[getclikinagas]

I am the thread starter and I have been updating the OP with all your impressions. Let me know if you guys want to add anything to it to guide newcomers with any other useful information.

 
Good job on the OP tgx78!
Well formatted and organized

 

[Jobbing]

For those complaining about the delays in Rockets shipping I would say that crowd funding simply isn't for you. Out of the 61 projects I've backed I'd say maybe 2 actually shipped within a couple of weeks of the original estimated time frame, many have been delayed by more than 6 months and even a couple well over a year. Some of them haven't really lived up toexpectations either but there's no point in complaining about it because that's just the risk of getting involved with a product early in the development stage.

That's easy for you to say since you already got yours for a couple of weeks......It isn't shipment delays that's bothering, it's lack of transparency and communication. Btw delays over 6 months should only be expected from new Kickstarter creators not ongoing businesses. We know Dale was depending on 3rd parties for this project - he said he won't be next time - and we know we'll all get a great product in the end, no worries. Personally if the Auris would be announced on short notice (

 

[warrior1975]

I totally understand your frustration but it's only headphones. Life could be a lot worse than an extended wait for a pair of headphones. Not trying to be rude, just offering a different perspective.

 

[Jobbing]

....on short notice (

 

[Jobbing]

*sorry, can't seem to upload the rest if my comment...

 

[Jobbing]

@warrior1975 non taken..not frustrated. Just need to know what makes Auris better than Earin. I backed both Earin and Rockets, Auris to me seems to be an in-between. Hopefully Dale will prove me wrong and convince me to drop my pledges on other projects like 1964Adel and Earwerkz.....soon....

 

[warrior1975]

I've never done kickstarter because I have absolutely no patience. Zero. I'd be miserable if I were you, ironically, I'm offering advice in not being miserable. Lol.

 

[jrkong]

I am the thread starter and I have been updating the OP with all your impressions. Let me know if you guys want to add anything to it to guide newcomers with any other useful information.

I'd hide the impressions with spoiler tags just so you aren't bombshelled with a wall of text. If you take a look at what I've done with the other Aurisonics thread you'll see what I mean.

 

[WickedChicken]

That's easy for you to say since you already got yours for a couple of weeks......It isn't shipment delays that's bothering, it's lack of transparency and communication. Btw delays over 6 months should only be expected from new Kickstarter creators not ongoing businesses. We know Dale was depending on 3rd parties for this project - he said he won't be next time - and we know we'll all get a great product in the end, no worries. Personally if the Auris would be announced on short notice (

 
The only reason I got mine when i did was because after seeing e-mails about other colors being delayed due to production  sample issues I shote them an e-mail and asked to switch my order to the stock white/non-colored configuration.
 
And my comment wasn't really directed at anyone in particular or even just this thread but more about the kickstarter community as a whole.  In just about every project I've backed there have been delays and in almost every case  there were a lot of frustrated backers.

 

[james444]

  Me too!
 
I wonder how Bluetooth will affect sound quality.

 
From my experience, a high-bitrate aptX encoded BT stream is pretty much indistinguishable from wired in mobile surroundings.
 

Good points.

By safety, I meant which type of Bluetooth receivers they will use. Some produce significantly more radiation than others.

Hopefully Aurisonics will be using Class 2 or 3 transmitters, which, while having shorter range, are much safer, using a fraction of the power of the cheaper (but longer range) Class 1 transmitters.

Class 2 or 3 Bluetooth transmitters might actually be *safer* than connecting IEMs to your phone, as your IEMs can act as an antenna, whereas wireless earphones won't!

 
I've had quite a few BT phones / transmitters and they all were class 2 (10m range). Class 3 would be too short-ranged (1m) and class 1 (100m) would be an unnecessary waste of energy and battery life.
 

They will have to beat these

 
For me, they'll have to beat the LG BTS1 + short-cabled RE600. Not an easy task imo. 

 

 

[dweaver]

I have a pair of MDR10RBT and have a hard time hearing differences between using it cables and through BT. They are there but just not enough to worry about especially in mobile settings.

As for my Rockets, I am not complaining as much as making sure we are not forgotten or relegated to the back of the pack...

 

[csglinux]

 

I am the thread starter and I have been updating the OP with all your impressions. Let me know if you guys want to add anything to it to guide newcomers with any other useful information.

