Vibro Labs Aria (universal) – initial impressions
In my travels on Head-Fi over the last year or so, Vibro Labs is a name I had heard bandied around in various forums, mainly as makers of the Vibro Veritas IEM measuring system, or due to their work with Zach Meyerbach and his ZMF brand on the highly rated ZMF x Vibro line of modded Fostex planar headphones. On looking a little deeper, it turns out that Vibro Labs is actually the brainchild of Luke Pighetti, who to all intents IS Vibro. Reading more about the firm on their excellent website led me to a few threads and reviews regarding their first ever IEM (the Aria), with people praising the unusual tuning and CIEM-style build, among other things. About the same time I started hearing about the first model, an opportunity came up to participate in a European tour of Vibro’s sophomore offering, the Maya. Wanting to hear the two IEMs side by side, I was lucky to find an Aria on the FS boards going for a very reasonable price, so picked them up to compare side by side with the new offering. This review is unrelated to the tour of the Maya model, and is not linked to Vibro Labs in any way as the gear was purchased by me.
About me: newly minted audiophile, late 30s, long time music fan and aspiring to be a reasonably inept drummer. Listen to at least 2 hours of music a day on my commute to work – prefer IEMs for out and about, and a large pair of headphones when I have the house to myself and a glass in my hand. Recently started converting my library to FLAC and 320kbps MP3, and do most of my other listening through Spotify or Tidal HiFi. I am a fan of rock, acoustic (apart from folk) and sarcasm. Oh yeah, and a small amount of electronica. Not a basshead, but I do love a sound with some body to it. Please take all views expressed below with a pinch of salt – all my reviews are a work in progress based on my own perceptions and personal preferences, and your own ears may tell you a different story.
Tech specs (from the Vibro website)
Faceplate – Amboyna Wood (now replaced by Circassian Walnut on new models)
Smoked CLA shells (3D printed)
Frequency response – 20Hz to 20kHz
Impedance – 15 Ohms
Sensitivity – 110 dB/me
Unboxing
The unboxing for the Vibro is quite a lean affair – in line with some of the more “boutique” custom IEM manufacturers, the Vibro ships in a branded Peli case, without any fancy external packaging. The Peli case is one of the clear case variants in a standard size, with a nice black Vibro labs sticker on the lid to denote what is inside. The innards are sat in some hard foam padding (standard Peli case fare), and the IEMs, cable and cleaning tool are all held firmly in place in a laser-cut velour insert which fills up the available space in the case. The insert is nicely finished, and allows for the IEMs to be inserted snugly for transport. On the down side, the insert takes up pretty much all the available room inside the case, so you won’t be able to transport reams of accessories along with the Aria unless you take it out, but as a secure and good looking transit solution for the essentials (IEM, cable and de-gunking tool), then this is fine. The case itself is in standard Peli 1010 size (as used by various other major CIEM manufacturers) – it is not exactly pocket-friendly, but does provide a practically bomb-proof shelter for transporting your IEMs in safety. One nice touch is the addition of the warranty card on the inside of the case itself (facing out of the bottom panel) – this lists the model name, serial number and who it was made for, and allows you to keep the important warranty detail handy without having to keep track of a small slip of paper. In terms of accessories, the Aria comes with some Comply foam tips (T-600 size in my case), a standard cleaning tool and a run of the mill CIEM style 2 pin braided cable. There aren’t masses of tips or additional goodies to savour, but I personally like this stripped down approach sometimes, as it implies that the majority of the pricetag has been put into the earphones, rather than the niceties that surround them.
Build quality and ergonomics
There is plenty of information on the Vibro Labs website (www.vibrolabs.com) on the manufacturing process and materials used in these IEMs, so I won’t go into massive detail here – the body of the IEM is made out of a smoky translucent acrylic, with a real hardwood faceplate on the outer face. The faceplate is devoid of any branding, and currently comes in three different varieties of hardwood. The main body of the IEM is 3D printed, and holds a similar ergonomic shape to many high-driver count universal IEMs like the current Noble series. As the shells are see-through, the internal wiring and driver mechanism can be seen clearly – there is plenty of space left in the bottom half of the shell, so I suspect that Vibro could release a higher driver count IEM at some stage without too much major rework on the housing (if they were so inclined).
