Softears Twilight

Disclaimer: This review reflects my personal, subjective preferences and is solely based on my experiences with the product. It's important to note that Concept Kart does not influence this review, and I have not received any compensation. As always, I highly recommend testing the product yourself before purchasing. I want to thank Concept Kart and @gadgetgod for organising this review tour and allowing me to share my thoughts on the product.

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Chain: Mojo2+Poly via Roon with Final Type E tips.

The following is a review of the Softears Twilight (ST), an in-ear monitor that boasts exceptional sound quality. The bass performance is not only punchy, but also precise, adding depth and dynamism to the music. It strikes a delicate balance between providing satisfying low-end presence and not overpowering other frequencies. The bass remains clear and agile, ensuring that each note is articulated precisely. Although it may not cater to those seeking an excessively bass-heavy experience, its controlled and nuanced presentation appeals to those who prioritize balance and musicality.



Moving on to the midrange, the ST sets a new standard of naturalness and musicality. Vocals and instruments are rendered with clarity and lifelike quality that draws the listener deeper into the heart of the music. The midrange offers a balance between richness and transparency, allowing each note to resonate with authenticity and depth. It avoids any hint of harshness or artificiality, ensuring a smooth and immersive listening experience. The ST's midrange is capable of capturing every nuance with finesse and grace, making it perfect for any music genre.



The treble performance of the ST is characterized by its extension and refinement. It adds sparkle and detail to the overall sonic landscape. Strings shimmer with clarity, cymbals ring precisely, and high-frequency nuances are rendered with finesse. Despite its energetic presentation, the treble remains impeccably controlled, avoiding any hint of harshness or sibilance. Even during extended listening sessions, the ST's treble retains its musicality and balance, ensuring a fatigue-free listening experience. Its smooth and articulate delivery adds an extra dimension to every track, elevating the listening experience to new heights.



The most captivating features of the ST are its expansive soundstage and precise imaging capabilities. From the beginning of the music, listeners are transported to a three-dimensional auditory landscape where instruments and vocals are positioned with remarkable accuracy and clarity. The ST's vented shells contribute to a sense of airiness and openness, creating a spacious stage that extends far beyond the confines of the listener's ears. Although the stage may lean towards the shallower side, its sound distribution in front and around the ears creates an immersive listening environment that captivates and delights.



In conclusion, the ST is a masterpiece of audio engineering, delivering a captivating listening experience that transcends expectations. Whether you're exploring the depths of a bass-heavy track or revelling in the intricate details of a delicate melody, the ST's musicality and balance shine through. With its expansive soundstage, precise imaging, and fatigue-free treble, it offers a listening experience that is as immersive as it is unforgettable. For audiophiles seeking a refined and engaging in-ear monitor that sets a new standard in sonic excellence, the ST is a true revelation.

Thanks to gadgetgod and Concept Kart for organising the review of the Softears Twilight .

As always, these are my own opinions and with no compensation of any kind accepted or given.

Softears has been a raved about brand in the recent times. I have personally heard and probably reviewed the RSV and the Turii (maybe didnt write a review for the turii).

The Turii is the elder sibling of the two, both in terms of looks as well as build config. Both the Turii and Twilight sport a single DD in a unusually engineered shell.

The faceplate is rectangular and the pin sockets are at the tall end of the rectangle!

Build

The Twilight is built with a magnesium aluminium alloy shells. The detachable cables plug into the shell using a 2 pin recessed connector.

The cable is fairly supple and is non fussy with a smooth glossy finish. The stock cables came with a 4.4mm balanced pentacon termination at the source end.

The faceplate is rectangular as mentioned earlier, with a small rounded bulge holding the drivers and sporting a fairly small (about 5mm similar to Sony iems) nozzles.

While the nozzle size allows for deep insertion, the rounded driver bulge do make contact with my pinna. Comfortable to use for a fairly long time, but does introduce a little bit of a bother with deeper inserts.

I used a standard M sized silicone tips, and got a comfortable fit. With a single 10mm doing the duties, I very much look forward to reviewing this unit!

Driveability

The iems seem fairly easy to drive, and posed no challenge to the Lotoo PAW S1 in the balanced out with farfield eq enabled (personal preference for now).

Sound

From the get go, there is nothing that seems harsh in the sound. The soothing single DD takes you on a beautiful musical journey, like all well tuned single DDs should do.

The Twilight shines in presenting a balanced W tuning across, without any bleed, harshness or sibilance. The overall signature is warm with good extension.

Bass (4/5)
With deep insertion, the bass is well represented and with very good slam and rumble. There is no bass bleed into mids and the iems are excellent to listen to, be it basshead or not.

Mids (4/5)
On tracks with male and female focus, the Twilight is able to bring out the nuances and emotions in the vocals well. There is no nasality or harshness/shoutiness in the mids. Well done!

Treble (4/5)
Tracks with strings, cymbals etc carry a lot of energy. The Twilight is able to carry the energy with aplomb and is very articulate in presentation. Again no harshness or sibilance on even poor tracks.

Staging, imaging - The iem shells are vented and allow for a good amount of air in the treble. As a result, the stage is wide around the ear. The imaging is good too, and the general placement of the instruments is good.
The stage is quite shallow though, and the sound is more or less flat around the listener. You are in front of the stage, and the music is around in front and around the ears in a arc.

Comparisons

Intuaura Purple - The Purple is the flagship (atleast here) offering from Intuaura. The Purple is also a single DD iem that is well implemented. The iems from a sound perspective are quite similar in terms of presentation and balance,
and both are neck and neck in terms of competition, although the Purple is priced about 25-30% lesser than the Twilight. This is not a easy win, as the Purple shells are acrylic, while the Twilight sport a much stronger Mg Al alloy,
easily justifying the price difference. Hence a tie in almost all ways.

Meze Advar - The Advar was a breathe of fresh air when a lot of the upper mid budget iems were multi driver units. The Advar, while being a bit more heavier and polished looking of the two, was not quite as balanced as the Twilight.
The Advar is made a lot more special to look at (and does win in terms of looks). The Twilight possibly edges out the Advar in terms of the balance of sound and tonally being more accurate of the two.

Conclusions

The Twilight is a beautiful sounding single DD iem, and it gets an easy recommend from me, as this config is my preference. And the twilight does almost everything very well.

SoftEars Twilight

I received the unit for an audition from ConceptKart as part of a review tour. Thanks to @gadgetgod for organizing the tour and including me in it. The SoftEars Twilight can be purchased from ConceptKart here.



Introduction

SoftEars Twilight is an impressive IEM that delivers a high-quality listening experience with rich and detailed sound. The earpieces are made of premium aviation-grade aluminum alloy and are 60% lighter than the shells of Turii (as per SoftEars). The unique twisted shell design, which is like that of the Turii, not only looks gorgeous but is very comfortable too. The non-fatiguing tuning with the super comfortable and lightweight earpieces meant that I could listen to Twilight for hours together without the slightest hint of fatigue.



The stock cable is a 6N OFC cable with a gold-plated 4.4mm BAL termination. The cable is very soft and free of microphonics. The unit I received was unboxed and came without any accessories except for the 4.4mm cable and carry case.

Sound Impressions

The bass is punchy and well-defined, adding depth to the music without overwhelming the other frequencies. Twilight’s bass response is outstanding, delivering deep, impactful bass that brings a sense of excitement to the music.



The midrange is smooth and natural, making vocals and instruments sound incredibly lifelike. There is good note weight here which provides exceptional clarity and realism. The treble is clear and detailed, providing a balanced and enjoyable listening experience without any fatigue. There is no harshness or sibilance here.

