Aurisonics ASG-1: A Review

[nikp]

 
Hey guys,
 
Thought I want to share my thoughts* on the ASG-1. Compared to other top tier universals, the ASG-1 hands down has the "liveliest" sound signature and the fit is great!
 
 
*This (revised) review is carried out WITHOUT EQ. 
Model: Aurisonics ASG-1 Original version
Source: Various iPods, Macbook with/out an amp
Current retail price: $299
 
Introduction:
I do not necessarily believe in burn in but when hearing them for the first time, it convinces me to give it some burn in time. And I did: Right now, they have approximately 100 hours of burn in time. Truthfully, they do change and open up slightly but the differences are subtle. 

 
Packaging and Accessories
It comes with an Otterbox hardcase, 3 pairs of tips (L,M,S) and a cleaning tool. Not much but frankly I'm happy with the provided accessories and case.
 
Build Quality 
Built with screws: an interesting concept. I wish I can actually carve a faceplate for it which could be epic. Build quality is nice and solid. The cables are more likely to give way first. There is a tiny red dot on the right cable so you will have no trouble finding out which one's right/left.
 
Fit
Just fantastic. Fits like a charm and it has a custom feel to it. However, when worn for a long period of time (long hours), my ears began to grow tired of it. But this is not the case since I use the ASG-1 as a portable earphone.
 
Isolation
In a word, crazy. I have Etymotic earplugs and the ASG-1 has the same level of isolation. Best isolating IEM I have heard to date. 80-90% of the world disappears, and one of these situations were in a packed bus full of loud high school students. Don't use them if you're crossing the train tracks.
 
Sound
Soundstage and timbre are very good, an advantage of dynamic drivers. It carries a lot of weight and is full sounding. Personally I think that the bass is overwhelming to the point where it almost touches the mids and highs. The mids are harsh and shouty, not because they expose flaws of recording but I suspect it's the nature of the IEM itself. These headphones are what I deem neutral/flat: HD600, HD800, DT880 just to name a few. The vocals basically sort of scream at me. Another thing to note is that the mids are also veiled and slightly unnatural - some singers' voice that I have known for so long sounds strange on the ASG-1. Sometimes the ASG-1 sounds like an old radio to me but at other times, it sounds like speakers in a rock concert. 
 
Like I previously discuss, the bass has a lot of quantity to it but maybe not quality. Tons of boom and slam but it needs to have more definition in them. It's like a photograph: A lot of colours and shapes in it, but the faces are not sharp enough. I'm just missing something with the bass although it seems impressive. 
 
Mids, mids, mids. It's too dry, harsh and screamy at least for my ears. By the way, don't mix harsh and unforgiving together. I know what unforgiving/cold sounds like, but these vocals are beyond revealing the flaws. Some singers suddenly sound like your sister/brother singing in the bathroom [exaggeration, but you know what I mean]. And again, I find vocals to be slightly artificial and veiled. 
 
Highs are recessed. They have just a tiny bit of sparkle in them. 
 
Soundstage is wide and portrays a natural environment. It's neither closed in nor distant - just the right amount of soundstage. Detail retrieval is satisfactory and by all means, don't come close to BA IEM's detailing. The overall presentation is, yet again, lively. Even the music sort of echoes through the imaginary hall of the ASG-1. The texture of the ASG-1 is mind blowing - the drums and other instruments come to life. You can almost "feel" and "touch" them.
 
Amping
The ASG-1 will benefit from amping. I find it more controlled and reserved. 
 
Conclusion
I expect a lot of this $299 IEM because of the raving reviews on the Aurisonics thread. Well, I was skeptical by the end of the day. Am I hearing it right? The majority of ASG-1 owners seem to hear it much more differently. That is why I took the initiative to let it burn in and see the results. The veil lessens but it's still there and the soundstage improved. Everything else stays the same. 
 