The quality of the build is excellent, with the 3D printed shells feeling smooth and blemish free, with a slightly mottled look when held directly to the light due to the peculiarities of the manufacturing process. They are very smooth and well finished, with the inner face containing the only conspicuous attempt at branding, with an engraved “Vibro” logo in white across the top part of the shell. The wooden faceplate also deserves special mention, blending seamlessly into the main body of the IEM and providing a fantastic and unusual look when worn. The wood itself is beautifully worked and polished to a high shine.
In terms of fit and ergonomics, the Aria fit very well in my larger-than-average ear canals – this is quite fortunate, as the sound bore of the IEM is one of the wider I have used, taking a set of Comply T-600s quite easily. That being said, I was easily able to get a very good seal with both ears, and once in, the shape of the shells kept the outer of the IEM around level with the outer part of my ear, so still felt pretty comfortable to wear for extended periods. For those with smaller ears, it may be more of a challenge to get a perfect fit, but Comply tips should help all but the most unspacious of eardrums get a good seal. I would venture a guess that these won’t be the best IEMs to try sleeping in, but at the pricetag involved, I wouldn’t imagine most people would risk wearing them to bed anyway. It is worth noting that my girlfriend has exceptionally small and shallow ear canals, and she wasn’t able to achieve a comfortable fit, but she also struggles with a few of my other IEMs, so not a major concern,
Sound quality
Test gear:
LG G5 (with HiFi Plus 32-bit Sabre DAC add-on)
Shanling M5 DAP
Soundaware M1 Pro DAP (on loan)
Hifiman Supermini
Cowon Plenue D
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 (straight from the output jack)
Cayin C5 (amp only)
Test tracks (mainly 320kbps MP3 or FLAC/Tidal HiFi):
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – S.O.B. / Wasting Time
Blackberry Smoke – The Whipporwill (album)
Slash – Shadow Life / Bad Rain (my reference tracks for bass impact and attack, guitar “crunch”)
Slash & Beth Hart – Mother Maria (vocal tone)
Sister Hazel – Hello, It’s Me (bass tone)
Chris Stapleton – Whiskey And You
Elvis – various
Leon Bridges – Coming Home (album)
Foy Vance – The Wild Swan
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (album)
The Chemical Brothers - Go
Rodrigo y Gabriela – various
Mavis Staples – Livin’ On A High Note
Twin Atlantic – The Great Divide
The Darkness – Permission To Land
General impressions on the sound signature
On first listen, the Aria had a sound signature that I very much struggled to process, with my brain trying to identify some common reference points in other IEMs I had heard. The Aria has excellent extension on both ends of the frequency spectrum, with a great depth of bass and sub-bass and clear and sparkling high frequencies. The midrange is textured with a slight dash of warmth and great detail, but sits a little further back in emphasis than the bass or treble. The official description from Vibro is a relaxed “V” shape sound, but to my ears this feels more like a “U” shaped IEM. That being said, to label the tuning as a simple bass and treble boost would be doing it a great disservice. The mids are actually very nicely rendered and don’t feel recessed or lacking if you concentrate on them in isolation. It is almost as if you are dropping down into a canyon with vertical walls, with Bass territory on one side, Trebleville on the other and the river Mid flowing down the canyon riverbed with speed and sparkle. I think the emphasis on both sub-bass and high treble rather than midbass or lower treble helps the tuning in this regard. Once you get accustomed to the signature, the sound is very easy to listen to for prolonged periods, with a sharply defined and textured presentation that still manages to remain non-fatiguing. The detail in the sub-bass specifically merits a mention, with the Aria managing to dig out some new sounds in test tracks I know well that some of my more bassy Aurisonics gear (my previous “gold standard” for bass) has missed in the past. This is an engaging tuning, providing plenty of detail at both ends of the spectrum to catch the ear, and a “just warm enough” tonality to keep the sound from totally drying out as a result.