The soundstage is wide and immersive, allowing for a spacious and three-dimensional listening experience. The separation and layering of instruments and vocals are distinct and well-defined, creating a captivating audio landscape.

Conclusion



Overall, SoftEars Twilight is a stellar choice for audiophiles and music enthusiasts who crave an exceptional blend of sonic performance, comfort, and durability. They truly deliver a top-tier audio experience that is sure to satisfy even the most discerning listeners.

NOTES:

Established in 2017, Softears is a Chinese based manufacturer of higher end iems. Their moto is “Hear The Truth” which is a bold statement.

The $930 USD Twilight, at least with respect to driver count, is the simplest model in their lineup sporting a single 10mm dynamic driver housed in an unusually shaped housing made of aviation grade aluminum.

Simple does not mean easy and Softears has spent much time developing the driver and the shells internal cavity structure to extract as much quality sound as possible. In this day of high driver counts and multiple driver technologies used in iems, the Twilight strengthens the sound argument that implementation and tuning are kings.

The Softears Twilight is easy to drive but definitely benefits from a more capable source. Its resolving capability combined with impressive musicality really do deserve this attention in addition to time spent on tip rolling and cable selection.

With the Twilight there really isn’t much more to say as the sound speaks for itself. Read on to find out more.

SPECS:

Impedance:16Ω
Sensitivity: 116dB/Vrms @1kHz
Effective frequency response: 20-20kHz (IEC60318-4)
Frequency range: 15-40kHz
(1/4' freefield, -3dB)
THD:<1%@1kHz
Housing: 5-axis finely engraved anodized aluminum alloy
Driver size: 10mm
Diaphragm: PU suspension diamond-like dome

BUILD, FIT & QUALITY:

The Softears Twilight is a well built iem with the Aluminum shells both being light and nicely finished. The shells have a black coating with a soft feel.
Fit may be an issue for some as the Twilight adopts an atypical rectangular shape that could be challenging for some. Fit for me was good but tip selection became even more critical as keeping the Twilight anchored in my ear was really up to the tips I chose. Still the Twilight is an attractive iem which in both form and function keeping things simple yet elegant.



SOUND:

BASS:

The Twilight possesses a bass that has impressive control with good detail and speed. There is a pleasant warmth and thickness to the low end which stays far away from being muddy. The sub-bass is more neutral than accented and as such may not sound as prominent with the mid-bass taking the lead here. While not being what I would call a “Bassheads” iem, the Twilight has a bass that will satisfy those who prefer musicality over ear bleeds.

On “Poem of a Chinese Drum” the control exhibited by the Twilight was impressive. The reverberation of the skins was clearly heard and easy to follow as they faded. On “Angel” by Massive Attack it was easy to hear the texture the Twilight being very clean in bass delivery. This was also heard in “Change Your Mind” by Moonchild with a smooth and satisfying presentation. Well done.


MIDRANGE:

The midrange of the Softears Twilight places a premium on musicality first. While there is a good balance of macro and micro details on tap here, combined pleasing layering and separation the Twilight does something that makes long listening sessions a joy. It remains musical all the time. What I mean here is that there is a sense of “correctness” in the mids which have a natural and unrestrained sound to them. Timbre and transparency are very good as well which goes a long way in the immersive quality that the Softears Twilight has. Transients and dynamics were well handled sounding natural in both attack and decay.

Listening to “Change Your Mind” by Moonchild the silky mids really pulled me into this great track. There is a liveliness to the mids as well which adds to the sense of detail. Anita Bakers vocals on her quintessential track “Sweet Love” highlighted this energy sounding clean and detailed yet not losing the emotional impact of her vocals. Male vocals get the same treatment as heard on “Tenderhearted Lover” by John Stoddart. Playback was exceptionally clean with the emotional component of his vocals being easy to connect with.

The midrange of the twilight really does highlight its impressive technical capabilities, standout timbre and overall musicality.


TREBLE:

I found the treble of the Softears Twilight to have good extension with a rolloff on the top. The presentation being a little more on the safe side. This is not to say that it is lacking by any means. There is ample air and detail here combined with excellent control. There is a smoothness and natural sound to the treble that really stands out.

What we have here is a continuation of the musical delivery offered by the Softears Twilight as noted in the midrange. Well done.





IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE:

The Softears Twilight throws up an impressively spacious soundstage with accurate instrument placement. This is yet another aspect of this iem that is impressive. “Stimelah” by Hugh Masekela sounded very good with the venue coming to life. The experience here was immersive highlighting the Twilights ability to really pull the listener into the music.

Height, width and depth were also nicely portrayed. This is not always a strong suit of iems regardless of price it seems, but the Twilight pulls it off. Very well done.


CONCLUSION:

The Softears twilight is a great iem. It is one of only a handful of truly musical earphones that have that uncanny ability to pull the listener into the music. It combines musical playback with a cohesive smooth delivery that is very satisfying to these Opiniated Music Lovers’ ears, all of this using a single dynamic driver.

If anyone needed more proof to the argument that implementation and tuning make the greatest difference than look no further than the Softears twilight.

The Softears Twilight gets a solid recommendation and should be on the shortlist of anyone looking for a truly musical set. .

Twilight is Softears’ second single dynamic driver IEM that comes at a whopping $930. It may sound steep but in this review you are going to read, you may start to think that price tag might just be justified.

Softears is one of the few IEM manufacturers from China that doesn’t come out with a new product every other month. Their cheapest release is $285 Volume and prices go as high as $2499 with Turii Ti which is also a single dynamic driver. So you can confidently say they are a premium brand.

Pros​

• Exceptional execution of warm-neutral tuning
• Expansive staging
• Laser sharp imaging
• Lovely mid presentation

Cons​

• Pricy! (I could have knocked it down another half star tbh)
• Bass is not enough for some genres
• Not the most resolving and detailed at this price

Disclaimers​

Softears Twilight is loaned to me by a friend (and I loaned him my Moondrop Variations so I couldn’t compare them head to head unfortunately.) As I always say, everyone is biased one way or another so take everything you read with a grain of salt. Also I will try to be more concise and to the point in my reviews from now on without worrying about the word count etc. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comments and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.

Build and Accessories of Softears Twilight​

The Twilight is a very unique looking IEM but apparently this design is not just for show. In their product page they say and I quote:

“With more than 100 experiments and calculations, we got the volume of the rear cavity matching the unit. This improves the dynamic response and sensitivity and can easily produce the excellent low-frequency sound.”

Marketing aside, they managed to get something really amazing, but not in the low end, we will get to that. Shells are made out of aviation grade aluminum alloy and CNC machined. Nobody says it but these are basically open-back iems, believe it or not. They don’t block outside noise and leak the music you listen to to the outside.



Drivers of the Twilight consist of DLC diaphragm with PU suspension if that matters to you.

They come with a 4.4 mm balanced cable that follows the design language of the Twilight and a 4.4 mm balanced to 3.5 mm single ended adapter cable. To be honest I prefer this to modular cables that are the rage these days.

Apart from the ear pieces and cables, box includes a cleaning tool, 9 pairs of ear tips and a split pouch to protect the earpieces from scratches and such.

Sound of Softears Twilight​

Twilight is very easy to drive which is a good and a bad thing at the same time. You wouldn’t need a powerful source but still have to use a good one not to hear the noise floor. I think people should make a point of this more often instead of arguing about power requirements.

Tonality​

Bass​

Twilight has a slightly warm neutral tonality. I was under the impression that these would have an ample amount of bass which I also mentioned in my first impressions. Maybe people’s reviews or marketing made me think so. Anyway these aren’t devoid of bass but definitely won’t satisfy you if you are after skull shaking bass. What you get on the other hand is a very tight and controlled bass that doesn’t bleed into the mids and color the rest of the spectrum. Neutral heads and mid lovers can rejoice.

