Sound Rhyme DTE900

General Information

1+4+4 Tribrid
1x 9.2mm Titanium Coated Dynamic Driver
2x Knowles 29689 BA Mids
2x Knowles 31736 BA Highs
4x Sonion EST65QB02 EST Drivers
110db sensitivity
21ohm impedance
Envisiontec 3D printed resin shells

Latest reviews

NymPHONOmaniac

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: -well balanced bright rumbly V shape to analytical neutral
-fast textured bass that can go big boom or dry punchy
-switch that transform the IEM in 2 different beast
-good imaging and great layering
-clear edgy mids
-fast crunchy treble
-excellent resolution
-excellent attack control with sharp lead
-plenty of micro details
-non trebly nor splashy yet not overly safe tuning
-competitive technical performance
-impressively cohesive tuning for 9 drivers IEM (timbre of drivers match well)
-great construction (sturdy and sexy)
-good modular cable and accessories
Cons: -lack of air and sparkle on top (slightly shy ESTs)
-not the cleanest nor holographic spatiality (air around instrument is foggy)
-quite intimate soundstage
-tough imaging is good, instrument separation feel compressed
-not for upper mids sensitive (those are bright and loud)
-mid bass definition goes a bit sloppy with bass boost
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TONALITY: 8.2/10
TECHNICALITIES: 9/10
TIMBRE: 7.5/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8/10
IMAGING: 8.5/10
MUSICALITY (subjective): 7.8/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
ACCESSORIES: 10/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.2/10


INTRO

Sound Rhyme is an IEM company from Xiamen, China that began as an OEMaudio products maker for Hifi brands in 2017 to finally launch its own brand in 2019.

Since then they have launched a wide array of earphones from single dynamic driver budget IEM like SR1 to fabulous 7 drivers hybrid like SR7 to extremely competitive tribrid with EST like the DTE500. I’ve reviewed both SR7 and DTE500 in the past and now it’s time to test their higher range tribrid the DTE900.

Priced 750$, the DTE900 is a 9 drivers tribrid using 1 9.2mm dual magnetic dynamic driver+4 knowles Balanced armature+quad sonion electrostatics (EST) drivers. While the price might seem high, it isn’t in terms of quality of drivers used and you would be hard pressed to find similar IEMs under 1000$.

As well, the DTE900 has 2 switches that promise 4 tuning choices for ultimate versatility, which raise sound benefit return even more.

But let's see in this review if the 9 drivers of this IEM sound cohesive, musical and deliver high technical performance which should be expected at this price range.


CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES
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As expected, the construction of DTE900 is pristine, made of high grade smooth and thick semi translucent resin plastic with a glossy sparkly faceplate that captivates the eyes with its galactical starry colorful pattern.
Sound Rhyme specializes in this type of IEM shell, and the ergonomic is based on 3D ear data which explain the organic near custom like shape, it’s the type of IEM that can be worn both deep and shallow fit.
The size is chunky but the overall nozzle isn’t too big, so this IEM should fit most ears. Since it's lightweight and it does go hot or cold like metal, the comfort is excellent.

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The 2 pin connector isn't recessed, it’s fully embedded in the shell so we just have 2 holes and less risk of water damage. Yet, you need to be cautious and align the 2pin perfectly when pushing to avoid damaging the pin. This type of connector is versatile for a wide range of cables.

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In terms of cable, we are spoiled by Sound Rhyme, since it’s an excellent modular cable that has 3 changeable termination: 3.5 single ended, 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced ends.
The braided cable is made of 8 strands 7N crystal-copper silver plated wire. This is a clean and crisp ‘’sounding’’ cable that doesn't justify an urgent upgrade at all, which will be a relief for demanding consumers.

