reliable inside my ears. No problems either with the regular silicone eartips nor with the 2 flange ones. IEMs are lightweight and comfortable to wear. They don’t come with earguides but it is reasonable concerning good and universal fit.

Sound quality:

Tested with HiBy R6Pro DAP



Lows and midbass:

Very impressive and unexpectedly good deep bass reach with more than average amount of textures and weighted delivery. Bass might even feel a bit more heavy than necessary in some bassy tracks but perfectly exposed and balanced in most of the others. In general — very good reproduction of bass with the additional influence at mids. It is not sounding open, rather a bit dull but it still resolves good amount of details and reveals the nuances of the lower frequesncies.

Midbass sounds pretty natural and powerful. The dynamics is enough, drums are engaging, no problems with unwanted peaks or piercing effect at higher volume. Tight feel of drum hit is present.



Mids and vocals:

Mids get some exra influence coming from lows that results in additional warmth and add the weight and body to vocals. North Forest is one of those budget IEMs that would not produce any piercing effect on female vocals, neither it would emphasize it over male voices. Despite that treble is also quite accented here, its influence is not leading to the excessive crispness with shouting peaks. Yes, the resolution in mids might have been better but if it comes as a consequence of even higher treble presence — thanks, not wanted. North Forest mids, as it is now, are very close in balance to the picture that best expensive IEMs produce. This compensates some lack of details and clarity. Same goes to all instruments in this range as well.



Treble:

Little bit elevated and brought forward but form a good balance with lows and don’t prevail in the entire picture. Extension is moderate while the clarity and resolution is exceptionally high for the IEMs of this price range. Many tiny details are revealed and stay perfectly separated from the absorbing influx of bass. This range really adds the clarity and airy feel to the sound and at the same time — not negatively influencing mids.



Soundstage:

The best soundstage in <$25 so far. Maybe there are other IEMs in this price range that would show the same wide stage with good layers and instrument separation but this is first time for me to be able to define the stage and location of all instruments instead of eating small $25 sandwich with no taste…



Sound in overall:

ROSE North Forest IEMs sound could be desribed as little bassy, tending to warmer tonality, with impresive deep bass reach, good bass texturing, full-bodied and thick mids, clear and extended treble. Resolution is moderate but the soundstage in impressive.

Compared to GeekWold GK3:



GK3 were the only IEMs in the same price range equipped with 3 dynamic drivers. This didn’t help a lot as GK3 sound is too warm and too smeared. It lacks the clarity and resolution of North Forest, as well as the balance between the frequency ranges. This battle is totally dominated by ROSE.

Compared to Magaosi HLSX-808:



HLSX-808 are much closer to ROSE in terms of clarity and show better entire resolution, thanks to its hybrid nature (dynamic + BA drivers). What it lacks is the balance between the ranges, same depp bass reach and thick mids. I would say that HLSX-808 are more resolving but less balanced IEMs, fun to listen when you like more treble and less bass presence.



Conclusion:

ROSE North Forest are the best budget IEMs that ever went through my hands. The main sound virtues are the overall balance, great combination of deep bass reach and clarity of treble, full-bodied and natural mids, unexpectedly large stage with good instrument separation. Build quality is nothing more to be desired as well. Pack this into good-looking shells with comfortable shape and good fit, set the lowest price and you’d get almost perfect IEMs for everyday use. Why almost? — it could have been equipped with the detachable cable. But even without this feature North Forest IEMs are highly recomended for purchase due to impressive performance.

You can buy ROSE North Forest at PenonAudio Store

Rose North Forest


About Rose Technics:

The company Rose Technics is founded by University students in China and is specialized in IEM and Earbuds.

The company name Rose has actually nothing to do with the rose flower, the name spells in Chinese – ‘弱水‘, which actually means a mythical river.







Disclaimer:

I would like to thank Rose Technics for providing me this sample via Penon Audio for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Rose Technics and Penon Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.



Price:

The Rose North Forest is available on Penon Audio for 24,90 USD.

Purchase Link: https://penonaudio.com/rose-north-forest.html



Package and Accessories:

The Rose North Forest comes in a small black box which is wrapped with a White glossy cardboard that sports an image of the North Forrest.







