I should be picking mine up at the post office today. They attempted delivery yesterday but my wife didn't have cash to pay the taxes/fees. According to the postman the claimed value was $108 but if it had been the $99 I likely wouldn't have been charged anything.
So I have them now in my possession. Initial impressions are great so far.
Just a funny thing. I was actually worried about the "small" R/L indicators I have seen in previous pictures. Noting that they seemed a bit large and wondering how they would look in person. So I get them today and find that they are missing entirely! A binaural recording later and I now know which side is which with a reference point so I remember [The branded Y splitter needs to be facing me for proper orientation]. Now I am conflicted... Do I wish to just use that for my reference and leave these babies unmarred and very minimalistic... or take a small red and blue needle tip paint marker and make my own smaller less noticeable bands...? Decisions decisions... But seriously they sound great! I am very happy. And the wire is just amazing. I was worried from the pictures but my fears have gone. The Blue TiN with black looks so darn good.
I'm going to put these through their paces and perhaps compare with my RE400s and ASG-2s.
So I have them now in my possession. Initial impressions are great so far.
Just a funny thing. I was actually worried about the "small" R/L indicators I have seen in previous pictures. Noting that they seemed a bit large and wondering how they would look in person. So I get them today and find that they are missing entirely! A binaural recording later and I now know which side is which with a reference point so I remember [The branded Y splitter needs to be facing me for proper orientation]. Now I am conflicted... Do I wish to just use that for my reference and leave these babies unmarred and very minimalistic... or take a small red and blue needle tip paint marker and make my own smaller less noticeable bands...? Decisions decisions... But seriously they sound great! I am very happy. And the wire is just amazing. I was worried from the pictures but my fears have gone. The Blue TiN with black looks so darn good.
I'm going to put these through their paces and perhaps compare with my RE400s and ASG-2s.
So I have them now in my possession. Initial impressions are great so far.
Just a funny thing. I was actually worried about the "small" R/L indicators I have seen in previous pictures. Noting that they seemed a bit large and wondering how they would look in person. So I get them today and find that they are missing entirely! A binaural recording later and I now know which side is which with a reference point so I remember [The branded Y splitter needs to be facing me for proper orientation]. Now I am conflicted... Do I wish to just use that for my reference and leave these babies unmarred and very minimalistic... or take a small red and blue needle tip paint marker and make my own smaller less noticeable bands...? Decisions decisions... But seriously they sound great! I am very happy. And the wire is just amazing. I was worried from the pictures but my fears have gone. The Blue TiN with black looks so darn good.
I'm going to put these through their paces and perhaps compare with my RE400s and ASG-2s.
Not anymore. That was me and they'll be going off to their new owner today.
I got them yesterday and tried them for an hour or two. I first tried with the tips that were included, normally I find I can't use silicone tips because they irritate my ears but I remember Dale saying these were supposed to be different. I seemed to get a seal right away and the overall sound was OK but I was a bit concerned with how deep they needed to go. I have a TMJ related issue with my left ear, anything that needs to go too deep will tend to cause pain and the TMJ to flare up, it's one of the reasons I gave up on the idea of customs.
Anyhow, after that first time I couldn't seem to consistently get a proper seal with the stock tips and was starting to feel the same type of irritation I get with silicone tips so I moved over to Comply's which is what I usually have to use. With these I got a decent seal, sound didn't seem much different than when I got seal with the stock tips but again the depth of insertion was worrisome.
I don't want to say too much in regards to the sound as I didn't live with them for any length of time but suffice it to say I wasn't heartbroken about my fit issues causing me to sell them. In a brief comparison with my RHA 750i's I found I preferred the 750i's bass and more spacious soundstage. The 750i's felt larger, more fleshed out but the Rockets did appear to have very nice detail and texture throughout the bass.
Mids are a tough call, the Rockets seemed more forward and intimate but maybe too much so, I'd need more time to really say anything firm on this though.
Treble on the Rockets seemed quite nice, present without harshness or added sibilance and possibly more evenhanded than the 750i's.
So the Rockets are not bad, a far better showing than the ASG 1.2's I tried awhile back, but overall I preferred the 750i's not only for their sound but their ease of use, more robust feeling build quality and the 750i's also have a mic/remote.
So the Rockets are not bad, a far better showing than the ASG 1.2's I tried awhile back, but overall I preferred the 750i's not only for their sound but their ease of use, more robust feeling build quality and the 750i's also have a mic/remote.