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When it comes to packaging, it’s all compacted in a minimalist black box that is generously filled with accessories. Unlike big fancy boxes with underwhelming accessories number or quality, Sound Rhyme is more concerned about spoiling the consumer with seriously good accessories. We have 2 carrying cases, one is round and made of sturdy metal, the other is made of leather. We have this excellent multi purpose cable. We have 6 pairs of good quality silicone eartips in 2 models and 2 pairs of memory foam ear tips. This is more than enough and a big plus. The eartips choice is appropriate for the IEM nozzle, which is a sign of professionalism.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS

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The DTE900 is an overall energetic, technical and bright sounding set that offer 2 different sounds that you can spice up even more by mixing the 2 switch possibilities for a total of 4 musical flavors.
Yet, what you get is mostly a bright(12-wwide sound field mode) to darkish V shape headbanger (10-deep bass mode) with extra sub bass boom and vibrancy or crisp balanced W shape (02-clear voice mode) to bright neutral with slight mid bass boost (00-Pop music mode).

Whatever switch choice you made, the DTE900 are not for treble sensitive people especially in terms of upper mids since you get whole highs section putted forward with the bass taking second lead here, and mids third row. Those are anti-boring sounding IEM and aim for both bassy fun that benefit electronic music and more monitor like tuning that put forwards clear presence of instrument as well as upper highs percussions effortless way, thanks to those 4EST that are implemented humbly, in the sense it’s not the most awaken electrostat dynamic and vividity i’ve heard, the ultra highs take fourth lead here after low, mids and highs.

Coming from warmer sounding Sound Rhyme DTE500 and SR7, the DTE900 take me a bit by surprise, it remind me a bassier and less analytical BGVP DM9, at first it feel plain V shape with bass switch up then when you don’t hadd bass boost, it become way less bassy and awaken in macro dynamic.

DTE900 aren’t for mid centric lovers nor for soft docile lush mids or laid back musicality seekers, it’s for those seeking high resolution with a switch trick that can inject a lot of bass fun to cover a wider music style diversity.

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Switch 1 UP:

The bass slam is hard and wide, it has a sub bass dominance that has rumble headroom and vibrancy, it’s not a thick and opaque bass. The point of impact is just before mid bass roundness, so it can feel a bit loose and warmed with extra attack to sustain that widen presence envelope but don’t have extra texture info or density definition.
This is guilty pleasure done right because bass stays in the back and stretched soundstage, yet blur the background clarity, which will steal clean silence around instruments.
The bass line is very well extracted, with boosted grunt, oomph and rumble depending on instruments.
Electric bass instruments sound better than double bass or cello which feel a bit boomy and blurry, lacking this fine presence fullness and harmonic corpulence.
Acoustic kick drum will be a bit blurred by the bass line if loud, kick isn’t thigh, round and edgy.
Fast but a bit excited and not the heaviest in attack, the bass boost is more aggressive in rumble than hard punching mid bass.

Switch 1 DOWN
Bass is leaner and more textured and suddenly has cleaner and more rounded mid bass, sub bass is less vibrant and more controlled.
Now I struggle a bit to differentiate cello and violin, both are bright and textured, quite crisp and well layered, plain neutral with boosted clarity.
The acoustic kick drum has a brighter and more rounded presence too.
With the switch down, DTE900 is all about upper mids and treble focus. I do enjoy mid bass more, it feels more speedy and controlled, we have notably cleaner background too due to less bass impact resonance release.
This time the double bass has more controlled attack and leaner extension, but it's not as dynamic sounding, it’s dryer and more monitor and cold like in terms of tone.

The overall mids of DTE900 are bright and forwards in presence, it can go more edgy and crisp when you boost lower and mid treble with the switch 2. Then when switch 1 is down, midds are a bit more open and clean.
Those are energetic and well sharpen mids, and people sensitive to high pina gain might find female vocal and high pitched instruments like sax and trumpet a bit surprising in loudness gain when intensity of playing is higher. But we aren’t into screamy shouty fest, the attack control is too good for this, it doesn't go distorted or harsh but makes the main instrument and vocal pop up.
This means you don’t struggle to find your vocal or instruments too, and they offer pristine macro layering in a centered and intimate spatiality.
The center stage is filled with sound info, the instrument has boosted timbre texture yet keeps good transparency. The definition edge is sharpened with EST but it’s not the cleanest nor most transparent mids.. Note weight is on the light side, the lower mids aren’t feeding a sense of lushness here.The piano feels more distant than saxo or vocal even if recorded at same level, but it’s well resolved and layered, it doesn't get lost in bass warmth which stays behind.
While not the thickest, those aren't thin or plain cold mids at all, piano has speedy and tapping attack with enough weight, it isn't slowed in sustain. Even if vocal and wind instrument asre loud and fowards, they have a notch of lushness in their timbre too, so like with the SR7, but in a more energic way, the DTE900 offer natural tone enough with just a slightly BA edge to it that add definition and bite to sounds presence.