 
 
Thanks for starting this thread tgx78 - some really great information here! Thanks also to gnarl for the tip (in the ER4S thread) about the Rockets.
 
Well, since you ask, I do have a few comments and a couple of questions (at the end)...
 
For a few weeks now I've been comparing the Rockets against my two favorite IEMs, which are 1) ER-4S/ER-4P with red filters and Shure Olive tips and 2) Monster Turbine Copper Pro (late edition model without the driver flex), but with the original (spherical) gel supertips.
 
Rockets Pros:
 
1) Relatively clear sound and good isolation, with the right tips (see later).
2) Bass impact is slightly better than that of the ER-4P.
3) Unbelievably solid build. No need to worry what would happen if somebody took a 200 lb hammer to your IEM Just one point of curiosity - Aurisonics state the Rockets have a lifetime guarantee AND a 5 year warranty. So what happens if they break in year 6??
4) Useful indented grip on the 3.5mm jack plug.
5) They're very tiny and could easily be worn while lying down, if you were so inclined (lame pun intended). It's an amazing form factor that sets the bar, IMHO, for all future IEMs.
6) They stay well sealed in the ears, even without the tri-tabs (which were totally unnecessary for me).
7) Well-designed cable slider that actually stays where you leave it.
8) Thoughtful set of peripherals (eartips, anti-loops - any maybe somebody will even find the tri-tabs useful?)
9) Very reasonably priced, given the build and sound quality.
 
As with all IEMs, there are some Cons:
 
1) You will learn the true meaning of the word "microphonics". (I know, I know - I just don't like wearing wires behind my ears.)
2) Although the bass is fractionally stronger than that of the ER-4P, it doesn't have the full impact of top-tier dynamic-driver earphones, like the Monster Turbine Copper.
3) Treble doesn't quite have the clarity of the best balanced armature drivers, like the ER-4S. To my ears, it also doesn't have the treble clarity of the Monster Turbine Copper. I saw another reviewer that talked about some "graininess" in the Rockets' sound. That's what I hear too. It's close, but just not quite as clear and as smooth as the ER-4 or Monster Turbine Pro Copper.  It would be interesting to see measurements of total harmonic distortion for these things.
4) YMMV, but the SureSeal tips didn't work for me at all. With these on, the earbuds were difficult to insert and when I finally succeeded, they irritated my ear canals. They'll sometimes create a vacuum in your ears and they don't isolate that well. They're rated at a 26 dB NRR. Compare that to a 42+ dB NRR with the Etys and Shure tips. That's roughly a factor of four difference in the levels of background noise being blocked (or not). However, you can do better with aftermarket tips. Sony hybrid tips fit great on the Rockets. (It's like they were made for each other!) ME Electronic DF-50 and DF-35 bi-flanges work great too and offer better isolation than the Sony hybrids.  The DF-50s maintain the same diameter opening as the SureSeal tips. My favorite tips in terms of sound and isolation for the Rockets are the Monster foam supertips. (The gel supertips don't adhere well to the posts on the Rockets.)  Comply TX-400 tips also work well, but need replacing regularly (and they're not cheap). I'm generally not a fan of very wide posts as it limits the amount of foam (or other sound-absorbing material) you can fit between the post and your ear canal. Narrower posts would have given us more options for third-party eartips. I'm hoping Rockets 2 have narrower, or at least tapered, posts.
6) With any of the eartips mentioned above, Rockets have quite noticeable occlusion effects. (If you try to talk while wearing these, it creates a low-frequency booming resonance in your ears.) For this reason, I wouldn't recommend buying the version with the inline microphone.
7) For 16 Ohm headphones, they're not very sensitive, so you'll need to crank the volume up a bit. That might not be a disadvantage to those using them at home with an amp - it might be an issue for those using portable music players with weaker internal amps. The other reason I'm listing this as a negative is that Rockets need a little power to sound good. At low volumes on an iPod/iPhone, their bass tends to disappear. I usually prefer (and you should too, if you value your hearing) to listen at lower volumes.
8) There's no option to buy these with an inline volume control/remote. (The mic version in pre-order stage has no volume controls.)  The ER-4's don't come with these either, but you can at least buy Apple cable assemblies for them (about $70 on eBay). Rockets' cables aren't replacable, so aftermarket cables aren't an option
 
