Spirit Tornio Twin Pulse Beryllium: A Balanced Assessment
Introduction
The Spirit Tornio Twin Pulse Beryllium IEM is the first Inner-Ear Monitor (IEM) produced by the Italian luxury headphone maker Spirit Torino. In this review, I aim to comprehensively evaluate these IEMs, with a special focus on their sound quality. We will delve into the design, build, comfort, and practicality, but let's start by examining what these headphones bring to the table in terms of audio performance.
I would like to take the time, and thanks, Andrea, the owner and chief designer of Spirit Tornio, for loaning me this IEM; at the end of the review, it will be going back to Italy.
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Methodology:
When it comes to evaluating the sound quality of headphones/IEM, there's often a wealth of detail to explore. As a hobbyist, I’ve been in this hobby for long enough to know from first listen whether I will quickly mesh well with a product. However, when I want to evaluate the product from a viewpoint other than mine, things can get rather complicated. While as much as I like to stay neutral, my personal sonic performance will play a significant part.
Equipment used:
DAP: Luxury Precision LP6 Gold (where stated: Hiby RS8, RS6, WM1AM2).
Tips: AZLA Xelastec.
Cable: Stock cable with ear hook removed.
Nozzle: Silver reference nozzle.
Music:
DAWN FM, The Weeknd (R&B, POP, Dance).
Djesse Vol.1, Jacob Collier (Male vocal Jazz, A cappella).
Sex, Dope & Cheap Thrill, Big Brother & The Holding (Rock).
A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle, John Coltrane (Jazz).
Breathless, Schiller (Electronic).
Screw rework, Nils Frahm (Electronic).
So in Love, Roberta Cambarnini (Female Vocal Jazz).
Violin on Stage, Bomsori (Classical).
Ergonomics/Design
Design purpose: Beyond sound quality, the practical aspects of headphones are equally important. You might ask who the main target audience of this product is: professional users. Twin-pulse was designed for anyone needing an IEM for mastering post-production and live monitoring. The inclusion of wire in the cable will be a giveaway to the keen eyes.
Outside of your typical custom IEM, which are all balanced armature designs, needing a complicated crossover design, almost costing many times more than, no other IEMs have taken the Spirit Torino approach of professional, live mastering.
Andrea designed this reference based on his philosophy of reducing dynamic driver weakness and keeping its strength. Andrea's view is the limitation of the dynamic driver is the speed in transients from the dynamic driver while keeping it inherits coherency.
The Twin Pulse Beryllium offers commendable noise isolation, mainly due to its secure fit and the inclusion of foam tips. This ensures that external noise is effectively reduced, allowing for an uninterrupted listening experience. The comfort during extended use is also satisfactory once you are able to take the time needed to adjust the metallic wire. These headphones are designed to be worn for long periods without causing discomfort or listening fatigue.
But I’m not a professional user; I listen to my IEM mostly while lying on grass outdoors, on my bed, or on the sofa. So, for me, the metal wire causes frequent seal breakage. So, I simply removed it, which was easy.
Cable: Twin Pulse uses QDC-style 2-pin connectors, ensuring a secure cable connection. However, it is compatible with any 2-pin cable.
I found the stock cable adequate, and cable rolling did not make as much of a difference as finding the right tup.
Fit and Tips: Three things I did to Twin Pulse to improve fit were:
1) Use Azla Xelastec tip,
2) Use a shirt clip and
3) Remove cable wire.
Getting the right fit on Twin Pulse will take some playing around, and sadly, upon first listening, when you are trying to make a decision in the store, during auditioning, will result in very poor first impressions. I hope Andrea looks to improve on this in future revisions.
Sound Quality: A Deep Dive
Overview:
This item is ideal for those who listen to small chamber classical pieces or anything that
does not require a large sound stage. The sound is fast, and bass decay is natural, albeit not
syrupy like some other dynamic drivers, thanks to its Beryllium feature.
The sub-bass is deep and hit hard when the recording asks for it. The treble is well-extended and never harsh.