Switch 2 UP:

When up, it mostly adds upper mids and treble presence, it doesn't boost EST treble above 10khz. And this is the thing for ESTs lovers like me: ultra highs aren’t the most upfront, airy and sparkly. Here we have good crispness on top but the thicker treble crunchiness stole the air and clean snap of ultra highs. So, in that regard it’s hard to find the advantage of using 4 ESTs instead of 2 even if it sharpen the presence clarity of instrument which are fully restitute and rounded, not half cook like it could be if we tame texture info region and raise sharply ultra highs to add ‘’fake air’’ to the detriment of percussions or high pitch instrument corpulency.
So we have a speedy crunchy treble that delivers a lot of sound info which densifies the air with numerous sound layers cohabiting in a lively macro dynamic that feel like a complex patchwork that closely surrounds the listener.
It’s not ultra open and holographic highs, percussions are close to center stage yet speedy and tight in attack release, their no splashing boosted sustain nor poking harsh spike.
The violin is agile and edgy in attack and superbly layered in quartet and symphony, the presence is brighten with timbre fine details, it’s zero colored with warmth so i prefer listening to fast virtuoso like Hiraly Hann than slow contemplative violin that will focus more on mid range harmony with longer strings brushing that would benefit extra lushness and less dryness.
I find the DTE900 quite good with rock music, this was a surprise and mostly due to the electric guitar sound ultra realist and full in presence, with proper attack bite and non harmonic distortion density that is very revealing in terms of amp filters the guitarist uses.

The Soundstage is above average in wideness, which goes more stretched when sub bass releases occur. When it comes to depth, it’s very limited though since there is a lack of air around the background instrument.

Imaging is quite good though greatly centered on middle stage and not the most spacious in instrument separation, so it’s mostly about layering capacity here that avoid instrument to mix and blur each other, percussions as well as bass line and vocal or main instrument are easiest to track sound due to bright well define presence, when bass boost is off, the DTE900 become near monitor IEM.

SIDENOTES

At 21ohm of impedance and 110db of sensitivity the DTE900 are easy to drive and do well with all my source in terms of dynamic and headroom. They don’t seem very sensitive to impedance gain either. And unlike some other tribrid with ESTs, more power doesn't awaken the ESTs more. Yet, a clean and smooth source like the Hiby R6pro 2 or Aune Yuki is a great match with those, i'll not choose too bright or upper mids energetic source with those. R6pro2 is among the most sparkly pairing i try, again a very good match.

Ear tips wise, I use stock wide bore and it’s OK, but for better comfort Tangzu Sancai is a good match too (wide bore but smoother less hard silicone). I don't suggest small hole ear tips because it will make DTE900 even brighter and more compressed in spatiality.

Cable wise, you don’t want to use all copper cable that will add warmth, nor all silver that will go all treble sharpness, stock cable is good enough but I prefer more dynamic bass and notch thicker mids and more articulated macro dynamic of Simgot LC7.


COMPARISONS

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VS BGVP DM9 (1dd4BA4EST-700$)

The DM9 is more similar to DTE900 without bass boost and with a speedier and cleaner mid bass as well as more W shape tuning due to more vividly snappy and sparkly upper treble.

Bass quality is superior yet less deep and rumbly in extension, it's rounder and higher in attack as well as less reverberant in release which keep mids crisper and cleaner.