Highs
The high range of the Aria is extended and detailed, but never feels too sharp. It packs a lot of micro-detail (in common with the rest of the frequency range), with the dual tweeter array being used giving a nice but not excessive sense of air. Despite the extension that is evident, there is a definite smoothing of any particularly rough edges in the spectrum, which contributes to a clear and sharp sound that doesn’t lead to fatigue – a very good blend. Feeding some Slash and Myles Kennedy into the mix, “Starlight” soars in all the right places, with a smoothness and weight to Kennedy’s falsetto which really brings a layer of sweetness to the sound that complements the chugging guitar and pumping basslines very well. Some of the guitar work on this track is quite dissonant, and can be borderline unpleasant on more “etched”, IEMs, but like the vocals, the Aria smooths just enough of the rawness off the jagged edges while retaining the detail. In terms of airiness, the Aria has a great sense of extension and space, without feeling “limitless” – think more mid-sized gig venue than an 80,000 seater stadium. The slightly closed off “roof” to the sound does have the added benefit of emphasising locational cues and “room sounds” quite well (a trait that is taken even further by the next model up in the series, the Maya, but that’s another review!).
Cymbals and percussion splash nicely, but don’t sound overemphasised or tizzy, and follow the more laid back and clear tone of the rest of the treble, sitting just above the main sound and providing accents rather than fizzing walls of percussive noise. In terms of sibilance, I have jammed my screechiest tracks through a multitude of DAPs, but I haven’t been able to find anything that has overstepped my personal tolerance limits yet, with the Aria handling the lower level grating on “Whiskey And You” by Chris Stapleton with the same sense of refinement it gives to the Slash track above, smoothing things off just enough to make them listenable without fogging over any fine detail in the process. Like the bass, the smooth but extended tuning is different to a lot of the treble “offerings” out there, but once you have adjusted to it, it just makes sense for this particular IEM, and is very well executed.
Mids
I think the midrange will be the most contentious area of the sound for the average listener (if there is such a thing on HeadFi), with a laid back and almost recessed presentation compared to the bass and treble. I say almost, as once you adjust (“brain burn in”) to the sound, the midrange is slightly warm, detailed and musical, with a lovely smokiness to male vocals and texture borne out of the detail the crossed-over drivers are capable of producing that makes the music feel very welcoming. The driver set up used to achieve this is quite unusual for a 4 BA configuration, with two drivers being allocated to bass and two to treble, with the midrange being derived from the “outer ranges” of both, without its own dedicated driver. I think this actually works very well, with a laid back but detailed vibe and detail enough to keep all but the most analytical listeners satisfied. In reality, I think the mids are reasonably neutral in positioning, with the far edges of both the bass and the treble pushing further forward in the soundscape to give the impression of a pushed back midrange, without the actual volume levels to back that up. Like the treble, there is plenty of detail present when called for, with finger movements on guitar strings (“Coco” by Foy Vance) and other such studio artefacts floating around underneath the sound. The detail and clarity makes guitars sound very good with this tuning, with both the acoustic and electric variants coming to life nicely. Despite the laid back nature of the sound, heavier guitar riffs can still chug nicely thanks to the detail and speed of the drivers, with “One by One” by the Foo Fighters smashing through the musical foreground with its customary energy and crunching through the chorus with ease.
Male vocals sound a little thinner than female vocals to me, but not in any particularly bad way. Both male and female vocals are able to impart a good sense of emotion due to the detail and timbre of the sound produced, with Chris Stapleton making the hairs on the back of my arms stand up with “Whiskey and You”, the raw emotion in the singer’s voice translating nicely through the Aria into something truly absorbing. I have read other people on HeadFi mentioning “scooped-out” mids, but while I will be the first to admit my ears are far from “Golden” (I’d guess at copper at absolute best), I just don’t hear the hole some people have mentioned. As always, sound is 100% subjective, but for me, the mid range tuning is the right side of warm, bringing plenty of detail and emotion with it while still retaining the smoothness and non-fatiguing nature of the rest of the frequency ranges.
