Fender IEM (Aurisonics) Impressions, Reviews & Discussions Thread
Feb 20, 2016 at 10:51 PM Post #4,711 of 6,413
  It's been awhile, but from when I've auditioned the bravo lineup there was a certain something about the forte that made me choose the harmony over it, but it's probably all relative anyway. I would definitely be interested to read more detailed descriptions of the forte.

Interesting.....
 
A hardly used pair just sold on eBay US for $223 AUD.
 
Screw it as they have not yet shipped I'm cancelling my order and going with my original plan to purchase another pair of Dunu DN-1000's.  
 
I'm going with what I have heard rather than my propensity to impulse buy and more often than not end up disappointed. Factor in no real reviews on a Aurisonics product that's been on the market for over 6 months.
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 12:35 AM Post #4,712 of 6,413
Interesting.....

A hardly used pair just sold on eBay US for $223 AUD.

Screw it as they have not yet shipped I'm cancelling my order and going with my original plan to purchase another pair of Dunu DN-1000's.  

I'm going with what I have heard rather than my propensity to impulse buy and more often than not end up disappointed. Factor in no real reviews on a Aurisonics product that's been on the market for over 6 months.
The American made Forte is a lot better than the Made in China Dunu .
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 1:58 AM Post #4,713 of 6,413
Eh, go with your gut. Though I've tended to shy away from dunu stuff so far because I heard that their treble can be far too brittle. I like treble but I want my treble to be smooth too. FWIW the harmony has one of the most natural treble presentation I've heard in an IEM, though of course my experience is still limited.
 
Forte does suffer from the middle child syndrome though. That said, I would love to hear more detailed reviews on it, because it's mostly been just the harmony and kicker so far.
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 3:10 AM Post #4,714 of 6,413
  Interesting.....
 
A hardly used pair just sold on eBay US for $223 AUD.
 
Screw it as they have not yet shipped I'm cancelling my order and going with my original plan to purchase another pair of Dunu DN-1000's.  
 
I'm going with what I have heard rather than my propensity to impulse buy and more often than not end up disappointed. Factor in no real reviews on a Aurisonics product that's been on the market for over 6 months.


I had them both for a while Forte and Harmony. The harmony adds a bit more treble detail and a tad more dynamics to the mix. Both would make me happy. 
 
Never heard the Dunu's but quite a few other IEMs.
 
Here is my review I wrote in October or so...  but never got around to publish them (as they never went on sale in my region):
 
Aurisonics Forte Review 
 

 
 
Introduction
Aurisonics
 
Aurisonics is a Nashville, Tennessee, US based company that produces mostly by hand and it shows. Aurisonics stands for Auris is latin for ear and Sonics is the practical application of sound. A nice name for an audio company. When a mastering engineer founds an audio company, audiophile ‘listen’ hah!! Fire up youtube and search for Dale Lott, he is the founder and CEO of Aurisonics and if you need to see someone standing behind his products - watch him. Check out the Aurisonics website, amazing read for sure.
 
 Manufacture’s Specifications
  1. Type: in-ear
  2. Drivers Size: Dynamic: 9.25mm
  3. Drivers Type: Dynamic Driver & Balanced Armature Hybrid 
  4. Frequency Response: 8Hz to 24KHz
  5. Sensitivity: 90dB @1mW
  6. Impedance:  16 Ω
  7. Microphone sensitivity: 
  8. Maximum Input:  2/5mW
  9. Cable: multicore OFC, 1.35mm thick
  10. Weight with cable: 39g  
  11. Connector: 3.5mm single ended
 
 Design
 
They are not the smallest in-ears. They have quite a large housing. However, once properly inserted they are comfortable and since they are light, you don’t really feel them.
 
The Forte is a part of the new line up from Aurisonics. These are the ones sharing the same housing: Eva, Kicker, Forte and Harmony. All of them come with brand new drivers in different combinations. The Kicker has the new 9.25mm dynamic driver and can deliver a nice amount of mids and treble. The Kicker come in a  single driver setup. The Forte I am reviewing have a dual driver setup. The same 9.25mm dynamic driver for the mids and the incredible bass from the large dynamic driver and a single balanced armature for the treble and mids.
 


 



 
Style

Well made. and great looking. Take a look at the pics. They are a bit large as mentioned earlier but comfortable and look like they can take quite a beating. The cables are replaceable (YEAH!) and the connector is a standard MMCX cable. So the Linum BAX cable from samma3a.com fits perfectly. This is not to say that the supplied cable is bad, far from it. Lovely braided cable.
   