Mids​

Mids are where Twilight shines in my opinion. Well, probably I’m not the only one but I digress. To be honest Twilight didn’t wow me as much as my friend’s IE900 that I tried a couple of months back but I definitely prefer Twilight’s mids to IE900’s slightly recessed mids. Everything sounds on point. The vocals, both male and female, are adequately intimate but not shouty. No instrument masks the other, perfect.

Treble​

Treble of Twilight was also tuned exceptionally. They are energetic enough without getting harsh or sibilant. Again everything is very well balanced. Depending on the song you listen to or the source you use there might be a few instances that these can get harsh but even in my long listening sessions I never got fatigued by them.

Technicalities​

If you asked if Twilight is a special IEM, I’d say yes because of their technical capability. Notes are very well defined and seperated, definitely better than your usual 100-200 dollars single dynamic driver iems.



What Twilight does the best is staging and imaging as far as I’m concerned. When I first put these in my ears, the first thing that jumped out at me was how spacious and airy these sounded. Maybe that unique design and “open” closure of the shells contributed to this strength of Twilight. Stage is expansive and spacious, by iem standards of course. And they have laser sharp imaging which is only appropriate.

Unfortunately they are decently detailed, resolving capability is probably not the best around in its price range. How important this attribute is for you to decide.

Comparisons​

Unfortunately I don’t have many iems with me that are in the same ballpark with the Twilight, so I chose AKG N5005 which was $999 when it was released and Simgot EA500 because someone pointed out its graph looked somewhat similar to the Twilight. (which I don’t agree by the way)

Softears Twilight vs. AKG N5005​

I tried to volume match both iems at 1 kHz before comparison. This proved that the N5005 was much harder to drive. I use N5005 with the bass filters because with other filters it immediately gets harsh, sibilant and balanced armature timbre becomes apparent.

• Twilight is warmer but AKG bassier and more impactful.
• N5005 is cleaner and clearer even with the bass filters.
• Vocals are more intimate on Twilight, both male and female. With bass filters N5005 has a more relaxed presentation. N5005 feels more effortless, maybe even serious in a sense, but Twilight is more emotional. Twilight has that slight whispiness in the vocals that most of the harman-like tuned chinese iems.
• Twilight is brighter than N5005 with bass filters but isn’t overly bright or fatiguing.
• Thanks to its higher driver count, N5005 has faster transient response and resolves better. But Twilight has a brighter tuning therefore makes some details more apparent.
• Timbre is one of the most natural I’ve ever heard. Probably the most natural among the iems that’s for sure. Staging and imaging are also greatest aspects of twilight. N5005 sounds more closed in and less accurate in imaging.

Softears Twilight vs. Simgot EA500​

I tried to volume match both iems at 1 kHz before comparison. They have pretty much the same sensitivity. I just reduced EA500’s volume a notch, although their product pages have the same impedance and sensitivity ratings.

• Bass quantity is similar but EA500 slams harder, compared to that the Twilight's bass is tighter.
• Vocals feel more forward and intimate on EA500.
• EA500 gets sibilant and harsh much more easily. The Twilight keeps its composure and presents songs in the most natural manner.
• EA500 is much brighter but a graph can also tell you that.
• Twilight resolves much better in a more effortless manner. EA500 pushes details and can get grating.
• Although EA500 is wide and images good in its own right, it is no match for The Twilight, it is that good.

Conclusion​

Softears Twilight is an amazing iem, no doubt about it. Is it $930 amazing? That, I’m not so sure. I usually prefer more exciting iems, and also I’m a sucker for clarity and Twilight promises neither of these. Apart from that, as the price goes higher, I expect more technically proficient iems; the manufacturers got the tuning somewhat down after all. The Twilight passes in every category with flying colors, except maybe resolving capability. Putting personal preferences aside, I’m pleasantly surprised at what they can do. For around $500 I’d say these are a blind buy, but for $930 I suggest you try them first if you can to see if they are what you are looking for. I just hope what they did with the Turii Ti and the Twilight will trickle down to more affordable iems in the future.

SoftEars Twilight Review



The Turii Ti situation:

The Twilight and the Turii Ti are completely different. The Turii Ti uses the same 11mm DLC + PEEK dynamic driver as the Turii with 1.6T of magnetic flux. The Twilight uses a 10mm DLC + FreeEdge suspension dynamic driver (no creases on the suspension), which is developed specifically for this next generation of IEMs. Just wanted to clear that out, as I did find some people having questions about this, given that the Turii Ti has no official documentation about its specs.



About Me:

Hi, I’m fugu (KillerLab). A student currently completing studies in Canada. I have been an audiophile for a bit less than 2 years, although I have had interest in audio for a duration much longer than that. I love listening to J-Pop (yes, J for Japanese), J-Rock, OSTs, and occasionally, Electronic and Classical. My reviewing style (and the way I define certain terms) are largely inspired by crinacle and Precogvision.



Notice:

This unit was purchased at MusicTeck USA (thanks to Andrew and your team!). I have been given a discount from the said distributor in exchange for this review (not a student discount). There are, however, no external influences on my thoughts and views on the product, thus, this will be a personal, in-depth, yet honest review.



Prelude:

SoftEars is a Chinese IEM company founded at the end of 2017 in Chengdu. Over the course of 5 years, they have created numerous products that the audiophile community have come to love. From the venerable RS10 & Cerberus, to the dynamic driver frontrunner Turii, the “true reference” RSV and the “VFM” Volume. The name of SoftEars is directly related to excellency and opulence. And now, they present their newest creation, Twilight, successor to the Turii.



Unboxing:

The Twilight comes in a black cardboard box, featuring the SoftEars logo at the top, the Twilight name embossed on the front, basic specs and a golden “Made in China” sticker at the bottom. Inside, you are greeted first with the Turii’s slogan: “twist your ears, then with the earpieces on the right and the storage case on the left. From the photos I’ve seen, this seems to be the exact same layout as the Turii Ti’s package, except without the fancy Alcantara interior and silver exterior. Within the black hockey case, you’ll find the 4.4mm cable and a 4.4 to 3.5 adapter (quite a sweet addition). Under the earpieces, you’ll 3 types of tips, silicone, foam and SoftEars’ Ultra Clear LSR Tip, with 3 sizes each, S, M, L, packaged within sealed plastic bags. Interestingly, I didn’t receive the plastic eartip cards Animagus did (SoftEars says he used the Volume’s tips for photos instead; all Twilights will receive the plastic bags, no cards).There’s also a mesh baggy to protect the earpieces along with a cleaning tool. There is also black cardboard card featuring the model and S/N (what happened to the metal cards?). Overall, the Twilight comes in a simple unboxing experience with all the bare necessities.



Build & Fit:

The earpieces themselves are constructed of 5-axis CNC aerospace-grade aluminum. The sandblasting is exceptionally fine, giving the piece a very smooth, luxurious feel. No machining marks are observed either. Even though the nozzles are substantially smaller than SoftEar’s resin models, the rectangular shell is still quite big. The shell occasionally scrapes against parts of my ear, but for most of the time, it’s comfortable. The shell also protrudes outwards quite a bit, so don’t wear this to bed. However, thanks to the decreased density of aluminum, the Twilight fits noticeably better than the Turii (one of the heaviest monitors I’ve worn). Speaking of the Turii, the Twilight shares the exact same form factor and design, except with a matte black finish. I personally like the twisted design, but am not a huge fan of the rectangular shape. But after carefully thinking through it, yeah, there aren’t many other shapes out there that you can twist like this. Like the Turii, the isolation is quite poor due to its heavily-vented open-back nature. Overall, I am satisfied with the earpieces themselves, as they are robust, lightweight, offer good fit, and have a design I can live with.