Bass
Bass on the Aria is a more unusual tuning than most, with an equal emphasis on sub-bass and without the classic mid-bass “thumb” that usually accompanies a more commercial V shaped tuning. That isn’t to say that the mid-bass is lacking on these, in fact far from it, but the balance and additional presence of the sub-bass frequencies adds a good sense of rumble and extension down low that works brilliantly with most electronic music and particularly bassy rock music, allowing the detail and texture of the bass to permeate the song without smearing or drowning out the mid-range.
Switching through my usual test tracks, “Hello, It’s Me” by Sister Hazel kicks off with the rolling chocolate of the bass line filling the track out nicely, with a slightly more balanced feel than on some IEMs due to the balance of the bass frequencies. The impact of the kick drums drives a decent impact into your eardrums for an IEM without any dynamic drivers, feeling punchy and substantial, as well as nicely textured. My other “go-to” for bass is another Slash track (“Bad Rain”) – this doesn’t disappoint, with the rasping texture of the bassline feeling so raw and sandpapered it wouldn’t look out of place on Clint Eastwood’s chin. The pace of the armatures providing the bass (a ported double woofer unit from Knowles, I believe) is evident here, with the riff stopping and starting on a sixpence as the staccato rhythm of the song builds, never sounding sloppy or loose.
Moving into more electronic territory, “Nobody To Love” by Sigma pulse nicely, the sub-bass kicking in with a nice sense of fullness and detail as the track gets going, the drums thumping along on top of it and propelling the song forwards. Overall, the bass is full, with a substantial foundation due to the excellent sub-frequency emphasis, managing to sound full and slightly warm without flooding tracks with excessive mid-bass, and generating more impact than you would expect from an all-BA setup. The bass here is an unusual but very appealing tuning, and has altered my perceptions slightly on what I consider truly “great” bass in an IEM – while this doesn’t tick every box I thought I was after in an ideal endgame product wishlist, the masterful tuning and slight tilt down into the mids make for a compelling sound, with bags of detail and a surprising punch to go along with the smoothness.
Soundstage/separation
The soundstage on the Aria is good but not phenomenally wide, stopping just outside the confines of your own head and taking the occasional walk a little further afield just to see what’s going on from time to time. The decent sense of airiness and location cues gives a good sense of depth and separation, with the drivers handling fast and complex passages of music like the duelling Spanish guitars of Rodrigo and Gabriela on their C.U.B.A. collaboration without ever feeling too taxed. The excellent detailing of the sound comes into play here – with the Soundaware M1 Pro DAP, I could hear myself picking out the two different guitars playing the same riff on “Growing On You” by The Darkness, which I haven’t managed to notice on any of my other gear to date. This may be due to the higher impedance output of the M1Pro making the sound a little bit leaner, but after a quick message exchange with Luke @ Vibro, he confirmed that he can’t measure any difference in sound on the Aria with different impedance output (although Sonion do mention it is possible in their technical literature, apparently), so I am happy to chalk that one up as a combination of DAP synergy and good old fashioned user bias/poor volume matching on my part. Overall, the stage sounds and feels quite lifelike, with good micro-detail and a decent spread of instruments, allowing the crisply defined notes to keep everything clearly defined and layered.
Power requirements
The Aria are a low-impedance IEM, and are certainly capable of being fed by things like mobile phones without too much grief. I have been lucky enough to work my way through a few DAPs while I have been listening to these, and for my own preferences, I find that putting a bit of extra gas in the tank on high gain modes with DAPs like the Shanling M5, or playing through the new Hifiman Supermini with its outrageous driving power for something smaller than a dead person’s to-do list does give the Aria an extra bump in the terms of dynamics. Again, this could be down to the phenomenon of volume bias (where people perceive louder sounds as “better”) through poor volume matching on my part, but for me, these IEMs sing when given a little more power to do so.