The box includes the following contents;

• 1 pcs x Rose North Forest
• 3 pairs x Grey silicone ear tips
• 1 pair x White silicone ear tips
• 1 pair x White double flange silicone ear tips

Technical Specifications:

• Driver Type : Single Dynamic Driver with Titanium Diagram
• Freq. range : 14 ~ 23000hz
• Sensitivity : 105db
• Impendence : 18ohm
• Cable material : 128 shares 4n oxygen-free copper+ anti-pull bullet-proof wire
• Shell : aeronautical magnesium-aluminum alloy

Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The Rose North Forest is available in two (2) color options, which are red and blue. I would wish that they could make a version where the left monitor is blue and the red monitor red for a better indication and an extra stylish look.

The North Forest has small metal housing, which is made according to Rose Technics of aeronautical grade magnesium-aluminum alloy, which is lightweight and look pretty solid.



On the back of the housing is a vent to avoid driver flex that is common in such small monitor.



On the front is the sound nozzle that has a small metal filter on the top and a bass vent on the side.



The monitors have on one side a white printed Rose Technics logo that I found very stylish.



The cable of the Rose North Forest is not removable and is fixed with a strain relief that has small left and right monitor, which are not very visible in my opinion.



The cable of the 4N purity oxygen-free copper + anti-pull bullet-proof wire that has a black plastic (TPU) coating.



There is a microphone that is a nice addition and a metal Y splitter with the same silver styling.





The cable has a straight profiled plug with a silver color metal housing that sports the “Rose” logo and a 3.5mm unbalanced jack.



The Rose North Forest is very ergonomic and easy to wear due the small size and lightweight housing, which makes it ideal for long listening periods and to wear even while sleeping.


Equipment’s used for this review:

IEM’s : Rose North Forest, Lypertek Mevi, VE Monk IE Smalls
DAP&DAC’s : Cayin N5II, Fiio M7, Hiby R3, Audirect Beam, Shanling M0


Albums & tracks used for this review:

• London Grammar – Interlud (Live) (Flac 24bit/44kHz)
• Laura Pergolizzi – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Jehan Barbur – Yollar (Spotify)
• Minor Empire – Bulbulum Altin Kafeste (Spotify)
• Adam Taylor – Colour to the Moon (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Casey Abrams – Robot Lover (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Vivaldi – Le Quarttro Stagioni “The Four Season” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Steve Srauss – Mr. Bones (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Future Heroes – Another World (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Lorde – Team (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Tom Player – Resonace Theory “Album” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Metallica – Sad bu True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)

The Sound:

This review is written after a burn-in process of approx. 80 hours and I have used the stock silicone grey silicone ear tips.

Please note that this is an entry level IEM and all my comments about the sound quality are in consideration of this price range.

The Rose North Forest is easy to drive and an ideal source to pair with a phone or tablet, that have in general pretty low amplification.



Sound Signature:

The Rose North Forest shows a V shaped sound signature along with a strong mid-bass presentation, an emphasis at the upper midrange and a clinical/vivid treble presentation.



Bass:

The Rose North Forest has a strong and entertaining bass presentation, with good extensions, quantity and emphasis, which should be enough for genres like EDM, Pop or Trance. The sub-bass depth and extension of the Rose North Forest is a bit weak. The bass impact has more focus to the mid-bass area than the sub-bass region, while the bass attack, speed and energy are on a moderate level.

My only complaint could come to the mid-bass hump while listening to genres like EDM or Trance music that I think is pretty normal at this price range. Percussion (drums) and string instrument (bass guitars) have an entertaining and strong presentation.



Midrange:

The midrange of the Rose North Forest sounds a bit recessed due the V shaped sound signature.

Male vocals have a thick tonality, while Female voices sounding warm and sweet what I really enjoy with this entry level IEM. Male vocals are more successful with the Rose North Forest than female voices, due the slightly veiled presentation of the midrange.

Only a slightly more transparency could make this IEM much more successful in this frequency region. Additionally, the Rose North Forest sounds sweeter with instruments that have a tick tonality than with those who have a thinner tonality.



Treble:

The Rose North Forest has a pretty good treble presentation for an In-Ear Monitor with a price of 24.90 USD. The treble presentation is bright and pretty analytical, which is rarely found in this price category.

The North Forest sounds energetic and vivid form cymbals to woodwind instruments like flutes. The extension, sharpness and detail level performs ways above its price point, but can be a touch to present for those who are treble sensitive.



Soundstage:

I can describe the soundstage performance of the Rose North Forest as above average with moderate level of depth and wideness, where instruments have a relative precise placement. One of the remarkable abilities regarding the soundstage is the performance for instrument separation, which is above its price point.