The cable is constructed out of full matte black components, black connector, black y-split, black pins and black wires. SoftEars offers a small 4.4mm balanced connector, which I’d say is quite fitting today, as most people have a DAP/dongle with the said plug. Even if you don’t SoftEars also includes a 3.5mm adapter, which I’d say is really nice. The y-split reflects the design of the earpieces themselves, the twisted rectangles. Quite cool, given that many monitors offer a generic-looking cable that look completely unrelated to the monitor. The 2-pin connectors fit snuggly into the recessed sockets, while having a tiny bit of extra room just so that they don’t scrape against the earpiece shells. The 4-core 6N OCC copper cable itself is relatively soft and supple, and does coil up pretty well, while having minimal microphonics, although it does have a bit of memory effect. The only two major complaints I have are 1. the cable has no cable cinch, and 2. there are machining marks on the y-split, unlike the earpieces, which are clean. I will use the stock cable for this review.


The case is made out of (presumably synthetic) black leather. The interior is lined with grey fabric. The opening and closing feeling of the case is perfect: the lid doesn’t slide off by itself, no matter the weight within the case, but it doesn’t take much force to lift. The internal space is large enough to fit the monitors and the cable, and the 3.5mm adapter altogether. Overall, the case feels excellent and the color scheme fits the entire set.

The SoftEars UC LSR Tips are exceptionally comfortable. I have no trouble wearing these tips for hours in one go, as once they are inserted, you feel basically nothing in your ear canal. This will be the tip I will review the Twilight with.



Equipment:

MacBook Pro 16” 2021 + Luxury Precision W2 (Original CS43198 Ver.)
W2 Settings: Normal EQ, Normal SDF, Low Gain, LL Fast Filter, Tune 02, Ver. 1.0.3.6. AS

iBasso DX170
DX170 Settings: Filter 3 (LL Fast), Low Gain, Ver. 1.02.241

iPhone 11 + ddHifi TC44C (Green)

Sound Reference: SoftEars RSV

All music is streamed off Apple Music, with maximum quality (Hi-Res Lossless).



Frequency Response:

The Review:

General Sound Profile: Warm-neutral

Bass: The Twilight offers a mild 5dB bass boost from 800Hz and below. Seeing the FR, the first thing you think is probably: “bruh, it’s bloated”. Well, actual listening suggests that that is not the real case here. The Twilight definitely does have some extra mid-bass, some extra meat and richness, but it’s not really enough to affect the midrange, so consider it as a relatively clean monitor. The 3.5dB sub-bass boost is generally good with most music I listen to, delivering adequate punch/slam and good texturing, however, I can find myself wanting a bit more at times. One other caveat is that the Twilight’s bass is placed slightly farther back in the mix than I’m generally used to. Overall, I can say the Twilight’s bass response is quite good, and very fitting for its general sound profile, warm and relaxing, and the quality of it is quite impressive in contrast to its relatively low amount. Around a 7.5 – 8 out of 10.


Midrange: If there’s one thing SoftEars always masters in their monitors, it’ll be the midrange. SoftEars and MoonDrop, both tune accordingly to their VDSF target, providing near-zero coloration and possibly the most accurate vocal performances I’ve heard from any monitor. And I daresay, SoftEars does it even better than their sister company. The Twilight (along with the RSV I’ll talk about later) is the most solid evidence for that. The Twilight’s midrange is neutral, in almost every way possible. No shout, no recessions, no odd harmonics. It presents vocals a bit forward, while dragging instruments far back into the mix, providing fantastic separation. Without any alarming peaks or dips, the Twilight also preserves all instrumental tones very well. Unlike certain Moondrop monitors, the Twilight also maintains excellent note weight for vocals, not thin nor thick. I simply cannot fault the Twilight’s midrange. Max 10 out of 10.



Treble: SoftEars also controls their treble pretty well, evident on most of their monitors, and the Twilight is another good demonstration of that. The Twilight exhibits a truly linear treble response, offering no unwanted peaks nor sibilance. However, the biggest caveat is that its extension isn’t particularly fantastic. The Twilight doesn’t really have much sparkle up top, and for treble-sensitive people, can potentially sound a bit dark. I actually find this again fitting for its generally warm tonality. I’ll give the Twilight a 9 out of 10 here, as it again, doesn’t do anything wrong.


Timbre: Where do we start with timbre? The Twilight exhibits basically the best timbre I’ve heard from any earphone. Every single instrument is presented with incredible accuracy with net zero artifacts. Thanks to its very linear tuning, the Twilight also doesn’t have a direct emphasis on any part of the frequency nor bias towards any specific instrument. The smoothness and overall roundedness of the Twilight benefits it’s timbre greatly. I cannot think of any other one of the near-100 monitors that I’ve heard carefully that even come close to the Twilight’s natural timbre (well, probably the RSV, but that’s it). Maximum 10 out of 10 here, no questions asked.



Transients & Dynamics: Transients are probably the Twilight’s Achilles’ Heel. The Twilight’s transients are, well, smoothed over; not necessarily blunted, but definitely lacking crispness. Although, as mentioned in the timbre section, this does reduce the sense of sharpness that some people may want, this also reduces the definition of the Twilight (I define definition as how every note is resolved), hampering the Twilight’s technical performance. However, like many of the other qualities mentioned above, I still find this smoothed transients fitting for its overall sound signature. Can’t really fault it nor praise it. The redeeming quality in this section is actually the Twilight’s dynamics. I believe there are two types of dynamics, one type is visceral impact/air movement (bass dynamics/macrodynamics), and the other is fluctuations/gradations in volume (microdynamics), with the latter being where I believe the Twilight is very capable in. String instruments, in which volume is greatly controlled by the power the bow is pulled at (in the case of violins etc.), create volume shifts due to the non-constant power exerted by the musician on the strings, as the amplitude of sound changes. Small changes in the volume of the vocalists are also counted as part of microdynamics. The Twilight is capable of presenting these, effortlessly. The MoonDrop KATO is actually an antithesis of good microdynamics, despite having decent macrodynamics. Most instruments, especially strings and brass, on the KATO sound “flat”, where there are no changes in volume (or just barely any). Back to the Twilight, I’ll give it around a 7 for transient response, while a 9 for dynamics (just not enough macrodynamics), averaging a straight 8 in this category.


Resolution: Some parts of the Twilight’s resolution have already been talked about in the Transients & Dynamics section, however, just allow me to elaborate a bit more. The Twilight isn’t class-leading in the resolution department, particularly due to the aforementioned weakened definition (how each note is resolved). But it still fights back in terms of internal detail (how many tracks are resolved), which is largely related to imaging performance (see below). I’ll give the Twilight an 8 here, as it is no slouch, but not outstanding.



Imaging: If there’s one thing the Turii left a deep impression on me, it would be its imaging performance. The Turii had a near borderless soundstage, naturally diffusing instruments into the vast black background it presented, while also offering excellent separation. And the Twilight, is honestly, is just as powerful as the Turii in these metrics. Not only do vocals stand out from the mix, the layers between each instrumental track is also exceptionally cleanly separated. This is why the Twilight’s internal detail is still very strong. In some ways, the two SoftEars DD brothers reminds me of the HD800s (yep, ur big boy headphone), of having very similar traits, just still not to the same legendary level. To me, the imaging performance is actually what’s so impressive about the Twilight (it’s also why I clicked the “Place Order” button). Again, I’ll give the best score possible to the Twilight for its jaw-dropping imaging performance. In this metric, the Twilight is a true class-leader, if not, a class-leaper.