Its major weakness is the lack of horizontal spread, which becomes too much in your head for some classical larger orchestral pieces.
Listening to So in Love by Roberta Gamarini, I feel like I’m in the recording studio, hearing the recording directly from the near-field speakers. Thankfully, the magic does not disappear when I listen to the track Overture performed by Jacob Collier in his album Djesse Volume 1; I can understand all the musical elements within the recording, thanks to its well-mastered album. However, with poorly recorded albums, the sound tends to collapse. This is less obvious in IEMs like my Sony IER-Z1R, which it is built to mimic a certain sound, this issue is less obvious.
Is it the fault of Twin Pulse? No, as they are designed to be mastering IEM, if the mastering is bad, it will show it. However, for audiophiles who want to enjoy Hi-Fi speaker sound in an IEM format, this can be an issue, and it is my responsibility to highlight this aspect of Twin Pulse.
Bass:
The low end, or bass, in the Twin Pulse Beryllium, is a notable aspect of their sonic signature. These headphones deliver a deep bass response that is tight and impactful. It's not an overwhelming, chest-thumping mid-bass focused but rather a controlled and precise one.
This characteristic is especially appealing to those who appreciate a balanced presentation. While it may not cater to bass enthusiasts seeking a pronounced thump, it effectively complements the overall sound signature. The Twin Pulse Beryllium manages to provide a sense of depth and warmth to the music, enhancing the listening experience. This quality becomes obvious in track Mi, in the album screw rework by Nils Frahm. The track has a deep that shows its quality and impact from Twin Pulse.
Mids:
One of the standout features of these IEM is their midrange performance. The mid frequencies are where vocals, guitars, and many key instruments reside, and the Twin Pulse Beryllium handles them with grace. Vocals are presented with a level of clarity and forwardness that stands out. The vocals are natural and lifelike, never nasal or sibilant.
Instrument separation in the midrange is another area where these headphones excel. Whether it's the strumming of an acoustic guitar, the resonance of a piano, or the timbre of various instruments in a complex arrangement, the Twin Pulse Beryllium delivers a rich, textured audio experience. The ability to discern subtle nuances in the midrange adds depth and complexity to the music. This feature is particularly appreciated by those who enjoy dissecting the intricacies of their Favorite tracks.
Solo instrument tracks are no issue. This becomes apparent when listening to Bomsori performance on her new album, Violin on Stage.
Highs:
Moving to the high frequencies, the Twin Pulse Beryllium offers a clear and crisp presentation. High-frequency instruments like cymbals, bells, and chimes are rendered with precision. The treble maintains a controlled character, avoiding harshness even at higher volume levels. It's worth noting that these IEM aren't overly bright or piercing, which might appeal to those who favour a smoother treble response.
Soundstage:
The soundstage of the Twin Pulse Beryllium is the only aspect I wish it could do better. I think it is important to remember once again that Twin Pulse is designed for professional stage usage, where a single focus on one instrument is critical. From that point of view, you cannot fault this IEM, however. from an audiophile point of view, it leaves room for the desire for a wider, more expansive soundstage.
Source comparability:
Switching between Hiby RS6 and Luxury Precision LP6 Gold, I noticed that both dap maintained the tonal balance of Twin Pule, but only thing that changed is the tonal decay. With RS6, one would be tempted to say the sound has become warmer, while LP6 Gold remains clear and sharp.
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I normally can easily explain changes perceived while I DAP roll and recommend a DAP based on how it is able to enhance the good qualities of the IEM.
With Twin Pulse, DAP rolling does not alter the IEM overall tonal balance; the soundstage remains the same, but how the bass decays (or, in that sense, treble) alters.
If you want a slower decay, go with RS6, but if you want that sharp finish and precise decay, go with a more balanced DAP.
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Conclusion:
As we've explored the various elements of the sound quality of the Twin Pulse Beryllium, it's clear that these headphones strive for a balanced presentation. They don't emphasize any specific frequency range to an extreme degree but aim to provide a well-rounded listening experience with a professional focus.