 
 

Build quality

Solid plastic, 3D printed and assembled in the US. They are certainly made to last. However, in case something goes wrong the generous warranty will take care of it. Though I don’t think you will need it.
 

Comfort

Once inserted they are disappearing. You don’t really feel them anymore. However the housings are quite large and bulky. Other headphones have a smaller footprint. The supplied ear tips look funny and at least in my review unit they look cheap BUT they are fitting perfectly well - are nearly indestructible and isolate great. The nozzle shape seem to be extended from the 2.5 so insertion and getting a seal is easier.

Supplied accessories

You will get the in-ears, the braided cable, ear tips and a nice and small travel case for the in-ears.
 

 
 
Sound
General comment:powerful, dynamic, lots of bass, maybe a tad boomy with some tracks but overall an amazing sound signature. Clarity in the upper regions is really well done, thanks to the additional balanced armature driver. This is a earphone that clearly lives on the warmer side but has enough clarity to be considered high end.
 
 

Bass

Punchy, full, dynamic. Lots of bass and sub bass. The tagline of these headphones is “hear the bass come to life” and this is what these in-ears do. I love the bass they are delivering. It’s not overpowering by any stretch. If you like rock, heavy metal or electronic music, these headphones are for you.

Mid-range

It’s there and with good presence, giving this headphone a lovely fun signature. Female vocals sound great and full, male vocals are clean and engaging. It’s pretty amazing what Aurisonics has pulled off with this driver combination.
 
Treble

The treble is clear but gentle. Pretty good for this price range. These might be the only in-ears you will ever need. The treble is detailed but never fatiguing or harsh. You can listen to these headphones for hours without issues.

Sound Stage and instruments separations

Not bad at all. Following the amazing lead of the ASG 2.5 from Aurisonics, the soundstage is nice, deep and wide. Let's call it "appropriate". Not artificially large but just right in my book.
 
 
Pros & Cons

Pros:

  1. amazing fun sound quality 
  2. bass is crazy good
  3. lovely dynamic bass
  4. 95% of a ASG 2.5 for half the price
Cons:

  1. housing can be a bit large for some
  2. only a limited selection of ear tips supplied
  3. bass might feel a bit boomy at certain tracks (until you get used to the amount of bass)
 
 Rating
  1. Comfort                       7/10
  2. Sound Quality             8/10
  3. Design                        8/10
  4. Durability                    8/10
  5. Value for Money         9/10
 
Conclusion
When I reviewed the Aurisonics ASG 2.5, I loved them. However, they were a bit above my budget at the time and I had some minor comfort issues, so I didn’t buy them, though I loved their unique sound that was so engaging and dynamic. It makes you tap your toes immediately. Good for me, a solution arrived in for of the Forte. Amazing bass, great midrange and pleasant treble. They seem to have taken all the things I loved in the ASG 2.5 and stuffed it into an easier to wear, more comfortable housing and left out the bass adjust port. 
 
These in-ears will certainly be a hit for Aurisonics. I can’t imagine any other in-ear at this price range that does come close. If your budget allows amount of money to spend on in-ears, give these are long and hard look, they should be on top of your list.
 

 
Feb 21, 2016 at 3:20 AM Post #4,715 of 6,413
I had them both for a while Forte and Harmony. The harmony adds a bit more treble detail and a tad more dynamics to the mix. Both would make me happy. 

Never heard the Dunu's but quite a few other IEMs.

Here is my review I wrote in October or so...  but never got around to publish them (as they never went on sale in my region):

Aurisonics Forte Review 




 


Introduction
Aurisonics
 


Aurisonics is a Nashville, Tennessee, US based company that produces mostly by hand and it shows. Aurisonics stands for Auris is latin for ear and Sonics is the practical application of sound. A nice name for an audio company. When a mastering engineer founds an audio company, audiophile ‘listen’ hah!! Fire up youtube and search for Dale Lott, he is the founder and CEO of Aurisonics and if you need to see someone standing behind his products - watch him. Check out the Aurisonics website, amazing read for sure.
 


 Manufacture’s Specifications
  • Type: in-ear
  • Drivers Size: Dynamic: 9.25mm
  • Drivers Type: Dynamic Driver & Balanced Armature Hybrid 
  • Frequency Response: 16Hz to 40KHz
  • Sensitivity: 90dB @1mW
  • Impedance:  16 Ω
  • Microphone sensitivity: 
  • Maximum Input:  2/5mW
  • Cable: multicore OFC, 1.35mm thick
  • Weight with cable: 39g  
  • Connector: 3.5mm single ended
 


 Design
 


They are not the smallest in-ears. They have quite a large housing. However, once properly inserted they are comfortable and since they are light, you don’t really feel them.
 