Comparisons
Aurisonics Harmony – this was a two week loaner from a fellow Head-Fi’er, and my “loan” period overlapped nicely with the arrival of the Aria. Compared to the Aria, the Harmony is a triple hybrid setup, with one ported 9.25mm dynamic driver handling the bass and midrange and a patented dual-tweeter array that Aurisonics call HDBA handling the high frequencies. This model has now been discontinued after the Aurisonics buyout by Fender, and has been replaced with a similar triple hybrid called the FXA7 – both models retail at an RRP of $499, which puts it squarely in the same price bracket as the Aria. In term of bass, despite the excellent extension and sub-bass, the all-BA Aria loses out somewhat in terms of viscerality and impact to the bass prowess of the Harmony, but feels slightly faster and more detailed in comparison to the slightly slower and thicker bass produced by the Aurisonics model. For electronica, the larger sub-bass emphasis of the Aria actually works a little better than the more even bass quantity produced by the Harmony across the board, with the Harmony feeling slightly less crisp and detailed as a result. Mids are further back (in the “U”) on the Aria, but have a nice texture and weight nevertheless. They feel a little more detailed than the smoother sound of the Harmony, which produces a more forward and warmer tone overall in this frequency range compared to the more defined and crispy sound of the Aria. Treble is notably more pronounced on the Aria without being overbearing or prone to cause listening fatigue. Technically, the Aria sounds very accomplished in comparison, and the retrieval of audible “micro-detail” feels a notch up on the smooth and musical sound of the Harmony. Soundstage is won by the Harmony (not many IEMs can beat Aurisonics in this facet), but the difference isn’t massive. Separation is edged by the Aria, with the higher detail levels helping to keep the sounds distinct and defined. Build and ergonomics is a draw, with both using 3D printed shells and an ergonomic fit to provide excellent isolation and a great “semi-custom” style fit. Aesthetically, the Aria provide a more classic pseudo-CIEM look with the wooden faceplates, compared to the more industrial plastic shells of the Harmony. This is a difficult call to separate the two – overall, the Aria is a more technically proficient and detailed IEM with a unique tuning, so just edges ahead of the Harmony for me (which was a big surprise as I am a huge fan of the classic Aurisonics “house sound”) unless I am in the mood for something with serious bass impact and presence.
Fidue A83 – The A83 is a recently discovered favourite of mine, and has a fresh “V” shaped sound that manages to emphasis emotion and texture in the vocals as well as the standard bass and treble facets. The A83 was the former flagship of the Fidue line until the launch of the Sirius, and is another triple driver hybrid, with one dynamic handling bass and two balanced armatures handling the mid and treble frequencies. The current pricing of the A83 seems to hover between $300 and $350, so it is in a slightly lower price bracket than the Aria. In direct comparison, the sound of the A83 is slightly warmer and thicker overall than the Aria, with a more pronounced mid-bass “thumb” and a less crisp overall sound as a result. Overall, the extension on the two is still similar, with the dynamic in the A83 providing excellent sub-bass extension and a little more physical impact, at the cost of some speed and a more even bass tuning from the all-BA Aria. The midrange is slightly more forward on the A83, with a textured sound that highlights the “grit” in the singers voice compared to the more refined and smoother Aria, which still manages to hold its own on the emotion front. In terms of detail retrieval, the Aria gives the impression of having more clarity and resolution than the Fidue, with sounds feeling a little clearer and more defined as a result. In terms of treble, the A83 gives a more emphasised and zesty sound to the treble, tailing off a little sooner than the stratospheric extension the Aria is capable of. Again, the perception of clarity favours the Aria here, with a slightly thinner but more defined treble as compared to the weightier but more energetic and raw sounding A83. Soundstage is similar on both, with neither IEM being concert-hall huge, but both allowing for plenty of separation and placement of audio cues just outside the periphery of the listener’s head. Separation is probably edged by the Aria due to the enhanced crispness of the presentation, although it is close. Ergonomics are similar, with the Aria being slightly more comfortable for long term use. Build quality is definitely won by the Aria for the main body, with the beautiful wooden faceplate and quality 3D printed shells edging out the aluminium and plastic construction of the A83. The cable is a notable exception to the build quality verdict, with the “audiophile” silver-plated copper MMCX cable provided with the A83 feeling more premium than the standard Westone-style CIEM cable that comes with the basic Aria. Overall, the A83 is a great example of an audiophile “V” shaped tuning, providing a warmer and slightly thicker sound, losing a little perception of detail and a tiny amount of stage size and separation compared to the Aria in the process. If you prefer a more sophisticated tuning with higher detail retrieval and a non-fatiguing sound than can deal with extreme bass and treble without breaking sweat, the Aria will win quite comfortably here.