So in summary, they're very, very good and excellent value for the price. Just not perfect. In order of preference I'd rate my IEMs in terms of sound quality as: 1) Monster Turbine Pro Copper with spherical gel supertips. 2) ER-4S with red filters and Shure Olive tips. 3) Rockets. If I was forced to choose only one pair of IEMs, I'd have to go with number 2, only because I value sound isolation very highly. In an ideal, quiet environment, I'd go with 1). I'm still searching for an IEM that can sound like the Turbine Coppers, with the isolation of the ER4s, no occlusion effects and an inline mic/remote. I'm going to persevere for a couple more weeks, testing different tips, amps, EQ settings, etc., before deciding whether to sell my Rockets, but for sure, I will be buying Rockets version 2
 
Questions:
 
1) Gnarl, I think you have (or have heard) multiple pairs of Rockets? Is there any audible difference amongst them or is their QC good enough that they all sound identical? I'm always concerned I might have received a slightly defective pair.
 
2) Does anybody out there know of any Shure-Olive-type eartips for the Rockets? I actually did manage to get a pair of Olives to fit on the Rockets, but it wasn't a great day for those Shure tips. That experiment didn't have a happy conclusion

 

[gnarlsagan]

Thanks for starting this thread tgx78 - some really great information here! Thanks also to gnarl for the tip (in the ER4S thread) about the Rockets.
 


Well, since you ask, I do have a few comments and a couple of questions (at the end)...

For a few weeks now I've been comparing the Rockets against my two favorite IEMs, which are 1) ER-4S/ER-4P with red filters and Shure Olive tips and 2) Monster Turbine Copper Pro (late edition model without the driver flex), but with the original (spherical) gel supertips.

Rockets Pros:

1) Relatively clear sound and good isolation, with the right tips (see later).
2) Bass impact is slightly better than that of the ER-4P.
3) Unbelievably solid build. No need to worry what would happen if somebody took a 200 lb hammer to your IEM Just one point of curiosity - Aurisonics state the Rockets have a lifetime guarantee AND a 5 year warranty. So what happens if they break in year 6??
4) Useful indented grip on the 3.5mm jack plug.
5) They're very tiny and could easily be worn while lying down, if you were so inclined (lame pun intended). It's an amazing form factor that sets the bar, IMHO, for all future IEMs.
6) They stay well sealed in the ears, even without the tri-tabs (which were totally unnecessary for me).
7) Well-designed cable slider that actually stays where you leave it.
8) Thoughtful set of peripherals (eartips, anti-loops - any maybe somebody will even find the tri-tabs useful?)
9) Very reasonably priced, given the build and sound quality.
 


As with all IEMs, there are some Cons:

1) You will learn the true meaning of the word "microphonics". (I know, I know - I just don't like wearing wires behind my ears.)
2) Although the bass is fractionally stronger than that of the ER-4P, it doesn't have the full impact of top-tier dynamic-driver earphones, like the Monster Turbine Copper.
3) Treble doesn't quite have the clarity of the best balanced armature drivers, like the ER-4S. To my ears, it also doesn't have the treble clarity of the Monster Turbine Copper. I saw another reviewer that talked about some "graininess" in the Rockets' sound. That's what I hear too. It's close, but just not quite as clear and as smooth as the ER-4 or Monster Turbine Pro Copper.  It would be interesting to see measurements of total harmonic distortion for these things.
4) YMMV, but the SureSeal tips didn't work for me at all. With these on, the earbuds were difficult to insert and when I finally succeeded, they irritated my ear canals. They'll sometimes create a vacuum in your ears and they don't isolate that well. They're rated at a 26 dB NRR. Compare that to a 42+ dB NRR with the Etys and Shure tips. That's roughly a factor of four difference in the levels of background noise being blocked (or not). However, you can do better with aftermarket tips. Sony hybrid tips fit great on the Rockets. (It's like they were made for each other!) ME Electronic DF-50 and DF-35 bi-flanges work great too and offer better isolation than the Sony hybrids.  The DF-50s maintain the same diameter opening as the SureSeal tips. My favorite tips in terms of sound and isolation for the Rockets are the Monster foam supertips. (The gel supertips don't adhere well to the posts on the Rockets.)  Comply TX-400 tips also work well, but need replacing regularly (and they're not cheap). I'm generally not a fan of very wide posts as it limits the amount of foam (or other sound-absorbing material) you can fit between the post and your ear canal. Narrower posts would have given us more options for third-party eartips. I'm hoping Rockets 2 have narrower, or at least tapered, posts.
6) With any of the eartips mentioned above, Rockets have quite noticeable occlusion effects. (If you try to talk while wearing these, it creates a low-frequency booming resonance in your ears.) For this reason, I wouldn't recommend buying the version with the inline microphone.
7) For 16 Ohm headphones, they're not very sensitive, so you'll need to crank the volume up a bit. That might not be a disadvantage to those using them at home with an amp - it might be an issue for those using portable music players with weaker internal amps. The other reason I'm listing this as a negative is that Rockets need a little power to sound good. At low volumes on an iPod/iPhone, their bass tends to disappear. I usually prefer (and you should too, if you value your hearing) to listen at lower volumes.
8) There's no option to buy these with an inline volume control/remote. (The mic version in pre-order stage has no volume controls.)  The ER-4's don't come with these either, but you can at least buy Apple cable assemblies for them (about $70 on eBay). Rockets' cables aren't replacable, so aftermarket cables aren't an option