The Forte is a part of the new line up from Aurisonics. These are the ones sharing the same housing: Eva, Kicker, Forte and Harmony. All of them come with brand new drivers in different combinations. The Kicker has the new 9.25mm dynamic driver and can deliver a nice amount of mids and treble. The Kicker come in a  single driver setup. The Forte I am reviewing have a dual driver setup. The same 9.25mm dynamic driver for the mids and the incredible bass from the large dynamic driver and a single balanced armature for the treble and mids.
 







 









Style



Well made. and great looking. Take a look at the pics. They are a bit large as mentioned earlier but comfortable and look like they can take quite a beating. The cables are replaceable (YEAH!) and the connector is a standard MMCX cable. So the Linum BAX cable from samma3a.com fits perfectly. This is not to say that the supplied cable is bad, far from it. Lovely braided cable.



   





 



Build quality



Solid plastic, 3D printed and assembled in the US. They are certainly made to last. However, in case something goes wrong the generous warranty will take care of it. Though I don’t think you will need it.
 



Comfort



Once inserted they are disappearing. You don’t really feel them anymore. However the housings are quite large and bulky. Other headphones have a smaller footprint. The supplied ear tips look funny and at least in my review unit they look cheap BUT they are fitting perfectly well - are nearly indestructible and isolate great. The nozzle shape seem to be extended from the 2.5 so insertion and getting a seal is easier.



Supplied accessories



You will get the in-ears, the braided cable, ear tips and a nice and small travel case for the in-ears.
 







 


Sound
General comment:powerful, dynamic, lots of bass, maybe a tad boomy with some tracks but overall an amazing sound signature. Clarity in the upper regions is really well done, thanks to the additional balanced armature driver. This is a earphone that clearly lives on the warmer side but has enough clarity to be considered high end.
 


 



Bass



Punchy, full, dynamic. Lots of bass and sub bass. The tagline of these headphones is “hear the bass come to life” and this is what these in-ears do. I love the bass they are delivering. It’s not overpowering by any stretch. If you like rock, heavy metal or electronic music, these headphones are for you.



Mid-range



It’s there and with good presence, giving this headphone a lovely fun signature. Female vocals sound great and full, male vocals are clean and engaging. It’s pretty amazing what Aurisonics has pulled off with this driver combination.
 


Treble



The treble is clear but gentle. Pretty good for this price range. These might be the only in-ears you will ever need. The treble is detailed but never fatiguing or harsh. You can listen to these headphones for hours without issues.



Sound Stage and instruments separations



Not bad at all. Following the amazing lead of the ASG 2.5 from Aurisonics, the soundstage is nice, deep and wide. Let's call it "appropriate". Not artificially large but just right in my book.


 


 


Pros & Cons



Pros:



  • amazing fun sound quality 
  • bass is crazy good
  • lovely dynamic bass
  • 95% of a ASG 2.5 for half the price
Cons:



  • housing can be a bit large for some
  • only a limited selection of ear tips supplied
  • bass might feel a bit boomy at certain tracks (until you get used to the amount of bass)
 


 Rating
  • Comfort                       7/10
  • Sound Quality             8/10
  • Design                        8/10
  • Durability                    8/10
  • Value for Money         9/10
 


Conclusion
When I reviewed the Aurisonics ASG 2.5, I loved them. However, they were a bit above my budget at the time and I had some minor comfort issues, so I didn’t buy them, though I loved their unique sound that was so engaging and dynamic. It makes you tap your toes immediately. Good for me, a solution arrived in for of the Forte. Amazing bass, great midrange and pleasant treble. They seem to have taken all the things I loved in the ASG 2.5 and stuffed it into an easier to wear, more comfortable housing and left out the bass adjust port. 


 


These in-ears will certainly be a hit for Aurisonics. I can’t imagine any other in-ear at this price range that does come close. If your budget allows amount of money to spend on in-ears, give these are long and hard look, they should be on top of your list.
 

Frequency response: 8Hz - 24kHz
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 4:25 AM Post #4,716 of 6,413
Feb 21, 2016 at 8:18 AM Post #4,717 of 6,413
Interesting.....

A hardly used pair just sold on eBay US for $223 AUD.

Screw it as they have not yet shipped I'm cancelling my order and going with my original plan to purchase another pair of Dunu DN-1000's.  