Comparisons:

Rose North Forrest vs Lypertek Mevi

Both IEMs are at the same price category but have a different sounds tuning. The Rose North Forest has a V shaped sound signature, while the Lypertek Mevi has a relative flat/neutral tuning.

The Rose North Forest is superior to the Lypertek Mevi in terms of bass quantity and emphasis, while the Mevi’s bass has a more linear character with slightly better speed.

The midrange of the Rose North Forest sounds a bit recessed due then V shaped sound signature, while the midrange presentation of the Lypertek Mevi is more upfront. The overall resolution for both IEM’s is nearly identical. The Rose North Forest sounds is more successful with male vocals, while the Lypertek Mevi has the more suitable tonality for female voices.

Both In-Ear Monitors sounding vivid, energetic and bright in the treble range but the Rose North Forest is superior to the Lypertek Mevi in terms of treble extension, quantity and intensity.

When it comes to Soundstage performance, I have identified that the Rose North Forest has a slightly wider expansion, while the Lypertek Mevi has the upper hand for depth.





Rose North Forrest vs VE Monk IE Smalls:

Both IEMs sharing a V shaped sound signature with emphasis on the top and the bottom. The main difference is that the VE IE Smalls have more emphasis at the bottom, while the Rose IEM has is emphasis at the top.

The VE Monk IE Smalls has a stronger bass presentation with good punch, where the Rose North Forest sound more balanced. The IE Smalls sounds a bit uncontrolled and slow in the bass department especially in the mid-bass region, where the North Forest is more controlled and detailed.

The midrange of the Rose North Forest sounds cleaner and has a better detail rendering, where the VE Monk IE Smalls sounds a bit hollow due the strong mid-bass emphasis which bleed in to the midrange. The Monk IE Smalls performs relative good with male vocals, while its missing some sparkle and transparency for female voices. The Rose North Forest shows more transparency and sparkle that makes female vocals more enjoyable. The same situation exists for Instruments, which are sounding more detailed and lifelike with the Rose North Forest.

The VE Monk IE Smalls has a significant roll-off between the upper midrange and treble range that makes it more suitable for long listening periods in the cost of losing detail and definition. The Rose North Forest is superior in terms of overall detail and treble extension.

The soundstage of the Rose North Forest is more expansive in both directions, compared to the VE Monk IE Smalls, while the difference for depth is higher and more noticeable.





Conclusion:

The Rose North Forest is a small stylish In-Ear Monitor with a nicely done V shaped sound signature, combined with a musicality and fairly detail representing, which is above this price tag.

My only complaint could come to the left/right indicators that are hard to notice.


Pros and Cons:

• + Nice stylish housing with good build quality
• + Comfortable and lightweight
• + Good detail retrieval for the price

• - Left/Right indicators
• - Straight profiled headphone plug (I know it’s a matter of preference)

Rose North Forest Review: Budget Bass
Rose Audio, now Rose Technics, has made a name for itself by building beautiful IEMs with compelling and unique sound characteristics. The North Forest is their cheapest IEM yet, in a form-factor that Rose has never used before. But how does it sound? Well, spoiler alert, I liked it enough to hike through a forest to get pictures of it.

You can find the North Forest for sale here, for $25. You can choose between red and blue colorways. Additionally, you can add an inline microphone for an extra $1, which my unit does not have.

About My Preferences: Heads up, I’m a person! As such, these words are my opinion, and they are tinged by my personal preferences. While I try to mitigate this as much as possible during my review process, I’d be lying if I said my biases are completely erased. So for you, my readers, keep this in mind:

• My ideal sound signature would be an extended sub-bass with a leveled, but textured, mid-bass.
• I have a mild treble sensitivity.

Source: The North Forest was powered like so:

HTC U11 -> Zorloo ZuperDAC-S-> earphones

or

Hidizs AP100 3.5mm out -> FiiO A5 3.5mm out -> earphones

or

HiFiMAN SuperMini -> earphones

or

PC optical out -> HiFiMe SPDIF 9018 Sabre DAC 3.5mm out -> earphones

All music was served as MP3 @320Kbps or as FLAC. The North Forest paired best with the ZuperDAC-S.

Tech Specs

• Frequency response range: 14 ~ 23000hz
• Sensitivity: 105db
• Independence: 18 ohms

Sound Signature
Sonic Overview:

The North Forest features a V-shaped sound signature with an emphasized upper-midrange and boosted upper-treble. The lower register is composed of a mid-bass hump near the 150Hz region that slowly rolls off into the 50Hz region.

