Features and details of LOAK-B(BW)
Although it is a limited sale, the new product LOAK-B (BW) has some features that are slightly different from LOAK, so I will explain the characteristics and details of its sound.
1) Structure and configuration to make the most of the sound of brass
2) Difference between two types of wood and full brass
3) Patina technique
4) Embedding of MMCX part
5) Reason for limited sale
6) Summary
1) Structure and configuration to make the most of the sound of brass
Brass is a very unique metal material. This time, in adopting the brass, we are devising ways to make use of its merits and compensate for its demerits.
《Closed type and fixed bass》
LOAK originally allows you to adjust the strength and clarity of the bass through custom tuning. In addition, there are two types for the back, open and closed, but LOAK-B (BW) has only one type, which has a fixed bass in the front housing and a closed rear. This is to make the most of the weight and richness of the brass sound, and to reproduce a rich and deep mid-low range. The bass is a value of "4" in custom tuning, so it's a lot, but I think it's very easy to listen to even though it doesn't have the strength of a hard core like stainless steel.
《The structure inside the front housing and the difference in driver tuning》
The front housing has a wider space than other LOAKs, and by making use of reverberations and reverberations, you can feel the spread of sound. As a result, the sound in the closed type stays close to the ear and narrows the space. It's not as spacious as the open type, but the space is wider than the LOAK-S and T closed types, and you can feel the difference in the direction in which the sound spreads outward.
And since the brass sound is soft and cohesive, the outline is not conspicuous and the detailed expression is a little vague. is possible. If the stainless steel or titanium LOAK were tuned in the same way, the sound would be too tight and distorted, or the pitch would rise and the midrange would attenuate. It is soft and coherent with its unique sound characteristics, and delicate expression is possible without emphasizing the outline.
《Smoothness》
A filter that diffuses the sound is installed just before the driver in the front housing, but LOAK uses the finest filter with the least blockage to produce a fine, mild and smooth sound. The fineness of the particles is silky and liquid-like, and does not make you feel rough. It also produces a very mellow sound with few peaks and no harshness or sharpness.
2) Difference between wood and full brass
There are two types of LOAK-B: LOAK-BW, which uses brass + brass + wood, and LOAK-B, which is all brass.
In addition, LOAK-B uses a brass patina technique on the body to bring out the blue rust and give it a unique look.
《LOAK-BW》
LOAK-BW is made of wood, but by choosing wood, you can control the specific gravity, and you can have a moderately light weight while maintaining the solid and thick sound of brass. However, for the wood part, it is recommended to select wood with a certain degree of specific gravity (heavy) in order to bring out the goodness of brass. Cocobolo is used for the wood in the photo, but despite the richness and weight of the brass, the earphones are well-balanced without being clumsy.
《LOAK-B》
The sound is the heaviest because it is full brass. The characteristics of brass are fully displayed. It is a sound with a heavy and sexy atmosphere. In terms of sound balance, there is a difference in wood, but is this the one with the individuality? The use of the patina technique makes it even more individual. The rear has a flat gloss dovetail finish and a hammered finish. Tsuchime is used in brass jewelry and accessories, but it has a rough handmade feel and is rich in expression.
3) About patina technique
The patina technique expresses the rust of brass and copper by controlling it. Even in Japan, there are traditional techniques in some areas. I learned it by myself, but I use various things such as rice bran, soy sauce, and vinegar to apply the rust treatment. The interesting thing is that every time you do it, the expression will be different, and the colors and patterns will change subtly. No two are the same like wood. This time, it will be covered with rust close to blue or green. A resin coating is applied to prevent rust from progressing.
Of course, we also have normal brass that is not patina even if it is full brass. The price will not change, so if you are interested, please fill in that when ordering.
4) Embedding of MMCX part
MMCX is embedded in resin as a different part from LOAK. Some people complained that the MMCX part of LOAK was a little unreliable, so we improved it (although there are no examples of LOAK where the MMCX is broken and damaged). It looks cool and seems to fit well. There is no particular difference in sound.
5) Reason for limited sales
The reason why we have limited sales this time is because we can no longer secure the housing and parts each time due to the recent rise in parts prices, shortages, rising shipping fees, and the depreciation of the yen.
Even if you purchase a large amount, economic activity will be restricted rapidly and the economy will be bad, and if you try to purchase only the necessary amount each time, the unit price will be considerably high. In fact, one of the projects that started last year was suspended for these reasons.
Therefore, in order to continue business, it is necessary to purchase and make the necessary minimum to some extent. For that reason, we have limited the number of LOAK-Bs to 15.
If there is a certain amount of demand (such as 10-15 pieces) after it is sold out, we may be able to make an additional 15 pieces, but in the current situation, such a number is not possible for a maniac small business like 634ears. It's hard to imagine that it will come out, and I think that it will actually be a limited sale of 15 pieces.
Perhaps if this situation continues in the future, we will only be able to take the same sales method, and the existing models may be discontinued when the stock is exhausted. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we appreciate your understanding.
6) Summary
In various difficult circumstances, there are restrictions such as limited sales, but LOAK-B (BW) is a brass earphone that has been in great demand since the launch of LOAK. I struggled for a long time because I couldn't handle the disadvantages of the sound well, but I was able to complete it as a wonderful earphone.
Although it cannot be added to the standard lineup, it is finished as an elaborate earphone with a rarity value.
A little different from the crisp and clear sound of the LOAK-S and T, the sexy, lustrous and deep smooth sound lets you listen to music elegantly. Although the number is limited, we hope you will enjoy the sound and commitment.
. They look like a true labour of love!
to @Ace Bee for starting the thread and having brought the 634ears brand and wide product line-up to our knowledge.
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