I'm going with what I have heard rather than my propensity to impulse buy and more often than not end up disappointed. Factor in no real reviews on a Aurisonics product that's been on the market for over 6 months.
where did u order from, i am deciding between these, harmony, or 2.5
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 8:26 AM Post #4,718 of 6,413
where did u order from, i am deciding between these, harmony, or 2.5
All three are great. If you want the most powerful bass then 2.5. You want an iem better than the 846 then the Forte. You want an iem with one of the best sub bass with the treble of the totl iems the Harmony.
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 8:43 AM Post #4,720 of 6,413
Thanks. I had the 2.5 before, loved it. Tried 846, honestly didnt care for it.
What I mean is the Forte doesnt have too sharp treble so one can listen to it for a long time. The Forte is similar to the 2.5. It just has a more refine bass which hits mostly in the sub bass region but not as over powering as the 2.5. I have three 2.5s, one Forte and one Harmony. I sold my 846 a long time ago well I sold all my BA iems.
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 9:44 AM Post #4,721 of 6,413
Im leaning towards forte as my list is
Quality bass including sub bass
Detailed mids {love aurisonics mids)
Soundstage
Imaging/seperation
Then treble

So forte would do, but i have this horrible mindset ill be missing something if i dont get the harmony lol

How is the detail retreival on these?
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 9:50 AM Post #4,722 of 6,413
Im leaning towards forte as my list is
Quality bass including sub bass
Detailed mids {love aurisonics mids)
Soundstage
Imaging/seperation
Then treble

So forte would do, but i have this horrible mindset ill be missing something if i dont get the harmony lol

How is the detail retreival on these?
Both are detailed,but the Harmonys treble is extended so if the track has strong treble then its treble will be very present. I had many top custom iems and Im very pleased with the Forte and Harmony.
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 9:57 AM Post #4,723 of 6,413
Im leaning towards forte as my list is
Quality bass including sub bass
Detailed mids {love aurisonics mids)
Soundstage
Imaging/seperation
Then treble

So forte would do, but i have this horrible mindset ill be missing something if i dont get the harmony lol

How is the detail retreival on these?


I haven't heard the Forte... was in the same situation as you and decided to just go all out and get the harmony.  But it seems that the concensus is that the Forte is pretty much the Harmony minus some upper treble.  So I will say that the Harmony's are very impressive and I'm not sure if it is the extra treble or something else but they have by far the biggest soundstage I've heard in an IEM.  Just sounds like you're in a concert hall or something.  On the other hand the added treble does also seem to be a bit more unforgiving of poorly recorded music so with some tracks they can amplify the harshness in the recording.  
 
Hard decision for sure... and not to influence you or anything but I do have a pair of Harmony's up for sale in the forums if your interested :wink:.  Good luck!  Your in for a treat either way.
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 2:20 PM Post #4,724 of 6,413
I'm just back from Canjam and Fender was exhibiting, so I took the chance to talk to Cherns about the Fender series and what the differences are. So here goes. (We only talked about certain models, not all of them)
 
The Fender FXA7 Pro: This one is tuned similarly to the Harmony with the treble brought down slightly for a more mellow tone. 
 
The Fender FXA6 Pro: This one is NOT the Forte at all. This one is tuned like the ASG1-Plus, which you can find a lot of information on another thread dedicated to it. I happen to like it alot as well.
 
As for the other few in the series, I  had no time to enquire as I was rushing around to try other stuff as well.
 
Also, Cherns had me listen to the Fender FXA2 Pro. It was a really great listen too. At its price point, I must say it's really really supreme value in that model. 
 
Hope this helps in one way or another!
 
Feb 21, 2016 at 3:33 PM Post #4,725 of 6,413
Im leaning towards forte as my list is
Quality bass including sub bass
Detailed mids {love aurisonics mids)
Soundstage
Imaging/seperation
Then treble

So forte would do, but i have this horrible mindset ill be missing something if i dont get the harmony lol

How is the detail retreival on these?

Can't speak for the Fortes but the Harmonys can be spectacular. I think you'll regret not getting them if you go for the Fortes. Detail retrieval is very good.

The extra treble that people talk about is in my opinion nothing to concern yourself about. Extra treble extension is what gives the soundstage its air and size. I don't find it at all harsh or fatiguing.

However I do find the bass can be a bit overwhelming and crude on some tracks. Just occasionally - but again, that's also what give the Harmony its size of sound and impact.
That said, it does burn in and has smoothed out as I continue to play it.

Yes, as people have said, the soundstage and sheer size of sound is remarkable. I don't think the imaging, DEPTH and airyness is as quite in the league of my Solars however. (Jmills can chip in here perhaps?)...But just my opinion.

That said, Harmony is undoubtedly top drawer and I'm sure you'll love either Harmony or Forte.
 

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