Vibro Labs Maya – I am very lucky to be in possession of the Maya from Vibro Labs at the moment as well, being the first recipient on the UK tour being organised by Luke @ Vibro. In terms of build, the IEMs look almost identical, with the Maya having a different wood faceplate and a transaparent rather than smoky 3D printed shell. The ergonomics, fit and build are otherwise identical. While it is also a 4-BA setup, the Maya retails for $200 more, and has assumed the position as the current “flagship” of the Vibro Labs range. The main differences in the Maya compared to the Aria is in the tuning, with the Maya tuned to bring forward the midrange into a more traditionally neutral sound. In real terms, the boost in the mids and flattening of the “U” in the bass and treble makes the Maya sound a little more energetic than the Aria, with similar punch in the bass but lower quantity and a greater vocal presence due to the boosted mids. The treble is less emphasised but actually slightly more extended on the Maya to my ears – Luke @ Vibro has confirmed he has boosted the frequency response about 16kHz to pull more “room sound” and locational cues in to the music, and even though the Aria is no slouch in that department, the Maya feels like a definite step up in that regard, presenting an almost “in the studio” feel to some tracks. Overall, these two IEMs are far more similar than they are different – for me personally, I lean towards the Aria for my own preferences as I prefer a slightly more laid back and “musical” tuning, but in terms of technical ability and sheer capability, the Maya is a little way ahead on that front. I think they make an excellent pairing, with the more neutral tuning of the Maya pushing the Vibro “house sound” out to a wider audience who may not neccesarily fall for the more laid back charms of the Aria. Neither would be a poor choice, so if you get the chance, try them out to see which version of the tuning you prefer.
Nuforce HEM8 – this is another quad armature IEM in the same price bracket as the aria, with a more conventional driver setup and a very different take on the sound. Where the Aria is broad and pronounced in the lows and highs, the HEM8 is more compact and spherical, with a thicker and meatier note presentation and sense of “substance” than the crisper and more detailed Aria. The bass doesn’t hit as low as the Aria, with notably less thump and a more warm presentation. The treble is also less extended, with a more closed in and clear feel in comparison to the Aria’s endless extension and nice dash of air in the higher registers. The mids are more prominent and chunky on the HEM8 compared to the Aria, but suffer in comparison to the detail. In terms of ergonomics, the HEM8 is a smaller and more comfortable fit, with the Lexan polycarbonate shells looking like a designer coffeebean in comparison to the bigger and more conventional Aria. In terms of accessory package, the HEM8 carries more goodies (including two detachable cables and a variety of tips), but the overall build quality of the IEMs is still similar, with the 3D printed shell and custom looking wooden faceplate of the Aria stacking up very well in comparison. Overall, if you are looking for a richer, less extended sound, then the HEM8 will tick more boxes. If you are after a wider, more detailed and less congested overall presentation with more capable sub-bass and treble, the Aria will win every time, and I feel overall it is the better IEM.
Overall conclusion
This was a difficult review to write, as by my own definitions of what Io enjoy, I shouldn’t like the Aria as much as I do. In actual fact, the unusual tuning and detail and texture on offer have actually slid this into my list of “keeper” IEMs very definitely, causing me to sell on my Fidue A83 and a pair of Nuforce HEM8 (another quad driver IEM) without any regrets. The excellent sound, allied to a beautiful wood finish and 3D printed ergonomics make this an exceptional IEM for me in its “mid-fi” price range. It may not suit everyone, with the bias on sub-bass and higher treble possibly putting off the “No EQ/neutral is everything” tuning crowd, but if you are looking for something smooth but detailed as hell, non fatiguing but energetic enough to get your toes tapping and just plain well-tuned and enjoyable then this IEM (and firm) should certainly be on your radar. In terms of rating, while there might be certain things in terms of tuning and technicalities that won't appeal to everyone, the sheer enjoyment and tuning prowess I feel the Aria exhibit to make such and unusual but addictive sound make them a straight 5 for me. An excellent first effort.
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