Those mids are very similar to DTE900 but a notch edgier in definition and we have more air around the instrument, their presence isn’t as wide and vocals are more prompt to sibilance though not as loud for vocal release gain. Both those IEMs don’t deliver lush or very creamed with warmth vocal and instruments. DM9 has a bit thinner and colder mids tone and timbre.

The treble is notably more sparkly, sharp and snappy with DM9, I tend to prefer tribrid that boost dynamic and energy of ESTs and DTE900 is a bit underwhelming in that regard, or too well balanced? DM9 delivers cleaner micro details, airier highs that are a bit thinner and less full in presence than DTE900, percussions has more crunch and texture info with DTE900 but not as well sharpen presence envelope which has crisper edge with DM9.

Soundstage is wider and taller with DTE900 but DM9 has upper hands when it comes to depth, since center stage is more open and clean we can dig deeper in cleaner spatiality.

This means imaging is superior too with DM9, which is more monitor analytical.
Ok, the DM9 are a notch superior in technical performance due to more upfront and vivid upper treble which fully take advantage of its 4 ESTs while the DTE900 make them a bit overly docile to unleash as dynamic W shape balance.
Yet, the musicality is less treble centric with DTE900, which i prefer due to less thin mids and less compressed center stage, as well, its bassier and less spiky sounding. But if you seek for proper electrostat ultra highs, DM9 has them more upfront, for some it will feel unbalanced but the sense of excitement and immediacy is more boosted too…..as well as sparkle!

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VS HIBY ZETA (1DD4BA4EST-1400$)

The Zeta are quite similar to DTE900 with bass boost ON, yet Zeta are smoother with notch warmer lower mids as well as wider W shape balance that squeeze up more crispness, air and sparkle from its 4 ESTs.

The Bass is a bit more boosted in rumble and sub bass with Zeta, the slam is more mellow while DTE900 is more hard punchy in mid bass, with edgier punch and more texture bass line. Zeta has thicker but a notch warmer and less well resolved bass, it seems slower too which makes the bass line harder to follow in speedy busy tracks like jazz rock. Tone can be perceived as lusher and more natural with Zeta since bass is thicker and more tactile than more resonant hard hitting DTE900.

Mids are less aggressive and upfront with the Zeta, it’s more open and leaner in dynamic, timbre is lusher and definition is creamier, less edgy. Instrument and vocal presence is wider too. DTE900 have clearer mids, more technical and bright, a bit more compressed and centered in presence, upper mids are louder and texture is more boosted. Smoother, darker and airier are Zeta mids, a notch thicker too and the center stage is wider as well.

The treble is more airy and sparkly yet again darker with Zeta, it's more softed in attack bite, more tweaked to get extra sense of air and macro openness. DTE900 has edgier and sharper highs, not as detached and holographic, not as brilliant so while electric guitar sound more abrasive and texture and well rounded the acoustic guitar lack this crispness and sparkly decay and clean attack accent of Zeta which do better with harp too, as well, percussions are cleaner and crisper, less mixed with other sound info.

The soundstage is notably wider, taller and deeper with Zeta.

Imaging while more centered and compressed in terms of spatiality is notably superior with DTE900, this is evident with busy track, i can track all instruments more accurately even if their less wide space between them. Both these IEMs will have bass resonance spoiling background silence so overall Zeta is more foggy in terms of positioning precision.

All in all, while I do prefer the more laid back and sparkly musicality of 2 times pricier Zeta, the technical performance is evidently superior with DTE900, from imaging to macro resolution to attack control, everything but the ESTs call superiority. It's a bit sad that those ESTs are tamed here.


CONCLUSION

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The Sound Rhyme DTE900 are very competitive flagship tribrid IEM that boost its sound value with the switch which permit to deliver near basshead fun musicality as well as bright neutral that can find its use for monitoring purpose.