The Twilight provides possibly the best implementation of warm-neutral I’ve heard so far. It provides warmth more ways than one, from the boosted mid-bass, to the relatively relaxed treble, to the smooth, natural timbre, to its rounded transients (and its vast soundstage). It strikes an incredible balance between all metrics to form its loveable sound signature, which is something I can’t say for the general IEM population. Is this the single DD endgame? It’s a big yes if you’re looking for an IEM you can listen to all day long. The Twilight, in my heart, is amongst the best monitors out there, not only because of its class-leading midrange tonality, imaging and timbral performance, it’s also because of its distinguished consistency across the board. This is one of SoftEars’ top works, and just one more marvelous addition to the world of audio.





Comparisons:

Well, fantastic products are not only great on their own, they need to be better than the general competition. Does the Twilight beat out its competition? Let’s find out with the following comparisons:


Twilight vs. Turii: Now, I need to be clear, I don’t own the Turii, I have listened to it for hours too, but still am unable to make a highly accurate comparison. But one thing is for sure, the Twilight is not weaker than the Turii, nor stronger, it is simply different from the Turii. The Turii can be called a brighter, more resolving Twilight, or the Twilight a more natural, warmer Turii. The Turii Ti is essentially a brighter Turii, thus a brighter brighter Twilight. At 2/3 of the price, the Twilight is definitely more VFM than the Turii, which is nice. The Twilight also fits much better than the Turii, so if the OG’s fit didn’t work for you, maybe give the Twilight a shot.


Twilight vs. Sennheiser IE 600: No sugarcoating here, both monitors are what I consider as the top dogs of all single DDs. However, the two are immensely different from one other. The IE 600 is the more energetic one, providing a massive sub-bass boost (13dB, who are you kidding), and a “spicy” treble response, being more V-shaped than the Twilight. The IE 600 is thus much more energetic and incisive than the Twilight, while the Twilight is much easier to listen to for the general population. In terms of technical performance, yes, the IE 600 outresolves the Twilight in terms of definition by a lot, is noticeably snappier in terms of transients, and provides insane macrodynamics. However, the Twilight crushes the IE 600 in imaging, as the IE 600 sounds constrained, where you hear a wall surrounding the stage, whereas, the Twilight, blasts past all of these walls, and just provides a massive globular soundstage. Separation is significantly better on the Twilight too. And for microdynamics, the two are about toe-to-toe with each other. The IE 600 is more unique and has more individuality to its tuning, dynamics and resolution. The Twilight is the more objectively-acceptable option, while also displaying its distinctiveness in its imaging performance. Both are simply fantastic, but neither is the wiser.


Twilight vs. MoonDrop Variations: Ah, yes, let’s compare it to the Blessing 2 Pro Max. The Variations also has a similar sub-bass focused low-end response like the IE 600, providing better punch and slam than the Twilight. However, the Twilight does have better “richness” due to its extra mid-bass. The Variations does outresolve the Twilight by a notch, however is still somewhat beaten by the Twilight’s imaging performance. And one more point to the Twilight’s high tonal consistency, in contrast to the Variations’ more disjointed tone and drier timbre, as the transients and texture of the three types of drivers are slightly different. I’ll consider the Twilight to be more natural than the Variations, while the Variations being the slightly more technical of the two. Both are impressive all-rounders, but I am unable to call out which one is indefinitely better.


Twilight vs. Tanchjim PRISM: The PRISM isn’t really talked about much in the Western IEM community. However, I really like the PRISM for one specific quality, its imaging performance. Even against my benchmark, the Twilight is still better in this quality, possibly due to its heavily-vented semi-open-backed nature. In other metrics, the Twilight isn’t as shouty as the PRISM is and has a more palatable tonality, but is conversely, slightly out-resolved. This is quite a decisive win for the Twilight, although I will continue liking the PRISM simply because it’s the best looking monitor I’ve seen and own (crown “jewel”).


Twilight vs. DUNU Zen Pro: Err, another monitor I don’t own but have listened to plenty of times to understand how it generally sounds. The Zen Pro sounds more muffled than the Twilight, and also blander, lacking a wow factor. I will say that the Twilight wins this round for sound, however, the Zen Pro’s shell is significantly smaller. But even if that matters, I think there are still alternatives here that are better (namely the IE 600).


Twilight vs. SoftEars RSV: This is by far the hardest comparison of the bunch. In some ways, the two are similar, far too similar. The tonality of the two are near-identical in the midrange and treble, while splitting ways in the bass. One is cleaner (RSV), while one is meatier (Twilight). At this point, I feel like I am doing marketing for SoftEars, but yes, the Twilight outclasses the RSV in imaging, but that’s about it. I also hear some dynamic compression both macro and micro for the RSV, yet these are not issues for the Twilight. Thus the Twilight is slightly more technical than the RSV. However the RSV does offer significantly better isolation and an arguably better fit, while being 27.5% cheaper. If your budget is limited, go for the RSV instead, it offers almost all the SoftEars experience that the Twilight does. [You can opt for the open-box option which will drag the price down even more (by another 20%)].

Edited: 2023/4/15 After re-A/B testing the RSV and the Twilight, and after a better understanding of dynamics.



Value Proposition:

While not being effectively better than the best in its class, the Twilight remains at the very top of the bunch, and is 2/3 of the OG’s price. 930 is a still big chunk of money (and yes, it did dry my wallet), and there are cheaper alternatives that perform similarly. However, if you do have the budget, I actually don’t see why you shouldn’t buy the Twilight for its amazing audio experience.



Epic Battle (Twilight v. IE 600 v. Variations):

The review basically ends here, however, I have included a detailed comparison between the Twilight, IE 600 and Variations by identifying their strengths and weaknesses by each genre I listen to. Keep reading only if you are interested, or if you find that this may help you better. (I have excluded the Turii and Zen Pro as I don’t own them, the RSV because it’s far too similar so I’ll probably be repeating myself most of the time, and the PRISM because I’ve already “declared” the Twilight to be better).




J-Pop:



Song: Ifの世界設定 (Hypothetical World Setting)
Artist: Orangestar / IA
Album: 未完成エイトビーツ (Mikansei Eight Beats)


Twilight: decent bass slam, lacks depth, vocals slightly emphasized, unbeatable rendering of IA’s voice (no annoying VOCALOID artifacts), zero emphasis on other instruments, lateral image with front and back extension, all synthesizer tracks are incredibly well-separated, theater-like presentation, a more reference-ish listen

IE 600: intoxicating bass response, good depth, IA sounds far too digital and has quite a lot of grain, noticeable sibilance, behind-the-ear image, studio-like presentation

Variations: powerful bass slam, great depth, IA generally sounds thin and a bit too digital, slight emphasis on hi-hats, generally behind-the-ear stage, theater-like presentation, somewhat a bridge between the Twilight and IE 600

Winner: Twilight without question if you are here for IA’s vocals, as it’s one of the few IEMs that can render that properly. Variations for a more energetic experience



J-Pop:



Song: 老人と海 (Rōjin to Umi) (Old Man and the Sea)
Artist: ヨルシカ (Yorushika)
Album: 老人と海


Twilight: mellow bass response that still provides excellent depth, outstanding guitar pluck clarity, suis’ vocals stand out from the mix, with hints of warmth and sweetness, n-buna’s vocals shine beyond the instruments, zero aggressiveness

IE 600: powerful kicks, hi-hats and cymbals are emphasized significantly, suis’ vocals do stand out, but are grainy and lack sweetness, n-buna’s vocals shine along with suis’, overly aggressive with ear-piercing sibilance