However, it's important to acknowledge that the term "balanced" can be subjective. What some listeners might interpret as balanced, others might perceive as lacking excitement or energy. The Twin Pulse Beryllium favours a more controlled and precise presentation, which many appreciate but might not satisfy those who prefer a more aggressive or analytical sound.
In conclusion, the Spirit Tornio Twin Pulse Beryllium IEM is a balanced offering with strengths in the presentation of the natural timbre of the instrument. It shines when the music is not overly crowded.
Spirit Tornio has crafted a pair of IEMs that cater to discerning listeners, and the Twin Pulse Beryllium represents a step in that direction. Whether these headphones align with your audio preferences depends on your taste and expectations.
This is a solid first attempt in my books, and it is amongst the most competently designed dynamic driver-based I’ve tried this year.
Interview with the designer:
I wanted to ask Andrew some questions about what led him to design this IEM, I would like to thank Andrea for his time once again.
Audionewbi: “What was the initial inspiration for creating these IEMs?”
Andrea: “My clients have made me listen to a lot of IEMs, but I have always found big problems with the naturalness of the sound.
I thought that if I could miniaturize our Twin Pulse patent, it could be a solution to this problem.”
Audionewbi: Can you describe the key design and performance goals you aimed to achieve with these IEMs?
Andrea: “The goal of this headset is to get a reliable recording monitor that could be alongside the Valkyria.
Each of our headphones must have the ability to be credible in comparison with live listening.
Audionewbi: What was the research and development process like for these IEMs? Did you try different metal finishes?
Andrea: “The research and development process of this IEM is based on the knowledge gained during the experimentation of Valkyria, which is our headphone that comes closest to live sound.
A listening committee made up of the conductor, artistic director, Spirit staff and the audience, after a few minutes, compares the real sound with the sound reproduced by our headphones.
Each member of the committee has its own perspective and analyses the outcome.
Stabilised aluminium is the best material to make this product after Stabilized Titanium.”
Audionewbi:
“What materials and components were chosen for these IEMs, and how do they contribute to the product's sound quality and durability?”
Andrea: “To stabilise aluminium in this project, we could not use the Dynamat because the dimensions did not allow it; consequently, I studied a different stabilisation system:
Texalium + elastic bi-adhesive sheath dampens the resonance frequency of aluminium, resulting in a similar result.
These are materials whose behaviour has already been tested in other projects over time.”
Audionewbi:
“Were there any significant technical challenges you had to overcome during the development process?”
Andrea: “Yes, of course, the miniaturisation of our patent was not easy because it provides for the balance between external and internal pressures so that the movement of the mobile group is also braked in both directions.
This means we had to devise a different way to achieve this balance.
We had to insert a series of outsides into the frame that were covered by paper filters with thickness differences to find the right sound balance.
This process always passes through the comparison between the real sound of an instrument or a voice and the one reproduced, but absolutely not by the measures that do not give any indication of the quality of the sound.
Our development is very similar to that of a musical instrument rather than a classic high fidelity instrument.”
Audionewbi:
“Spirit Tornio began as a headphone company. Did any of that philosophy make its way to your IEM, or do you have a different design philosophy for your IEM?”
Andrea: “Let's start from the fact that headphones and earphones are profoundly different, but they must achieve the same result, that is, to deceive our brain that they are listening to a real concert and not a reproduction of the concert.
Spirit pays particular attention to voice reproduction.
At the end of the listening sessions with the committee, I spent a lot of time listening to the human voice of a TV series, alternating headphones and earphones to see if there were any substantial differences in the way the voice is reproduced.”
Audionewbi:
“Your headphone lineup is composed of different tiers of headphones. Will you be having a similar class for your IEM?”
Andrea: “For the time being, we will take advantage of the experiences gained in this project to understand how to push the reproduction quality of the earphones even higher.
We are experimenting with different cabling solutions and tips.”