[Inks]

Fine fine, if I can round down to 2, you can round up to 3

What's due to the midbass?

the imaging you speak of, it's midhighs are not all over the place like the other IEMs mentioned in James' comparison minus perhaps the Rockets, but those lower mids are like clouded. The peak is exactly at 3, there's no rounding, it's the same spot the ER4S has. If anything, it's the RE600 with that 2k peak [higher 1k to be exact]. I never had the problem where the Tenores sounded shouty, unless the fit wasn't right. Having said that, the poor build quality on the strain relief and small but weird midbass artifact is the reason why I don't own one. 

 

[vwinter]

the imaging you speak of, it's midhighs are not all over the place like the other IEMs mentioned in James' comparison minus perhaps the Rockets, but those lower mids are like clouded. The peak is exactly at 3, there's no rounding, it's the same spot the ER4S has. If anything, it's the RE600 with that 2k peak [higher 1k to be exact]. I never had the problem where the Tenores sounded shouty, unless the fit wasn't right. Having said that, the poor build quality on the strain relief and small but weird midbass artifact is the reason why I don't own one. 

I pretty much disagree on both counts. And don't know anything about the RE600.

In any case, I don't want to muck up this thread with Tenore talk so I'll just PM you.

 

[Valens7]

I was fortunate enough to come into possession of the Aurisonics ROCKETS recently, and, I'm pleased to report, I am very much enjoying what I have been hearing out of these tiny tubes! When I made my purchase, I was hoping for an IEM that approximated the FitEar F111, albeit with a somewhat darker sound that was less sensitive to fit-related issues. The ROCKETS, near as I can tell, have delivered on that expectation.
 
Comfort and build quality is top notch, and they sound absolutely great out of my iPhone 5. I haven't done much testing with my pico Power as yet, but the improvements with dedicated amplification seem to be relatively modest. I look forward to reporting more in-depth observations when I am able. My early impression of these IEMs, however, is overwhelmingly positive. For the money, I think that they're an absolute steal!

 

[xaddictionx]

The rockets sound great with X5! With really good bass quality and quantity.

 

[Valens7]

After some consideration, I will add a few thoughts about the pairing of the ROCKETS (hereafter "Rockets") with my HeadAmp pico DAC/Power stack. With the Power driving the Rockets, the biggest improvement is in the soundstage. Instruments and voices have noticeably more room to breathe, and the soundstage gains some width. Layering and detail retrieval, already excellent from the iPhone 5, is modestly enhanced. Treble response is smoothed out nicely, likely due to pico DAC's more musical sound signature. There also seems to be a subtle improvement in bass response. The slightly subdued character of the Rockets' bass does not change, but slightly more "oomph" evinces itself in the low end. I suspect that this is due to the aforementioned increase in spaciousness.
 
The Rockets demonstrate, perhaps better than any other headphone I've owned, how the heart of most music truly does lie in the midrange. These tubes put out some sublime mids, clean and warm. I prefer the Rockets' midrange to the FitEar F111's, as the added low end gives notes more heft. True, you do sacrifice some of the sparkly highs that the F111 excels at, but I feel that the tradeoff makes the Rockets a better all-rounder.
 
There's one other thing that I feel deserves comment: the Rockets' transient response. Attack and decay both, for my money, seems very good. Exceptional, even, with the right music. I wouldn't say that it is a blindingly fast IEM, but it certainly sounds snappier than the Sennheiser HD 600 to my ears. The Rockets have some impressive little drivers, as they manage to pull off both speed and detail with considerable aplomb. I'm no expert, but that seems like rather fine engineering to me.

 

[mejoshua]

It's nice to find a fellow headfi'er owning the same iems! I also own the f111s and I agree with you on most counts. Initially I found the Rockets a little too dark for my tastes but warmed up to the great lows and mids. I however prefer my f111s by a small margin for the air and trebles but I find that with the Rockets' tuning it is a great complement to the f111s. Wanted to sell it at first but changed my mind after it grew on me.

 

[Valens7]

Likewise!

 The F111 is a great IEM. Its build quality is absolutely on par with the Rockets. And I agree with you about the differences between the F111 and the Rockets. I think that the F111 offers better technicalities than the Rockets, especially in sound staging. They're probably slightly more linear, too. I just happen to prefer the subtle coloration of the Rockets; it's less fatiguing to listen to over long stretches. Overall, both IEMs stand out to me as outstanding executions of a "flat" sound.
 
I have three criticisms of the F111, two of which come up only in comparison to the Rockets. First, the F111 can be a bit touchy where fit is concerned. I'm admittedly somewhat oversensitive to comfort-related issues, but I noticed that it didn't take much for the sound of the F111 to "shift" with its position in my ears. As someone who prizes consistency, this was a bit frustrating. Second, the F111 did not sound nearly as good out of my iPhone 5 as the Rockets does. That could be the fault of the iPhone more than anything else, but it is a cause for concern about the "go anywhere" utility of the F111. Last, I think that where the Rockets really crushes the F111 is value. The F111 "merely" manages to be worth its price, while the Rockets manages to compete with IEMs that are significantly more expensive without costing a hefty chunk of change.
 
Owning both is definitively a sound policy. 

 Best of both worlds, FTW!