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy, Little One

The North Forest’s treble is bright and energetic. The upper-treble is emphasized, giving the treble a more clinical tonality, a core characteristic of IEMs with titanium diaphragms. Thanks to some clever micro-emphasis placed in the lower-midrange, the North Forest is capable of picking up a ton more details than it has any right to at this price-point.

Cymbals and high-hats are very distinct throughout In One Ear, never losing separation from the rest of the instrumentation. General instrumental separation is quite good as well. The relatively high-level of detail that the North Forest brings to the background of each song gives it a fairly airy presentation.

Attack and decay speeds are above average for dynamic drivers, but par for the course for titanium-diaphragm IEMs. The closest analog I can think of in terms of speed would be the Macaw GT100s. And unlike the GT100s, there is no hint of sibilance with the North Forest.

Midrange: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams, Too Close, Little Black Submarines

The midrange of the North Forest is, like the treble, quite energetic. This owes mostly to the upwards slope in the upper-mids, giving guitars and vocals some added degrees of separation. The midrange’s tonality is pretty life-like, barely missing the mark in some cases. The midrange isn’t as “transparent” as the treble is though.

The North Forest weights male vocals well and adds some sweetness to female vocals. They are far and away the most articulate component of the midrange. Intelligibility is far above average for this price point, making the North Forest a contender for my favorite pick under $30.

The lower-midrange is fairly lean. Fans of cleaner midranges will appreciate the North Forest’s presentation here. That said, it is still blended pretty well with the mid-bass hump, so there’s no strange disconnect between the midrange and the lower register.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), War Pigs (Celldweller Remix)

The North Forest’s bass is weighty and packs a good punch. Drops in electronic genres have a satisfying oomph to them and the midbass's synergy with the sub-bass gives bass-synths a really hearty tonality. Despite its notable emphasis, the mid-bass is generally polite to the midrange, only ever becoming overbearing in some cases, such as in the thick of War Pigs’ chorus.

Sub-bass articulation is really good. It reaches down to about the 50Hz range, where it rolls off slowly into the 20Hz region. Depending on how good of a seal you can get, the North Forest can produce a reasonable amount of rumble. While it's not much at lower volumes, you can get a respectable amount of vibration going at higher volumes (though be careful, you could damage your ears if you listen too loud).

Packaging / Unboxing


Build
Construction Quality


The North Forest’s shell is made out of a reflective metal for the outer faces and a smooth plastic for inner face and nozzle. It seems durable and the shell’s two pieces are tightly sealed together. The North Forest’s single dynamic driver is vented through a small hole in the back face of the housing.


The cable is permanently affixed to the shells. It’s got a good amount of stress relief and should protect the cable well enough through normal use cases.



The cable is made from a standard plastic but is thicker than below the Y-splitter. It has microphonics, but nothing world-ending. The cable is terminated via a 3.5mm jack, which like the Y-splitter, is housed in a light metal that is coated in a reflective paint.

Comfort

The North Forest is very light and is worn cable down (though you can wear it over-ear if that’s your thing). It has a shallow insertion depth and, as such, should be quite comfortable for most people. The key here is finding the best eartips for your specific canal as having a good seal can often times make or break your opinion of an IEM. I, luckily, had no problems getting comfortable with the North Forest and found a good seal with relative ease.

Accessories

Inside the box you will find:

• 3x sets of spare silicone eartips

Yep, that’s it. I didn’t expect anything more though, as the North Forest is operating at some razor-thin margins to create something that sounds so good at such a low price. You can pick up some Comply eartips and a carrying case for about $10 total if you want some, and those can be transferred to any other IEM you want if you decide to try something new.

Comparisons
1: Auglamour R8 ($30)

The R8 has a far less aggressive mid-bass. Its midrange is also more linear, with a warmer lower-component and more relaxed upper component. The R8 also has a much more relaxed vocal range. Its spike is about 2dB less emphasized than the 1–2KHz spike that the North Forest has.

2: KZ ZSR (~$30)

The ZSR has a leaner midrange than the North Forest, and a much more emphasized treble. The ZSR, by comparison, has an aggressive upper-treble. The North Forest has a thicker mid-bass and more pronounced sub-bass than the ZSR and produces much more punch. The ZSR does have a somewhat more controlled mid-bass though.