The music I listen to for this particular IEM is classical, jazz, pop and rock. So far, the only genre I'm enjoying with the ASG-1 is rock although the vocals are strange. Texture is exceptional on the ASG-1. The review above is done without EQ and I did play around with EQ. But everything sounds worse with EQ, so I'd rather listen without EQ. It's also a hassle if I were to similarly EQ my desktop and portable set ups. My favourite feature of the ASG-1 is its live presentation. However, there's still a lot of weaknesses for a top tier universal IEM. The ASG-1 is designed for stage use and I am not one so I cannot judge them as stage monitors. But.. I have ever been a live mixer sometime in the past and playing the recorded track, it doesn't meet my expectations. 
 
Comparing it to the IE8, the ASG-1 wins in the lively presentation (love it!) but I prefer the IE8 for everything else. So what's the recommendation? For now, I'm going to recommend future buyers to consider alternatives in the <$299 price range. From what I hear, it's not consistent. At times it sounds good but at other times, it sounds really bad. The ASG-1's sound signature is not for me. 
 
Questions? Need comparisons with some IEMs? I'll try my best to compare them if requested. Some IEMs I have/had: IE7, IE8, SE425, TF10, UE700, UM3x, W4, etc.
 
Happy listening! 

 
Update 14/4/12: The bass has toned down and is more controlled now. Veil has quietly started to disappear and now the veil is becoming very thin. The shoutiness has also faded - still somewhere above the rainbow but it doesn't bother me anymore. Unnatural vocals can be changed by EQ. Yes, I am forced to EQ - no other way to do it. Adding treble sparkle makes a heck lot of a difference. The mids are still dry though, I think that's part of its sound signature. I wish Aurisonics re-tune the ASG-1. Other than that, I heartily recommend these to anyone but be warned, you may have to EQ these. 
 

 

[Jeremypsp]

You do seem to rate the highs and mids quite badly, hmm... 

 

[Evilcalyptic]

yeah the ASG-1 is horrible compaired to dynamic same price competitors like the fx700, IE8 or EX-1000.

About the only thing it did good to my veteran ears was vocals.

for the sound they produce i wouldnt pay more than 50 or 60 dollars for them...

 

[Jeremypsp]

Quote:

yeah the ASG-1 is horrible compaired to dynamic same price competitors like the fx700, IE8 or EX-1000.
About the only thing it did good to my veteran ears was vocals.
for the sound they produce i wouldnt pay more than 50 or 60 dollars for them...

The price here is cheaper than those aforementioned IEMs though. More like the Sennheiser IE7 price here. 

 

[eke2k6]

Quote:

yeah the ASG-1 is horrible compaired to dynamic same price competitors like the fx700, IE8 or EX-1000.
About the only thing it did good to my veteran ears was vocals.
for the sound they produce i wouldnt pay more than 50 or 60 dollars for them...

You just didn't like their signature, which is understandable, but to say it's bad compared to the others is farce. It presents the same amount of information in a song as the other iems I've compared them to. You probably listened to them for less than an hour before selling them off. What's horrible is that you only came out to bash them after you sold them. 
 
The ASG-1 is something you have to come to appreciate if you plan on using them for music
 
Quote:

 
Conclusion
I expect a lot of this $299 IEM because of the raving reviews on the Aurisonics thread. Well, I was skeptical by the end of the day. Am I hearing it right? The majority of ASG-1 owners seem to hear it much more differently. That is why I took the initiative to let it burn in and see the results. The veil lessens but it's still there and the soundstage improved. Everything else stays the same. 
 
The music I listen to for this particular IEM is classical, jazz, pop and rock. So far, the only genre I'm enjoying with the ASG-1 is rock although the vocals are strange. Texture is exceptional on the ASG-1. The review above is done without EQ and I did play around with EQ. But everything sounds worse with EQ, so I'd rather listen without EQ. It's also a hassle if I were to similarly EQ my desktop and portable set ups. My favourite feature of the ASG-1 is its live presentation. However, there's still a lot of weaknesses for a top tier universal IEM. The ASG-1 is designed for stage use and I am not one so I cannot judge them as stage monitors. But.. I have ever been a live mixer sometime in the past and playing the recorded track, it doesn't meet my expectations. 
 
Comparing it to the IE8, the ASG-1 wins in the lively presentation (love it!) but I prefer the IE8 for everything else. So what's the recommendation? For now, I'm going to recommend future buyers to consider alternatives in the <$299 price range. From what I hear, it's not consistent. At times it sounds good but at other times, it sounds really bad. The ASG-1's sound signature is not for me. 
 