Sure, I would not say no for more awake ESTs drivers since even if they use 4 of them, it’s quite understated in energy and vivid sparkle when it comes to ultra highs. But to some extent, this is a statement of refined balance to not be distracted with detached and too upfront micro details and percussions, but some extra air on top would sure make the DTE900 be closer to end game territory and achieving this at sub-1000$ would be incredible.

Because as seen with the Hiby Zeta comparison, the DTE900 has nothing to be ashamed about when it comes to high end sound benefit, it's on the very competitive side.

I’m truly impressed by the Sound Rhyme IEMs catalog, which offers a very wide variety of musical pleasure. The DTE900 is the polar opposite of the DTE500 which is more mid centric and warmer with slower and thicker bass.

If you seek for a technical monster that can go both headbanger bassy and analytical bright neutral, the Sound Rhyme DTE900 is a good bet for sure.

VERY RECOMMENDED!

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PS: I want to thanks Penon for sending me this review sample. I have no official affiliation nor gain any $ writing this review. The DTE900 will take part of my high end IEMs collection, being the 12th tribrid with EST that I proundly own.

You can order the Sound Rhyme DTE900 for 750$ here:https://penonaudio.com/Sound-Rhyme-DTE900.html
Official Soundrhyme website here:https://sound-rhyme.myshopify.com/en
V
Vocal Lover
How good are the Vocals against the Variations or other female Vocals strong iem? Great Review!

vasix

New Head-Fier
... when @SoundEater met Sound Rhyme and painted a sound picture ...
Pros: Full, lush, layered, analytical, highly dynamic and delicious sound - like vanilla ice cream with a bouquet of caramelized fruits - you can almost feel the sound in your mouth. No part of the sound spectrum has been overlooked. A balance between technical and musical has been achieved, which deserves admiration. Macro and micro dynamics are at TOTL level, macro dynamics dominates a bit. Fast transients help listeners of technical music. Reverbs are there to make you perceive your favorite music more emotionally and accurately.

Strong, elastic, muscular, textured, punchy, fast bass with very good tactility. The control is very good and never overpowers the other frequencies. Brings a touch of warmth and musicality to the mids. Bio DD has a high quality of presentation, worthy of TOTL. The mid-bass helps the drum section - the double pedal sounds fantastic, tracking the drums in the far/near space is very easy. The bass/DD moves a lot of air and creates a physical punch without being overpowering, hitting directly in the chest.

TOTL level of resolution and layering. Rich mids with exceptional detail. This gives low volume listeners an advantage - you don't lose anything from the mix, it's all in front of you, delivered with incredible musicality and refined style.

The soundstage has a good width, but with a very impressive depth and height. Lots of black space between instruments and vocals, which speaks to exceptional layering. Individual layers of music are very easily distinguishable without straining your ears or turning up the volume. There is no stuttering of the soundstage on busy tracks, which works great for ultra-dynamic metal. The presentation is mostly frontal, but has a good 3D effect. In some genres such as psytrance, the scene has a limitless depth, which helps to get lost in the musical pleasure.

Good implementation of EST, the treble is present, but the highs are not sibilant. The cymbals sound good, with good density, clarity and not too metallic without dominating the other instruments!

The timbre is good and helps to get lost in the garden of sounds. However, single DD still has a better timbre and always will, in my opinion, regardless of price range.

Coherent sound with very good drivers coherence. I still find that a single DD can't be beat here, but still very good work by Sound Rhyme.

There is no scoop on the 10K, which helps with soundstage and layering.

Large dynamic range achieved with multiple highs and lows in the upper mids! It helps a lot for highly dynamic music like technical death metal and others. Of course, the highly dynamic bass also plays a role here.

Mid-bass is more than sub-bass, which helps genres like metal, pop, and more.

Good balance between bass-lower mids-upper mids. Energetic sound without harshness.

Male vocals are rich and clean with a hint of warmth. Females are sparkling and ethereal.

The images are captivating and ethereal. Very easy to follow in e-genres where everything is "flying" around you. They have great sharpness and precise static and dynamic place in the mix. Front/back/side image diffusion is unreal good for the price range. This IEM strives to center the image in front of the listener and does it very well, which is not typical for the price point.