Variations: interesting kick texture with good punch and slam, great left-right separation, suis’ vocals may be hindered by the backing tracks at times, suis sounds dry and cold, n-buna’s vocals are basically not detectable, average vocal performance paired with a bass response I find not fitting well

Winner: Twilight. It has by far the best vocal performance of the three. It also doesn’t have the level of aggressiveness the other two show, which kind of ruins the serenity the song tries to provide. Natural, mellow, smooth is exactly the scene the Old Man and the Sea conveys, the Twilight presents that with accuracy like no other



J-Rock:



Song: 新宝島 (Shin Takara Jima)
Artist: sakanaction (サカナクション)
Album: 新宝島


Twilight: not enough sub-bass slam and punch, vocals slightly subdued, notes have a very small amount of blunt, unrivalled separation, image placed laterally with extension towards both front and back, concert hall-like presentation, outwards-diffused instruments

IE 600: incredibly well-articulated kicks and snares, vocals slightly subdued, very crisp notes, great separation, image generally placed behind ear, studio-like stage size

Variations: excellent kick texture, vocals slightly forward, perfect transient balance, fantastic separation, instruments placed laterally and behind the ear, theater-like stage size

Winner: Variations, as it combines the best of the IE 600’s crispness and the Twilight’s presentation. However, the IE 600 can be considered competitive for its earth-shattering bass response



Classical:



Song: Fantasia on Arias from “La Traviata”: II. Allegretto
Composer: Marc-Olivier Dupin
Conductor: Yuli Turovsky
Orchestra: I Musici de Montréal
Concertmaster: Alexander Trostiansky


Twilight: silky smooth, rich, full note weight, orchestra placed far behind concertmaster, good frontal imaging with height, stereoscopic stage, fantastic depth, great microdynamics

IE 600: concertmaster’s violin sounds a bit too sharp, also a bit thin, orchestra is placed quite near concertmaster, in-your-head imaging, excellent depth, excellent microdynamics, sounds like everybody is in the practice room

Variations: violin is quite smooth but does have a very slight sharp edge, note weight a bit thin, orchestra is placed appropriately behind concertmaster, excellent frontal imaging, average depth, good microdynamics

Winner: Twilight without question. Easily the most listenable out of the three, as the violin doesn’t have any edginess. Also has massive projection and high dynamic inflection in instrumental tones, which gives possibly the most accurate rendering for an orchestra in a concert hall



OST (Instrumental):



Song: 陽菜と、走る帆高 (Running with Hina)
Artist: RADWIMPS
Album: 天気の子 (Tenki no ko) (“Weathering With You” Original Soundtrack)


Twilight: fantastic depth without any bass bloom, incredible balance between the volumes of every instrument, beautiful microdynamic contrast, true orchestral-performance-level presentation with adequate air

IE 600: good depth with a bit of bass bloom, too much emphasis on percussions to a point where it overshadows the string instruments, percussions also have a slight metallic edge, good microdynamic contrast, open, airy, stage

Variations: average depth with a bit of bass bloom, slight emphasis on percussions, average microdynamic contrast with minor compression, open, airy, stage

Winner: Twilight without question. The most accurate in presenting an orchestra. The only one out of the three that makes you feel the openness and elegance of the sky depicted in the movie by Makoto Shinkai



J-Pop (Live Recording):



Song: Universe (Live)
Artist: Official 髭男 Dism (OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM)
Album: One Man Tour 2021-2022 – Editorial- @saitama Super Arena


Twilight: excellent bass texture, emphasis on brass instruments and drum kicks, slight vocal emphasis, frontal and lateral presentation, outwards-diffused instruments, concert hall-like presentation, magnificent internal detail (the only one capable of resolving the tom-toms)

IE 600: thunderous, true concert-like bass response, hi-hat emphasis, frontal stage presentation, good positional accuracy, theater-like presentation, high macro and microdynamics

Variations: remarkable slam, significant emphasis on hi-hats, can have a slight tinny edge, slight vocal emphasis, lateral presentation, theater-like presentation, bass is ethereally separated

Winner: IE 600 without question. It’s the only monitor here that makes you feel like you’re currently in the live concert being shook by the kicks and the bass guitar.



Electronic (Instrumental):



Song: Silhouettes
Artist: Yuncino
Album: Silhouettes


Twilight: mellow kicks but with good depth, marvelous track separation, excellent left-right channel separation, cathedral-like presentation, globular stage

IE 600: explosive kicks with good depth, great track separation, ok LR separation, large studio-like presentation, behind-the-ear stage

Variations: energetic kicks but with average depth, great track separation, good left-right separation, theater-like presentation, generally behind-the-ear stage

Winner: Twilight for pleasantness and expansiveness, Variations for energy and balance (of performance between the three)



Electronic:



Song: Polar
Artist: SaMZing / Kirara Magic
Album: Polar


Twilight: surprisingly good bite and attack, excellent depth, not overly bloomy, great clarity, unparalleled track separation, instrumental outwards-diffusion, theater-like presentation, globular stage

IE 600: excellent punch & slam, excellent depth, overly sharp notes but with near-ethereal clarity, fairly good separation, studio-like presentation, lateral stage, incredibly aggressive presentation

Variations: excellent slam, lacks depth, crisp notes with a slight tinny edge on high-pitched percussions, excellent clarity, fantastic track separation, theater-like presentation, stage

Winner: IE 600 if you like doing head bangs, as it provides the most satisfying drops. Twilight’s generous presentation works exceptionally well during the choruses and buildups



Hip-Hop (Electronic):



Song: ZERO-SUM
Artist: wotaku, KAITO
Album: ZERO-SUM


Twilight: lead-synth placed behind ears, powerful bite and depth, good SFX rendering (although guns sound like they have suppressors), adequate focus on vocals, precise positioning, mini-HD800s

IE 600: in-your-face lead synth, excellent SFX rendering (guns sound crisp, overly crisp), great clarity focus on KAITO’s vocals, good positioning, sound generally placed behind ears, acceptable LR separation, room-like stage

Variations: unreal rumble, bass separation like no other, excellent SFX rendering, good focus on KAITO, excellent positioning, great LR separation, studio-like stage

Winner: Variations’ sub-bass response killed it (even better than the IE 600)



If you got here, thanks for reading my 4500-word *cough* essay *cough*. Well, that's the real end of it, comment down below if you have any suggestions on how to improve this (this is also the first time I'm writing a formal review this long) or just want to continue chatting .

A single dynamic driver IEM can be of particular interest to some of us. In a day and age where dynamic drivers, balanced armatures, electrostatic, bone conduction and, more recently, planar magnetic drivers, can be found in IEMs; dynamic drivers have an allure no other driver have — and for good reason.

Dynamic drivers have been omnipresent in speaker systems which have been surrounding us for as long as we can remember. We're used to hearing recorded music via particularly coherent drivers and we've been accustomed to their timbre.

Single dynamic driver IEMs are however difficult to tune to a high standard compared to multi-driver IEMs. This explains why they're so uncommon and sought-after by some.


The object — Pictures of the Softears Twilight found online often are close-ups and, therefore, misleading. In person, the Twilight felt surprisingly small if not downright tiny.

With their matte black shell and splitter, black 4.4 cable and 2-pin connectors, Softears went for a minimalist and understated look. And while the packaging shares this approach, there's nothing minimalist in its content with a good selection of tips, a mesh pocket, round leatherette case and microfibre cloth.