3:KZ ZST ($20)

The North Forest has a much more weighty and warm sound signature than the ZST. Its mid-bass is far more pronounced and packs a significantly larger punch and extends farther down too. The ZST has a mildly more forwards lower-treble than the North Forest does, and its upper-midrange is more closely matched with its recessed lower-midrange than the North Forest’s is to its lower-midrange. The North Forest is the clear winner for bassheads, while the ZST will suit listeners who prefer more “neutral” sound signatures (though the ZST is not neutral IEM in absolute terms).

Summary
The North Forest is far better than it has any right to be, given how cheap it is. Rose managed to distill their expertise with high-end IEMs into a very compelling budget product. Articulate treble, punchy bass, and a decent construction make the $25 Rose Technics North Forest a noteworthy IEM, one that perfectly captures the spirit of the ChiFi market. So please, do yourself a favor and take a listen to the North Forest if you like bassy V-shaped IEMs with a bright tonality.

As always, happy listening!

Rose North Forest Impressions
INTRODUCTION/DISCLAIMER:

This review is based upon a commercial unit purchased by me for personal use. This review represents my honest and unfiltered opinion. I am not being compensated in any way for writing this review.
This review can also be read on my blog here.


ABOUT ME

I listen mostly to heavy metal, hip hop, and electronic music, as well as movie and video game soundtracks. I value detail, clarity, and soundstage above other acoustic qualities. I like V-shaped sound signatures, generally those with more of an emphasis on the treble. Other headphones I own or have owned in the past include the Campfire Audio Polaris, Meze 99 Neo, E-MU Teak, Mee Audio P1 Pinnacle, Mee Audio P2 Pinnacle, Yersen FEN-2000, UiiSii CM5, Fostex TH-X00, V-Moda M-80, V-Moda LP2 Crossfade, Beyerdynamic DT-770 (250 ohm), KZ ATE, Mixcder X5, Mee Audio M6, Hifiman HE-400S, and (very briefly) Phillips Fidelio X2.

SOURCES

I have used the Rose North Forest with the following sources:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Global > Rose North Forest

Windows 10 PC > JDS Labs The Element > Rose North Forest

I have tested these headphones with Spotify Premium high-quality streaming and local FLAC.


PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The Rose North Forest comes in a small rectangular box with the IEMs pictured on the front and technical details about the IEMs listed on the back. The included accessories are spartan in comparison to other Chi-fi IEMs I have reviewed recently, only including 4 pairs of silicone eartips (3 standard in Small/Medium/Large sizes, and 1 double flanged pair).

BUILD QUALITY / DESIGN

The Rose North Forest is designed to be worn cable-up. The North Forest has a simple straight black cable terminated in a straight 3.5mm jack. The cable is resistant to tangling and is non-microphonic. There is no choker above the Y-split for adjusting fit. The IEM housings have an attractive metallic red finish with the Rose logo in white. There is strain relief at both the driver housing and jack ends. The only quality control issue I encountered with my pair was noticeable driver flex while inserting one of the IEMs, though it was not as unpleasant as that on the Campfire Audio Polaris. At this price point ($25), the absence of detachable cables is unfortunate but not unforgivable.


FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

The Rose North Forest is more comfortable than average for long periods of wear. Isolation is average with the included double flange eartips.


SOUND

The Rose North Forest has a V-shaped sound signature that suffers from overblown mid-bass. Sub-bass extension is poor. The midrange is recessed. Distorted electric guitars and male vocals sound thin. Upper-mids and lower treble is shouty. Treble is reasonably detailed without being sibilant. Overall tonal balance is just off. The layering of instruments feels messy. Separation is below average. Soundstage is average.

EQ

The Rose North Forest benefits greatly from EQ. The below settings were based on the frequency response chart on the front of the North Forest’s box and go a long way to cleaning up the tonal balance of these IEMs. However, male vocals still sound pretty thin even with EQ.


AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

At 18 ohms and a sensitivity of 105db, the Rose North Forest can be comfortably driven from a smartphone and does not benefit from additional amplification.

CLOSING WORDS

Despite an attractive and comfortable design, the Rose North Forest is not worth picking up, especially at its current price of $25. They are overly bassy and muddy-sounding. Correcting the sound signature with EQ, while possible, requires desktop software to accomplish and is frankly more trouble than it’s worth given that there are better options at lower prices that do not need such drastic correction. I absolutely do not recommend them for portable use where tailored EQ is not possible.