 

Try to EQ down 1.2 kHz by 7db, and boost the 70 Hz and 13 kHz frequencies by 1.5 db. Let me know what you think
 

 

[Evilcalyptic]

The ASG-1 is something you have to come to appreciate if you plan on using them for music

Well there was no wow factor thats for sure... I dont agree with IEMs or cans for that matter that you need to get use to. this includes the ASG-1 and its many flaws.
I would rather have beats tour than the ASG-1... I have never ever been critical of an IEM like i have with the ASG-1 (other than the SE 535) I have never had this much dislike for an IEM, even that opposing my own sig favorings. from one end of the spectrum to the other, the IE8 to the ER-4s


also as Maodi has quoted in his sig.... "Respect Music. Listen to it the way it was recorded. No EQ, No Skullcandy"

 

[Jeremypsp]

Quote:

Well there was no wow factor thats for sure... I dont agree with IEMs or cans for that matter that you need to get use to. this includes the ASG-1 and its many flaws.
I would rather have beats tour than the ASG-1... I have never ever been critical of an IEM like i have with the ASG-1 (other than the SE 535) I have never had this much dislike for an IEM, even that opposing my own sig favorings. from one end of the spectrum to the other, the IE8 to the ER-4s
also as Maodi has quoted in his sig.... "Respect Music. Listen to it the way it was recorded. No EQ, No Skullcandy"

But sometimes EQ is needed because the headphone/IEM is colored. 

 

[eke2k6]

Quote:

Well there was no wow factor thats for sure... I dont agree with IEMs or cans for that matter that you need to get use to. this includes the ASG-1 and its many flaws.
 

 

 
Hmmm. I wonder if the fact that it's not an audiophile iem has something to do with that. As far as EQ'ing goes, what do you think a sound signature is? 
 
The ASG-1 performs technically with the best of them, and has nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe next time you'll read before buying something.

 

[Jeremypsp]

 
Quote:

 

 
Hmmm. I wonder if the fact that it's not an audiophile iem has something to do with that. As far as EQ'ing goes, what do you think a sound signature is? 
 
The ASG-1 performs technically with the best of them, and has nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe next time you'll read before buying something.

Tinyman392 seem to rate them highly too. 

 

[Evilcalyptic]

The ASG-1 was not an issue for me as it retained its resale value.

as for sound... if your IEM needs EQing than you need a new IEM. this is the way i feel, period.

this is why buy things to try them.... and i cant love everything.

 

[Jeremypsp]

Quote:

The ASG-1 was not an issue for me as it retained its resale value.
as for sound... if your IEM needs EQing than you need a new IEM. this is the way i feel, period.
this is why buy things to try them.... and i cant love everything.

But you know not everything is perfect right? EQ is needed to make it more perfect, or more to your personal preference. But not saying I use EQ. 

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

 

 
Hmmm. I wonder if the fact that it's not an audiophile iem has something to do with that. As far as EQ'ing goes, what do you think a sound signature is? 
 
The ASG-1 performs technically with the best of them, and has nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe next time you'll read before buying something.

I'm actually curious to what an "audiophile IEM" is?  What specifically defines an audiophile IEM?  There is no set signature for it (many audiophiles prefer a V and others require analytic while many like an extremely sweet sound). 
 
I do agree that these do perform amazingly at the technical level, and the midrange resembles the Etymotic midrange as well with better bass quality, however, treble sparkle takes a while to come in (again, I started noticing it around 100-120 hours that it just began to come in.  At around 150 it stopped coming in and just plateaued.  It is still not balanced with the rest of the spectrum though, I do see the mids and lows being well balanced with each other.
 
@OP: how the heck did you get overwhelming bass with these (tips, source ,etc?)?  You make them seem like they are bass monsters.  There is very little bass with these (quantity-wise) from what I hear.  I'm just curious to how you got the bass to intrude upon the midrange it'd be nice to hear these with slightly more bass quantity which is why I ask.  I honestly did everything I could to get more bass out of these (tried 12 sets of tips, insertion depth/angle, amp and unamped, etc).  Nothing really did it   So I just want to know what you did for experimentation purposes. 
 