Build quality and machining are good yet serial #A71 showed some marks on the splitter out of the box where the matte finish was rubbed off on the corners/edges. It's nothing major and barely enough to qualify as B-stock at this price-point but it's there. Softears also seemed to have thought a good idea to perfume the card with the serial number — not a smart move. While the IEMs, cable and mesh pocket weren't affected, if they would have been, they would have been promptly returned.


Fit & Comfort — Being small and very light, the shell won't be an issue for most despite their unique orientation compared to other IEMs.

While not as thick as some other brands, the nozzles are on the thicker and longer side. This is where some might find fit and comfort to be a challenge.

The three types of bundled tips in S, M and L are of excellent quality yet might not fit some as it was the case here. Alternatives work well with little alterations to the tuning as the Twilight are extremely well-vented. They are going to leak sound yet are pressure-free and have no driver-flex.

Tips used: settled on the SpinFit CP145


Sound — The Twilight are impressively coherent and have a wonderfully natural timbre with instruments and voices sounding lifelike.

Lows are very much present when called for and offer a satisfactory rumble but otherwise remain in their place. The same goes for the mids which are well-balanced and similarly offer grit when the track calls for it. Highs are plenty satisfactory for sensitive ears without being conservative either.

What stands out in particular is the Twilight's ability to be smooth all the while retaining a good amount of detail and a particularly open soundstage — the latter two not being attributes often found in a relaxed tuning. This translates into instruments and voices naturally breathing and having what some could consider being the perfect amount of detail and texture.

Files / Sources used: CD-quality FLAC bought from Qobuz & Tidal HiFi streaming / Uncapped Sony NW-WM1AM2 (Direct Source: On), Cayin RU6 (NOS) and Astell & Kern SR25 MKII (Phase Compensation Slow)


Conclusion — The Twilight are absolutely stellar. If it wasn't for potential fit and comfort issues due to the nozzle on the thicker/longer side, they would be recommended without hesitation as a blind buy for anyone to whom the aforementioned sound description speaks even remotely.

Twilight

"the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night produced by diffusion of sunlight through the atmosphere and its dust"

(Merriam-Webster Definition)



Introduction & Caveats

Twilight is the latest single dynamic driver from Softears, and is available from a number of online dealers with an RRP of $930 at time of publication. I purchased mine from @MusicTeck at a reduced price in exchange for a review. I must note that my own investment in the set equates to a much larger percentage of the total price, so I've plenty of skin in the game. The Softears Twilight can be found on the MusicTeck website - HERE

I am not a professional reviewer or anything remotely like it. I love music, and I love the methods by which we can listen to music - over the last two years, that has become an obsession with IEMs and related gear. I've bought and sold many, and held on to a select few - these have been anything from a $20 set like the Moondrop Chu, all the way up to kilobuck sets such as Aroma Jewel or the infamous 'Traillii' from Oriolus. As part of this exploration, I like to share my thoughts on the various sets in my journey with the Head-Fi community, in the hope it might be useful to others. The massive caveat, is of course that 'your mileage may vary' - this is a highly subjective hobby.

Dynamic Drivers - the road so far...

For the most part, my interest has been very much the humble single dynamic driver - I'm drawn to the coherency of a single transducer, and love to explore the various types of tuning different sets produce, be it an entry-level or top-tier set. The single DD journey began almost two years ago when I took the plunge on the very first run of the DUNU ZEN, which sent me on a voyage of discovery to establish what I deem to be the best dynamic drivers on the market. This road has led me to many DDs that I've really loved, and also learned a lot from along the way in terms of my own listening preferences, and what works best with my library - some have been genre specialists, others all-rounders. I was aware of the Softears Turii, but with a relatively high price tag, nervous to take the plunge as not a huge amount of reviews out there - those that do exist are typically very positive, so my interest has been there for a while. When I heard there was a lower-cost DD being released by Softears, I was immediately very curious, and made the leap fairly quickly once it became available on MusicTeck. This is my first product from Softears, and as will become apparent in this review, certainly not my last - hint, I've since bought another, which I'll talk about later.

Twilight Specifications

Unboxing & Accessories

Twilight arrives in a relatively small, and minimal black box. I love this type of branding - discreet, to the point, and with an 'expensive' look and feel.



On opening, you are greeted with what seems to be the slogan for any of the single dynamic drivers from Softears - 'Twist Your Ears' - I'll come to it later, but there is a sort-of 'twist' insertion method that achieves a secure fit and seal. You'll be deligthed to know, you don't actually twist your ears...



Next up, we see both Twilight themselves, nestled in a sort of felt-like tray, and the very nice leatherette case - I must say, I'm a fan of these round cases, very practical and look slick.



The supplied accessories laid out, and include:

1. Carry case
2. Shell mesh
3. 'Liquid Silicone' tips in S/M/L
4. 4-core, Oxygene-free copper cable with 0.78 connectors, and 4.4mm termination
5. Foam tips in S/M/L
6. Regular silicone tips in S/M/L
7. Cleaning brush
8. 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter
9. 2 x sets of replacement filters

The Case

I'm not sure if it's leather or faux-leather, but certainly feels wonderful and is of very high quality, premium finish. These are my favourite style of cases, and my (current) top 3 IEMs all come as standard with this style of case.



Tips

The selection of tips include Softears own 'U.C.' tips (not sure what that stands for...) which are similar to Xelastec Crystal in appearance and touch, minus the stickiness. These didn't work for me unfortunately, the material is too thin/light to hold the shells in my ears properly, as such, I had to go hunting in my own collection. There are also standard silicone, and foam.

Cable

The stock cable is an OFC terminated with a 4.4mm jack and 0.78 IEM connectors. A high quality cable that looks and feels very nice. There are some microphonics with rigorous movement of the cable, but I can't imagine anyone will be jogging or in the gym with these.



Design & Fit (the elephant in the room...?)



Twist your ears - I guess what this refers to is how you insert Twilight in your ears - pretty simple really, insert, and twist backwards slightly... voila! But tips are of course key, and I'll talk about that shortly.

The shells are made from an aluminum alloy, apparently of the same type used in aviation. They are incredibly light, and in my opinion, beautifully constructed. The curved/rectangular shape give a bit of an illusion in terms of how they will ultimately fit - in reality, it's the nozzle that sits in your ear, and this is where the usual tip-rolling kicks in so as to get a good fit and seal. The nozzle is relatively thin and long, which I've found can be a problem for me. The clear silicone tips worked on and off - I often had to re-adjust to keep a good seal, which is of course frustrating when you just want to enjoy your music. I had no luck with the stock silicone either, too short even with the largest to get a secure fit.

The initial solution for me, which often works in these scenarios are the Symbio 'F' tips - as the F suggests, these are the foam tips from Symbio and definitely my tip of choice when reaching for a foam - I don't find they emphasise low frequency, or reduce high frequency but provide an excellent, and comfortable fit. I then moved on to a recent purchase, the SpinFit W1, one of the latest from SpinFit, and not actually unlike the stock clear silicone tips, except they are a touch longer, and firmer. The W1 aren't cheap (around €24), and only sold at present in packs of S/M/L - this is a bit annoying when you only need one size... BUT - they are fantastic, and the best tips I've tried on my IEM journey by quite a margin. The W1 allow Twilight to sit perfectly in my ears, with zero fatigue for any duration. It must be noted however, that the open design of these shells with multiple vents means that isolation is certainly not a strong point - if you are seeking to block out the world around you, Twilight is not the choice.

Finally, the 0.78 receiver is a recessed socket, something to bear in mind if cable rolling.