I wouldn't confuse heft with build quality. From what we've seen on Rockets they are likely to be the most durable IEM on the market at any price point.
Audio wise though, I look forward to a lot more folks getting these and seeing comparisons with more iems in the $250-$350+ range. It seems like right now the direct comparisons are to much cheaper iems than the Rockets will actually cost once released to the public.
I wouldn't confuse heft with build quality. From what we've seen on Rockets they are likely to be the most durable IEM on the market at any price point.
Audio wise though, I look forward to a lot more folks getting these and seeing comparisons with more iems in the $250-$350+ range. It seems like right now the direct comparisons are to much cheaper iems than the Rockets will actually cost once released to the public.
And I wouldn't confuse marketing hype with real world experience.
Time will tell just how durable the Rockets are but I've had my RHA's for quite some time now and I continue to be impressed with not only their sound but their durability and overall build quality. The Rockets build quality seems nice enough but side by side with the 750i's the Rockets felt a bit more fragile, I'd be less inclined to just throw them in my computer bag without a case like I do the 750i's. I found the way the cable goes into the IEM a little worrisome and I didn't love the plastic overmolded jack which seems like it will be a bit too thick for some phone cases. I prefer the RHA's cable which is a unique, well thought out design with build quality reminiscent of pro gear. That's not to say the Rockets are bad, this is just my personal gut reaction without long term use, again, time will tell.
Yes, the rockets have a mic option but it was a fairly expensive option and doesn't have a remote which is actually what I tend to use it for the majority of the time. The remote/mic wouldn't be a deal killer for me but it's certainly nice to have.
And I wouldn't confuse marketing hype with real world experience.
Time will tell just how durable the Rockets are but I've had my RHA's for quite some time now and I continue to be impressed with not only their sound but their durability and overall build quality. The Rockets build quality seems nice enough but side by side with the 750i's the Rockets felt a bit more fragile, I'd be less inclined to just throw them in my computer bag without a case like I do the 750i's. I found the way the cable goes into the IEM a little worrisome and I didn't love the plastic overmolded jack which seems like it will be a bit too thick for some phone cases. I prefer the RHA's cable which is a unique, well thought out design with build quality reminiscent of pro gear. That's not to say the Rockets are bad, this is just my personal gut reaction without long term use, again, time will tell.
Yes, the rockets have a mic option but it was a fairly expensive option and doesn't have a remote which is actually what I tend to use it for the majority of the time. The remote/mic wouldn't be a deal killer for me but it's certainly nice to have.
I've never handled the 750is so I can't really speak of the build quality of them, but these are easily the most durable IEM I've ever owned, easily beating out the HJE900. Though I will agree that the plug seems a bit bulky, but at the same time there is a step and I don't think most people will have an issue getting it into their phone case. I will guarantee you that according to the materials used, that the Rockets will survive a crushing impact better than the 750is though (Simply put, small rounded titanium shells can take a force impact better than the shape of the 750is with stainless steel construction). I'm not sure about the wire connections, I can't see them, but I trust Dale enough to know that he is very passionate about about his work and he puts in the time to do things right, so I can only assume they are as strong as he says.
And I wouldn't confuse marketing hype with real world experience.
Time will tell just how durable the Rockets are but I've had my RHA's for quite some time now and I continue to be impressed with not only their sound but their durability and overall build quality. The Rockets build quality seems nice enough but side by side with the 750i's the Rockets felt a bit more fragile,
Right now all we have to go on is the test videos of the Rockets and their warranty - I'll give you that. It doesn't take long to find multiple reviews on the RHA's to find people with cable issues though (granted not a ton, but they are still there). As much as I have loved my Sure e3c's and other more moderately priced iem's it seems as though eventually it always comes down to one ear not working. I hope 5 years from now we can all say we have used and abused our Rockets and they still perform flawlessly. I can't say that for my other iem's, even though I baby them.
I am glad to hear your feedback though, I am sure the Rockets won't be for everyone, so the more positive and negative we can get out on the boards the better for prospective buyers to decide.
Unfortunately I am still waiting for mine, so it will be a while before I can post my impressions.
I will guarantee you that according to the materials used, that the Rockets will survive a crushing impact better than the 750is though (Simply put, small rounded titanium shells can take a force impact better than the shape of the 750is with stainless steel construction).
That may be the case but I'm not overly concerned about my 750i's surviving a crushing impact, although if a freak accident like that were to occur I could buy a whole new set of 750i's and still not have spent as much as a pair of Rockets with mic will retail for.