So in summary, they're very, very good and excellent value for the price. Just not perfect. In order of preference I'd rate my IEMs in terms of sound quality as: 1) Monster Turbine Pro Copper with spherical gel supertips. 2) ER-4S with red filters and Shure Olive tips. 3) Rockets. If I was forced to choose only one pair of IEMs, I'd have to go with number 2, only because I value sound isolation very highly. In an ideal, quiet environment, I'd go with 1). I'm still searching for an IEM that can sound like the Turbine Coppers, with the isolation of the ER4s, no occlusion effects and an inline mic/remote. I'm going to persevere for a couple more weeks, testing different tips, amps, EQ settings, etc., before deciding whether to sell my Rockets, but for sure, I will be buying Rockets version 2

Questions:
 


1) Gnarl, I think you have (or have heard) multiple pairs of Rockets? Is there any audible difference amongst them or is their QC good enough that they all sound identical? I'm always concerned I might have received a slightly defective pair.
 


2) Does anybody out there know of any Shure-Olive-type eartips for the Rockets? I actually did manage to get a pair of Olives to fit on the Rockets, but it wasn't a great day for those Shure tips. That experiment didn't have a happy conclusion

Great impressions! I'm right there with the ER4S. It's definitely my go to iem along with the Rockets. Sometimes I also feel like the the ER4S has more clarity, but then I get this amazing imaging and soundstage with the Rockets, so its hard to say. They each have a different kind of clarity.

Not sure if I agree about the treble. The ER4S is amazingly clear and precise here, but the Rockets are extremely similar FR-wise to my ears, with less of a dip at 7k. Again though treble is most likely to vary among users.

I have foam monster super tips, and I never even thought to try them on the Rockets. I'll definitely give them a shot this week.

As per your questions:

1) I haven't heard any differences between any of the four pairs of Rockets I've heard. Any time I've thought there might be a difference, its usually while I'm listening to an unfamiliar track, and when I switch back to a song I know very well, any perceived differences dissappear.

Another reason I'm fairly convinced that there haven't been any differences between these pairs of Rockets is that I haven't had any complaints with any of them. Usually, like with the Tenore, if there is an inconsistency it will smack me in the face right away, or at the very least slowly start to bug me after a period of time. I haven't experienced any of that with the Rockets I've heard.

That being said, I have another pair coming that I'll be able to directly a/b against my current pair. I'll definitely be reporting back here with my findings.

2) The only tips I can think of that might compare to the Sure Olives are some comply (t400 might fit but I'll have to check when I get home tonight), or hollowing out a pair of foam ear plugs and putting them over the core of another tip. I've tried that with the ER-6, but it doesn't work well for my ears. I tend to get channel imbalance with foam tips unless I wear them quite shallow.

 

[crazyg0od33]

  Same as ROCKETS, so 1. I'd assume they're coming soon now that ROCKETS aren't in the way anymore.

yeah, I'd still say ROCKETS are in the way.  It's been over a month since any mic version updates.  These shouldn't launch until ALL rockets are shipped...

 

[tusing]

yeah, I'd still say ROCKETS are in the way.  It's been over a month since any mic version updates.  These shouldn't launch until ALL rockets are shipped...

I'm not sure about that. The development and the shipment of the two are very likely different processes.