Rose Technics is a company that first gained fame with their Rose Masya earbuds and from then they started making more diverse products for the audiophile community like the North Forest, a dynamic driver driven IEM released around January that's aimed at the budget audiophile. Let's explore this intriguing forest with a review but before that, I would like to thank Penon and Rose Technics for this review unit.



Specification:
Driver: titanium metal rare-earth magnet steel dynamic driver
Earphone cable material: 128 shares 4n oxygen-free copper+ anti-pull bullet-proof wire
Earphone shell: aeronautical magnesium-aluminum alloy
Frequency response range: 14 ~ 23000hz
Sensitivity: 105db
Impendence: 18ohm



The Rose North Forest comes in a sturdy black cardboard box that's covered by a slip off sleeve. Inside are the IEM's with fitted medium tips, and in the tray is 2 more pairs of silicone tips (Small and Large) as well as a double flange tip (white silicone), under the tray is space for the cable and nothing else.



The North Forest is a single dynamic driver driven IEM house in an small aluminum case with plastic internal fittings, the simple design allows for easy fitting as a conventional earbud (wires dangling) or over the ear. In either position, the light design of the IEM helps in providing comfort while wearing it. The wire near the IEM has good strain relief and has the L and R markings for each IEM's position, the cable is non-removable and comes in a no microphone model and one with a mic, this sample has no microphone and has a slightly rubbery wire, it has a tendency to retain some curves but generally is resistant to tangling. Though there is no chin strap, the splitter is plastic covered in silver aluminum and looks nice. The plug has a rose branding and is similarly made of aluminum, it is very thin so it'll fit through most phone or DAP cases with no issue. Overall, the build is good and sturdy and will likely last a long time.





Bass: The sub-bass of the North Forest extends rather well to give a good amount of bass rumble that is clearly felt but is not along the levels of the Ibasso IT01 in terms of reach and quantity, the mid bass has enough punch to make it's presence known and possesses a good amount of body. North Forest has good decay enough for good resolution of complex bass tones and has enough speed to sound complimentary to the music and helps it to be engaging.

Mids: There is a good amount of body with the North Forest, male vocals sound meaty with a good enough separation that the voices are not overwhelmed by the bass. Female vocals sound warm and smooth with a bit of intimacy but is treated nearly equally the same as male vocals as they occupy a neutral positioning. There may not be a lot of transparency in this area and there is a lack of crispness or definition but vocals come out clean and mixed with music provides a good and emotive progression.

Highs: Are naturally extended without sounding sibilant or harsh as they sound like they belong in the song, some high pitch sounds may surprise you on higher volumes but are not piercing. One thing to note is the dip in the 10khz area that prevents cymbal crashes to bloom and may sound rolled off. There is body and a good amount of clarity in the treble area that is not fatiguing and fun to listen to.



Soundstage: For something that's small, there is a moderate amount of stage for the music to play around that sounds natural, with decent width and some depth that prevents it from feeling congested (St. James), resolution overall is good enough to track instruments and voices and 3d positioning is fairly accurate.

Driveability/Useability: This can easily be driven by the weakest phone in my arsenal and still sound better than certain stock earphones, but it doesn't scale much with the source (better players will push the North Forest to sound better, but not to a great degree). Considering the build, this can easily be seen as gym, exercise IEMs, sweat doesn't seem to bother the cables much, it's light and easy to insert and remove with no fear of a piece falling out (ohhh, two jabs in one paragraph!)

Conclusion: The Rose North Forest is a surprising IEM and shows just how far good tuning can get you at this budget range as it sounds musical where headbanging doesn't seem like a bad idea when listening to heavy rock or just thinking about your ex while listening to Adele, it's not gonna topple mid range IEM's at any time with more detailed, technical and revealing listening, but the fun you can get out of this is considerable and at an incredible value IEM at $24.90 USD, it sounds better than some IEMs in the market that are above it's price tag.





Pros: Affordable, easily pocketable, sturdy, sounds great, looks nice, very easy to drive, good fit and isolation (with the right sized tips.)

Cons: L/R markings are hard to see (could have marked one and left the other blank for a tactile solution, or made both shell logos face forward for easy identification of left and right), cable is a bit rubbery/springy

Nitpicks: Removable cables or easily replaceable cables, it's a shame since they sound real good but if the cables break, it might be hard to replace the cables.



Original Review appears in AudioBuko @ Blogspot