 

[james444]

  MAs are just not great technology yet imo, they're high distortion and limited bandwidth. The bass extension is just not there (they have volume down low but that's because they have a gradual roll off early in the subbass), though they're all fairly well balanced in the lows. EQ8 seems basically ignored for the most part and I'm sure in good reason. 

 
Subjectively, the e-Q8 are a noticeable step up from previous MA models, safe for the Ety-bump which isn't quite my cuppa. Also, I've found this review on a Russian site, measurements don't look too shabby either.
 
Actually, Dimitri told me that they sell pretty well in Japan. My early adopter report about distortion (at high volume) may have something to do with their lack of popularity on head-fi. 

 

 
Also, did you leave the filter on the RE600 and just leave the foam? If so, that makes sense to do, cause completely filterless is peaky IMO. Either way, think the RE400 is pretty much the same performance though less sensitive, so a  bit less dynamic with some sources.

 
I removed everything and replaced it with a small amount of cotton swab, as illustrated in this and the subsequent posts.
 

 
IMO Tenores have the best upper mids and treble of all the mentioned...

I agree, the Tenore's upper range is world-class.

 

[mejoshua]

I just want to say that the Rockets pair incredibly well with the DX90 with Lurker's 2.1.5 L2 firmware. That is all.

 

[HeroicPenguin]

  Likewise!

 The F111 is a great IEM. Its build quality is absolutely on par with the Rockets. And I agree with you about the differences between the F111 and the Rockets. I think that the F111 offers better technicalities than the Rockets, especially in sound staging. They're probably slightly more linear, too. I just happen to prefer the subtle coloration of the Rockets; it's less fatiguing to listen to over long stretches. Overall, both IEMs stand out to me as outstanding executions of a "flat" sound.
 
I have three criticisms of the F111, two of which come up only in comparison to the Rockets. First, the F111 can be a bit touchy where fit is concerned. I'm admittedly somewhat oversensitive to comfort-related issues, but I noticed that it didn't take much for the sound of the F111 to "shift" with its position in my ears. As someone who prizes consistency, this was a bit frustrating. Second, the F111 did not sound nearly as good out of my iPhone 5 as the Rockets does. That could be the fault of the iPhone more than anything else, but it is a cause for concern about the "go anywhere" utility of the F111. Last, I think that where the Rockets really crushes the F111 is value. The F111 "merely" manages to be worth its price, while the Rockets manages to compete with IEMs that are significantly more expensive without costing a hefty chunk of change.
 
Owning both is definitively a sound policy. 

 Best of both worlds, FTW!

 
Not surprised that you like these guys, coming from an ex-F111 owner myself. I still like the F111s more, but I couldn't justify owning them at their cost when something like the GR8s were almost as good but half the price. I'll disagree on the fit of the Rockets v. the F111 though -- the Rockets just have an awful fit for me while the F111s were amazing. To each is own though!

 

[rawrster]

   
Not surprised that you like these guys, coming from an ex-F111 owner myself. I still like the F111s more, but I couldn't justify owning them at their cost when something like the GR8s were almost as good but half the price. I'll disagree on the fit of the Rockets v. the F111 though -- the Rockets just have an awful fit for me while the F111s were amazing. To each is own though!

 
I can't agree on the GR8 being almost as good but that's for another thread I guess. As far as the fit on the Rockets I don't like them. They keep falling off whenever I try it over the ear and even worse when the fit is straight. It works fine if I use my custom tips but they are such as hassle compared to regular tips. I have to use that anti-loop thing to get a better fit. The only tips that work without the anti-loop is the sony hybrids but the sound isn't as good with them.

 

[mejoshua]

I got my f111s secondhand for about 360usd back in april. They are retailing now at about 540usd, which I have to agree is pretty steep. I struggle a little with a good fit for the f111s too but over time I realised the sweet spot for me is between a vacuum seal (real deep) and a loose fit. Thankfully the Rockets fit real easy over-ear after I figured how to use the antiloops. Btw, I'm using Ortofon Ms for both the f111s and the Rockets. I love these tips I find them the best by far in terms of comfort, fit, and sound. I removed the tri tabs because my ears are pretty shallow so they stick out.

 

[shotgunshane]

Wow, some of you guys must have some unfriendly ear anatomy for the Rockets fit to be bad. It's one of the easiest fits I've ever owned. Stick em and go! I only wear over the ear as well and do not use the tabs or antiloops. I would like to try some ear guides, just so they don't look as goofy though. Anyway I hope you all get it worked out, so you can enjoy them.

 

[vwinter]

About the earlier testing for bass with music rather than sine tones:

A top 40-ish song I've found that hits significantly lower than most is Justin Timberlake's What Goes Around... Comes Around which has fundamental notes at about 25Hz at 5:47 and 5:53 and then repeated afterward. It's a struggle for most IEMs to do it well in my experience. Fun to try out.

Rockets don't exactly nail it for obvious reasons, especially when you realize that the notes at 25Hz hit at almost the same amplitude (or more accurately, should) as the main midrange section playing concurrently.


[rule]

To add to the above, I also the Tenore treble, probably my favorite or all earphones I've heard.

 

[JoeDoe]

For anyone not diggin the SureSeals, I'm having a great time with the red core tips that come with Brainwavz IEMs. They open up the soundstage a touch without losing bass impact.