Guitars in metal music sound lively and compelling, with texture and medium density. Their sound has a good analytical nature but mixed with musicality. There is no noticeable grain in the audio presentation except on bad recordings.

The adjustment buttons make a noticeable difference. There are four sound signatures. You can choose according to your preference.

Very good cable and tips. The cable perfectly matches the sound profile chosen by SR.

Stunning build quality. The commodity shell is a work of art. A custom shell is only about +$50, which is a good opportunity to play with your imagination.

The asking price is a steal for such an SQ. It's not cheap, but you get that kind of quality these days for around $2000+. So I think the SR DTE900 competes well above the price point.

Easy to drive!
Cons: The treble could have been extended a bit better.

The timbre could be a little better. BA timbre is noticeable on old/bad recordings. The DTE900 dissects the sound and shows every flaw in the recording, which is not good for poorly mastered recordings.

Upper mids can get hot sometimes. The 4K peak may be a problem for some, but at this tuning it works.

It's very comfortable, but people with smaller ears may find it uncomfortable.

The sound of the DTE900 is not for listeners who want to rest after a hard day's work. DTE900 will shake you up and wake you up, acting more like a strong double coffee than a relaxing evening drink. The sound is more on the audio-physical side, not so much on the musical and relaxing side.

I didn't like the storage boxes. The metal box is redundant. The leather case is very small and holds these IEMs firmly!
Sound Rhyme DTE900 4EST+ 4BA + 1 Dynamic Driver Hybrid 2Pin 0.78mm HiFi Audiophile In-ear Earphones IEMs with Switches! Switches make it very versatile and cost effective!!

• Driver configuration
• 9.2mm dual magnetic dynamic
• Knowles 29689 x 2 + 31736
• Sonion EST65QB02
• Frequency Response: 20hz-70k
• Sensitivity 110dB

• Impedance: 21ohm



Artists and albums used:


Soen- “Hollowed (Elisa)”

The Zenith Passage - “The Axiom of Error”

Cryptopsy-“Lascivious Undivine”

Soreption- "Jord" (album)

Leifur James-“Angel in Disguise”

Kruhl-“Dark Cosmic Inflation”

Gojira-"The Link"(album)

Cattle Decapitation-"Terrasite"(album)

Red Latter-"Digital&Outrage"

Carnivored-“Labyrinth”(album)

Archspire-“Dron Corpse Aviator”

Animals as Leaders- "Red Miso"

Abiotic- "Ikigai" (album)

Ten Walls-"Queen" (album)

Peter Finger- "Flow" (album)

Morandi-“Mind Fields”

The Prodigy- "No Tourists" (album)

Metallica-“Crown of Barbed Wire”

Soul Intent - “Everything and Nothing”

Wilkinson- "Cognition"(album)

Sade-“Smooth Operator"


and some others…

Equipment used: Shanling M7, LG V30+, original cable 4.4 for M7 and 3.5 for LG, stock silicone tips (L). FLAC files of all listed artists and albums. Тhe critical listening was done with a setting of 1/0 (UP/DOWN), which I find to be the most balanced for me.


Tonality: A+
Tech: S
Overall: S-



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The SR DTE900 gets a strong recommendation from me for people who want to "end the game" or follow the principle of "one IEM and you're done"! :beerchug:
Last edited:
vasix
vasix
I'm glad you like it, I appreciate it. Decided to make this review a little different than the usual reviews here, but still inform people about this IEM.:metal:
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Sybir
Sybir
This review aligns with my conclusions regarding the DTE900. As a (mostly) metal listener I can give it a recommendation if you're looking for a all-rounder that can handle stronger sounds well. The cable is good enough (though I'm still thinking about switching to Hakugei Bifrost).
marklivia
marklivia
I agree with every positive you have in your review. My new favorite set.
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Kingnubian

New Head-Fier
Soundrhyme DTE900 - Sound Elegance With a Temper
Pros: Richly detailed sound
Technicalities and resolution are top notch
Fast detailed bass
Open unrestrained sound
Energetic sound
Stunning looks and build quality
Cons: Upper mids can heat up
Not forgiving of poorly recorded music
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NOTES:

The Soundrhyme DTE900 stands at the top of this manufacturers product line and is touted as their TOTL product. At $800 USD this iem while not being cheap, is far from the asking price of other TOTL products out there, in particular when its overall performance is considered.