I do think that it's not that the IEMs are bad quality-wise, but your preference may stray elsewhere.  From the IEM list you have, the majority of them that I have either heard or read about show a bass-heavy signature or a deep (or slight) V (obviously there are exceptions, 700s being the main one).  Both of these signatures make the mids on the ASG-1 sound way too forward when they actually aren't at all (comparison to Etymotic; Etymotic is as forward or more forward in comparison to the ASG to my ears.). 
 

 

[Totally Dubbed]

Review was short and blunt I guess.
 
But I'm a basshead, probably one of the only few "true bassheads" you will find on head-fi, unlike others thinking the se535's are bassy...for example.
 
I found the ASG-1's to have both quality and quantity.
Mostly quality, over quantity.
It extended low, and coped very well with my ZO2 on higher contour settings.
 
So with your: No quality in the bass - where is that coming from?
 
ASG-1's weren't for my taste either - as I said in my review - it wasn't made for audiophile or personal listeners, and more so when it was released to the general public, there are a handful of people on head-fi which actually love them to bits.
Others have either sold theirs on, or found the need to heavily EQ, use filters etc.
Sound sig is definitely special, and unlike I have ever heard before.
 
Have you, nikp, heard something like this before? With this type of sound sig?
I certainly haven't - curious if others come in the same bracket at all.
Possibly the Redgiant A03's, might fall in the same category?

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Totally Dubbed /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Have you, nikp, heard something like this before? With this type of sound sig?
I certainly haven't - curious if others come in the same bracket at all.
Possibly the Redgiant A03's, might fall in the same category?

I'll admit that this is some odd sound signature, it tries to be full, fun, yet analytic at the same time, but also sweet (as stated, vocal-focused).  The sweetness is helped out a little too much with the recessed highs.  They have come in nicely for me, but aren't fatiguing to say the least (midrange would be more fatiguing).  The midrange resembles that of Etymotic.  I know I've said this too many times to count, but it's the only connection I have with them, they sound so similar (vocally) that it's kind of scary.  Instrumentals are spaced slightly below the vocals and aren't as blunt either.  Bass digs deep while still having a punch to them.  They definitely are something different, I still consider these analytic mids simply because of the midrange presentation that is like a second cousin to the Etymotic. 

 

[delladood]

Why does it seem like the ASG-1's are the only headphone where I cannot envision the sound signature.  I can't even begin to fathom or create a mental idea of the sound due to the mixed reviews.  Some people praise them. Some hate them.  I'm actually afraid to receive these headphones due to the wide spread reviews.  I don't see how adding a user-controlled filter to the package could "EQ" the sound signature when its directly inside the headphones.  As it has been stated, weren't these headphones specifically designed for stage production? not audiophiles? Perhaps were all missing what music is actually supposed to sound like.  But comparing a $299 dollar pair of headphones to a pair of beats by dre... well its just plain ridiculous.  Exaggeration is one thing, but that guy really took it to the next level.  We all have sound signatures we don't like.  I personally love upfront mids, so im sure I wont have a huge deal with these IEM's.  They are a very new company.  Options for upgrading, customization, so on so forth in the future, really makes me feel like these iems are a good buy?? Perhaps some comply foams could tone down the "awful" mids.
 

Well there was no wow factor thats for sure... I dont agree with IEMs or cans for that matter that you need to get use to. this includes the ASG-1 and its many flaws.
I would rather have beats tour than the ASG-1... I have never ever been critical of an IEM like i have with the ASG-1 (other than the SE 535) I have never had this much dislike for an IEM, even that opposing my own sig favorings. from one end of the spectrum to the other, the IE8 to the ER-4s
also as Maodi has quoted in his sig.... "Respect Music. Listen to it the way it was recorded. No EQ, No Skullcandy"

 

I notice how you apparently are highly critical on the SE535.  I infer that you don't like those either??? Perhaps because they are notorious for upfront mids? Before you bash the heck out of a new headphone and immediately shut the idea of other people purchasing the headphones.   Perhaps say. "I really couldn't enjoy them, as I was not a big fan of the sound signature, mainly the upfront mids."