Listening Impressions

Important to note, I only listen to local files, all of which are FLAC, and many are 24bit. The vast majority of my time with Twilight has been with either Lotoo Paw 6000, or Lotoo Paw Gold Touch. My genre preferences are very broad, but I listen to a lot of electronic music on IEMs - ambient, modern classical, dub, techno, trance, D&B, IDM, trance, to name a few. Outside of electronic music, I also listen to male and female vocalists, indie, hip hop, etc. A bit of everything really, but with IEMs my focus tends to be electronic music.



Overall, I would describe Twilight as a nicely balanced set, with a slight lift towards the lows and overall smooth, organic souding, and very captivating tuning. The soundstage is excellent - large, airy, and reminds me of listening to buds or full size headphones. Detail retrieval is very good, but the somewhat laidback tuning does mean a trade-off in squeezing out every micro detail (this is where the big brother/sister, 'Turii Ti' steps in). I would describe as relatively 'safe' tuning, and very easy to like/love - those looking for skull-pounding bass, or the sharpest of ear tickling treble, probably won't be satisfied with Twilight. I have yet to find a genre that doesn't work with Twilight - anything from ambient to techno, and all in between.

Lows -

The mid bass had good depth, but doesn't quite 'slam', I'd say more of a solid punch. Sub bass has very respectable extension, and there is a nice rumble when called for. Timbre for instruments in the lower register is excellent, and I'm finding the longer I spend in this hobby, the less fussy I am about wanting buckets of bass - I'm generally happy with good quality, and a quantity that is well represented relative to mids and highs, this is very much the case with Twilight, albeit with a slight lift that certainly gives that sense of warmth.

Mids -

Smooth, organic, and with plenty of body. There is good clarity in this region, and I've not experienced any sense of congestion with instruments and vocals competing for space. There is an overall sense of a lush, emotive midrange which will certainly appeal to those of you who count mids as a focus area. Male and female vocals sound excellent, and typically sit level with instruments. Piano, strings, guitars are all beautifully rendered and again with great clarity and realism.

Highs -

There is good extension in the high frequencies, but steps back a bit in the furthest reaches - a couple of notches below a 'sparkle'. The energy in the lower treble is evident, and I find this excellent for percussion - snares etc sound incredibly lifelike, especially coupled with both the wonderfully complementary low-end, and large stage - it gives a real sense of putting you right in the mix with the drummer. The somewhat subdued upper highs definitely contributes to the overall sense of warmth, and allows Twilight step in to the realm of being a solid all-rounder with again that 'safe' (but absolutely not boring) tuning.

Technical -

Open, large soundstage which I assume is largely due to the multiple vents - downside to this is of course that isolation isn't fantastic, they won't be a set to take on a busy train and hope to drown everything out. Imaging and layering is wonderful, and tracks with mulitple instruments, vocals etc are all handled with absolute ease, and without any congestion. Detail retrieval is very good, but not excellent - I see this as a bit of a trade-off in the fact Twilight has a smoother profile, and so ultra-flexible with any genre you throw at it. For me, it ticks every imaginable box from a technical perspective in the tuning profile it's going for - IE600 / IE900 for example both beat Twilight on detail retrieval, but on overall tuning, I'd take Twilight in a heartbeat (subjective statement!).



Tracks

Beck - Side of the Road (male vocals, indie)



Beck's voice is dead-centre in the mix, with guitars spanning left and right. The instruments are projected wonderfully across the soundstage, stunning layering and imaging, and top notch timbre. There is an excellent sense of clarity, with instruments and vocals sounding crystal clear.

Jane Weaver - Argent (female vocals, indie, psychedelic rock)



A more upbeat track from Jane Weaver, providing a good test for Twilight in dealing with multiple instruments with a much faster pace versus Beck. Jane's voice is again centre, and in-line with instruments. Bass guitar strums very accurately in the mix, and is presented in the middle. Percussion as noted earlier, sounds fantastic and occupies a wide portion of the stage. As the track progresses, the intensity increases with the addition of sax, and swirling synths in the mix, all handled with ease. I'd consider this a tough enough track as a test due to the almost chaotic levels it hits, but Twilight doesn't falter.

Shabazz Palaces - An Echo from the Hosts the Profess Infinitum (hip hop, electronica)



Sub bass kicks in with this track, and is very well represented - a good deep rumble, and excellent distinction from the vocals, synths, and drum programming. Again, the sense of imaging in the mix is really fantastic - while Twilight is smooth in delivery, it absolutely maintains an incredible ability to wow with the size of the stage and impeccable layering and imaging. The production in this track is jaw-dropping, and the sounds bounce all over the stage.

Arc - Mix (minimal/ambient techno, IDM)



A classic electronic track from 1996, that builds and unfolds over it's 10 minute runtime. Yet again, I can't help but be amazed how Twilight renders each component of the track over the large stage. Kick drums hit with good authority, the swirling synths dance playfully around the centre and expand out across the stage. I'm left wanting to listen to the track all over again, absolutely spot on.

Jason Van Wyk - Recollect (modern classical/ambient)



I listen to a lot of ambient and modern classical and my favourite probably up to now would have been the Oriolus Isabellae - Twilight surpasses Isa to my ears (and from memory, as I sold it a few months ago), it has a similar mid-range magic, but adds much more clarity across the FR and the vastness of space on the stage really allows music like this to shine. Yet again, the smooth profile is utterly captivating, and so easy to sit back and drift off with music like this.



Comparisons

Sennheiser IE600 -

IE600 digs deeper down below, and has more sparkle up top. They share a similarity in that they are both somewhat 'safe' in their tuning, but I find Twilight far more captivating - while IE600 also has a higher level of detail retrieval, it lacks the finesse and organic nature of Twilight - this can be considered a pro or a con really, depending on what you are looking for. I have no intention of parting with IE600, it has much better isolation and is a set I reach for if going for a walk, or going on holidays etc.

Technics TZ700 -

The TZ700 again has much deeper low-end reach, and more sparkle up top. It's more technically competent too, with the smallest of details evident in the mix. I consider it more of a reference tuned set, and excellent in my experience for evaluating new albums on Bandcamp. As per IE600, it takes a back-seat when it comes to overall emotive engagement, Twilight has a huge edge when it comes to that organic, smooth, captivating tuning, versus what sounds somewhat cold in comparison when I switch. The TZ700 is still a fantastic set, and one that really wowed me when I picked it up a few months ago, it just has a different place in my collection.

IE900 -

This is sort of as per IE600, but I find IE900 much more exciting to listen to versus either. IE900 beats both from a technical perspective, and is even more impressive than IE600 when it comes to sub bass rumble and treble sparkle. I don't consider IE900 as an all-rounder anymore though, I once did in my DD journey - but with age, comes wisdom IE900 really shines for fast electronic music - genres like techno, D&B, trance etc.

Turii Ti -

Note: diminishing returns - Twilight gets you a lot of the way there, and there is a significant cost difference for similar tuning, the DNA is evident in both... a winning formula. I'll save the detail for my Turii Ti review in a couple of weeks, but let's just say that it does everything Twilight does, and move it up several notches - without question the best single dynamic driver I've heard, and my favourite IEM I've encountered so far in this journey. They are definitely complementary - where Twilight goes for a smoother delivery, Turii Ti steps up in resolution, stage size and overall macro and micro detail retrieval - it's also brighter, with more energy up top.

Conclusion

Leaving Turii Ti aside, Twilight is my top choice single dynamic driver I've encountered on this journey, absolutely 'king of the road', beating even the highly regarded, and much more expensive IE900 from Sennheiser in terms of the overall tuning profile. I can listen for hours on end, and constantly curious as to what other albums in my library might sound like - I feel Softears have absolutely hit bullseye with Twilight, an impeccably tuned set that has been a joy to discover. A massive recommendation from me.