The driver compliment enforces that standing with a single 9mm dynamic driver, four Knowles balanced armatures and four Sonion EST drivers per side. That’s a lot of high quality and Soundrhyme have obviously made a serious effort with the DTE900.

Readers of my past reviews know that driver counts and types look great on paper, but I prefer to let the sound speak for itself. In this respect Soundrhyme are not blowing smoke and the DTE900 does deserve the accolades that the manufacturer has heaped on it. With this iem we have a perfect example of a stunningly beautiful design and build quality combined with a musical sound that lovers of technicalities will adore.

Via a set of two tuning switches, the DTE900 does offer the listener some flexibility. The switch settings are as follows.

1, 2 off: pop music

1, 2 on: wide sound field

1 off, 2 on: clear voice

1 on, 2 off: deep bass

I found that the adjustments were audible but not overdone. After playing around with the different settings, I settled on the 1 on 2 off (Deep Bass) setting. This setting did not result in punishing bass, but instead I found balanced the overall sound signature. With all switches set to off I sound that the mids and treble tended to overshadow the bass somewhat. Moving switch number one to on brought the sound back into balance.

Easy to drive, the DTE900 definitely benefits from a more resolving source. In fact, I preferred a warmer source than a more neutral one when listening to this iem.

Tip rolling was found to be also essential in order to have the DTE900 sound its best. This is an iem that is sensitive to source, tips and cable selection and time spent finding that perfect synergy will pay off in great sound.

SPECS:

• Driver configuration
• 9.2mm dual magnetic dynamic
• Knowles 29689 x 2 + 31736
• Sonion EST65QB02
• Frequency Response: 20hz-70k
• Sensitivity 110dB
• Impedance: 21ohm

BUILD, FIT & QUALITY:

The Soundrhyme DTE900 is a stunning iem. The one I had, thanks goes out to the Canuck Audioholics Review Group for the opportunity, was more of a custom design and looked spectacular.

I did not receive the full retail package but a quick look at the Penon site showed a somewhat modest but still well appointed set of quality accessories in the retail box.

Build quality follows suit and is exemplary. The high quality resin shells have a smooth finish with overall fit and finish done to a very high standard befitting its TOTL status.

The Soundrhyme DTE900 has a chunky design yet still fit very well with no ear fatigue or discomfort noted even after longer listening sessions. People with smaller ears may have difficulty though.

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SOUND:

BASS:

The Soundrhyme DTE900 has a bass that is crisp, refined and musical. It does go deep but always with good control. There is a pleasing thickness to the bass that adds to its musicality. Speed and clarity are commendable as well. “Poem Of The Chinese Drum” showcased the amount of control exhibited by this iem with detail levels also high. The impact and reverberation of the drum skins were very natural.

The trend continued and on “Circumstance” by Wayman Tisdale, the DTE900 sounded clean, composed and musical. Moving on the more bass challenging tracks, I sudjected the DTE900 to some punishing Drum & Bas as wel as some Deep House Music favs. I should point out the while the DTE900 can’t be classified as a “Basshead” iem, for those who value clean and controlled delivery this iem is a pleasure to listen to.

“Angel” by Massive Attack has a driving bass that to these opiniated music lovers’ ears was played back very well. The texture of the bass was made very obvious yet was never allowed to overwhelm the rest of the track. The bass in “No Limit” by Marcus Miller was again clear and detailed.

I rate the bass on the Soundrhyme DTE900 highly. While not for those who aren’t satisfied unless their ears a bleeding, the low end of this iem is musical with a great amount of control. Well done.