I'm not sure about the wire connections, I can't see them, but I trust Dale enough to know that he is very passionate about about his work and he puts in the time to do things right, so I can only assume they are as strong as he says.
Again, that may be the case, but with the amount of fiddling I had to do to get them inserted with a seal my gut reaction was a bit of concern for wear and tear on the cable where they enter the IEM. Of course Aurisonics is offering a pretty phenomenal warranty & guarantee so in reality, this shouldn't be worry.
There is no more durable iem on the market than the Rockets. I don't see how that can be debated imo. And one pinches the Rockets in and out by the tritab, no stress on the cable where it goes in the ear. The tips eventually take shape after awhile and are easier to insert. I can see how u might get worrisome because the Rockets are so diminutive. Hope u made a bit of a profit on these.
To address both of the aforementioned concerns (build quality as well as SQ), my own pair will be going on a 2 month tour across the states and to Europe. I'm sure they'll weather just about anything. The entry point of the cable to the IEM is actually quad anchored as Dale mentioned before, I don't think it'll be a failure point on the phones.
Elnero - Did you ever try removing the tritabs? I couldn't get along with the tritabs and the medium tips but the small tips without the tritabs was very, very comfy. And phones are so tiny that they were completely innocuous in the ear. As for sound staging, bass... Yeah, there will be other phones that will overtake the Rockets in sheer dimensions, but the actual imaging within that space? The Rockets simply excel in that area, and best many, many pricier phones in that regard. It's very vivid to my ears. I'll concede that the bass could do with a bit more body/sustain to its note as what's there can sometimes feel just a touch indistinct due to how fast the notes subside, but that aside, the bass is definitely quality, and very clean.
Just my thoughts, but we'll get a bevy of new impressions very soon from a couple of real hard-asses
Alright, so after having a few solid hours on these guys and going back and fourth between them and the RE400s I think I have some solid impressions...
The soundstage is more than I expected. Honestly I didn't expect much from the design, small chambers and no breathing hole for the dynamic speaker usually doesn't bode well for soundstage. Happily this was not the case. I listened to quite a few classical albums and some Dr Chesky recordings to test this. While other headphones perform better (unfair comparison to ASG-2 aside), like the RE400, these have a realistic and quite adequate sound stage. And though I find the RE400s do have an edge, it isn't a large one. The ASG-2s have, naturally, a far better soundstage but that is an unfair comparison.
Bass - Honestly these were at first rather underwhelming coming from the ASG-2 and even the RE400s seemed to perform better. That was my initial impression, and why I didn't want to say anything because quite simply that is wrong. Those two may have more bass than the Rockets, but the Rockets have quality bass. Actually, the ASG-2 has both quality and quantity. The bass on the RE400s seem looser compared with the Rockets. Mind you it isn't something I'd have noticed without going back and forth, and not without listening to just about everything. It is honestly resolving and tight. I'd say that these have the tightest bass of any in ears I own currently.
Midrange - ASG-2s are still king. I really can't say that enough, to me the ASG-2 are among the best midrange phones I've ever heard. That said, you can tell this is the same company. The presentation is very similar on the Rockets. The vocals are very lifelike and present. Nothing sounds off about the midrange, they might be a touch midrange forward, but I really can't say that with any conviction. Really these phones are pretty much flat. Compared to the RE400... that is tough... The only thing I can say is that I like how vocals are presented on Rockets more than the RE400s.
Treble - These obviously follow the Aurisonics tradition of non-fatiguing treble. This is something I rather appreciate, because I tend to listen for long periods of time. The quality and detail is very good. The layering was great and you could clearly make out everything. I haven't tried with exceedingly busy songs but I don't forsee them seeing much trouble at all with those songs. Guitars have a nice crunch to them, and though the RE400s are sharper in the treble I don't feel I'm losing anything from them.
Overall these are enjoyably flat. I don't have anything that is perfect flat of follow a DF field or anything like that. Compared to the RE400s I'll take these any day of the week, and are easily better everyday headphones for me. I didn't expect these to take the place of the RE400s as my out and about in ears, but it looks like it will happen that way. I had originally intended these to be my workout and running phones, but that is no longer so. I really can't say if they compete with any top tier as I can't comfortably make any comparisons as all my TOTL listening has been too far gone and the closest I have are the ASG-2s. These just perform well on all music.
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