MIDRANGE:

The midrange of the Soundrhyme is long on technicalities and detail while not sounding clinical. There is ample detail retrieval here with macro and micro details heard in abundance.

The mids are slightly recessed yet sounding more intimate than a number of other iems I’ve listened to lately. Female vocals here do get a presence lift, but it is quite moderate and given the lack of harshness adds to the sense of detail. Male vocals have a touch of warmth sounding more immediate than female. On “Tenderhearted Lover” by John Stoddart the DTE900 laid bare all of the nuances in this gifted artist vocal delivery.

I should point out that the DTE900 is not the most forgiving of poorly recorded audio. There is already a noticeable pinna gain and the upper mids can become spicey when fed with recordings of questionable quality. The DTE900 will lay bare the good and bad in any recording, such is the resolving power of this iem. Feed it some well recorded material, drive it with a quality source and the magic happens. I listened to some high quality DSD files including “He’s a Carioca” by Eden Atwood and was very happy. The level of detail combined with such a smooth delivery made for an easy escape into the music.

Transients and dynamics are relayed in a believable fashion. That is to say the DTE900 does very well here as well with great impact and a natural scaling of dynamics never sounding out of breath or distorted even at what I consider higher than normal volume levels.

Timbre is also good and does in no small part help the escape into the music. The only thing that may ruffle some feathers is that upper mid gain. Not excessive by any means, still it is there and is more detrimental on poorly recorded tracks. The tuning switches can help to balance thing out as previously mentioned.

Layering and separation are also well done. “No Worries” by the Robert Glasper trio was splayed back with each instrument occupying its individual space yet still coming together in a cohesive fashion on this incredible track. Well done.

“Boy From Ipanema” by Robin Atwood has some intricate guitar work playing off of some wonderful piano. The instruments were right there. No need to strain the audio brain to hear what each is doing. Impressive layering was witnessed here combined with standout resolution allowing the listener to chill and take it all in.

TREBLE:

The treble of the Soundrhyme DTE900 is as with the midrange offering high levels of detail retrieval yet still musical. Ample quantities of air and sparkle are present on a treble that is well extended.

This is a quality treble delivered with great poise and no excess embellishments. The cymbal work on “Vanston Place 12am” by Ronny Jordan was beautifully detailed with a pleasing sense of air. Very well done.

The treble on the DTE900 is very well done. Crisp and clean with just the right amount of air. I found the high end a pleasure to listen to.

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IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE:

The Soundrhyme DTE900 throws up a reasonable large soundstage with great width and good amounts of width height. As indicated earlier, this iem really depends on the quality of the recording to shine. On the standout track, “Stimelah” by Hugh Masekela the dimensions of the venue were palpable with each instrument easily placed.

Listening to Tracks off of the album “Waves” by Eden Atwood the sense of space was very well done with pinpoint instrument placement and palpable ambient information.

CONCLUSION:

The Soundrhyme DTE900 is a great iem, but not without a caveat. Feed it with quality components and sound files and this iem will sing. It is though unforgiving with lower quality files which may lead some to have a bad impression of this iem.

That being said, the quality of sound that the DTE900 is capable of is impressive. It is one of those iems that can easily draw the listener into the sound. As long as attention is paid to the audio chain what’s in store is a very pleasant sonic experience.

The Soundrhyme DTE900 gets a Strong recommendation and should be on the shortlist of anyone looking for a detailed and lively audio experience.
ToneDeafMonk
ToneDeafMonk
Love your take on this one!
innovated
innovated
Outstanding review and very insightful - and helpful. Ordered this weekend!
B
Bjorn154
I have been listening to these for some time now and I must say they are extraordinary. I did a few things to tame that upper mid range from a tiger to a mere kitten. I burned them in for some 100+ hours and am running them with a SP2000T in tube amp mode adding a little tube magic. I then used an Effect Audio Ares S all copper cable. I believe cables can make a difference, but this was a big surprise. The vocals moved a little more forward and the upper mids were banished to the background. Bass became more textured and the highs smoother. The combination of the above have turned these IEM’s to something approaching end game for me.

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