[PhoenixClaw]

I see. I use mine out of a Clip+ with a Silver Dragon cable and I find that it's extremely good for me already. Definitely a much more fun listen than the GR07 on the go. I missed the chance to try my friend's O2 with it though.

 

[kangcore]

 
A few months ago, I sent my AS-1 for a refit, and decided to mod it to AS-2 specs, since I was already well satisfied with the way my ASG-1 sounded, and would be happy to use it for my casual listening & stage monitoring needs.
 
Picked up my new (old) AS-2 from my trusty local dealer (and friend) Red Dot Music. Have been listening to them since. But before I start talking about my early impressions... some pics! 
 
 

Dale, in a moment of great kindness (or temporary insanity, hard to tell), upgraded me to black rhodium faceplates at no extra charge. In any case, that man is a real class act.
 


Those black rhodium faceplates in all their glossy glory.
 

 
Size comparison. They aren't as huge as they seem, really. Same goes for the ASG-1.

 
Obligatory ear shot. Sorry about the facial hair.

 

 
Another look at em rhodium covers. Mmmm.

 
How do they sound? Well, its been 24 hours, so I've really yet to fully appreciate the signature. I usually take a few months to a year before I put out any lengthy impressions so this'll have to do for now. 
 
First things first, I must confess to having some fit issues with my left earpiece (right is perfect). Seeing as to how this has already been refitted once, I'm strongly suspecting that my ear impressions weren't terribly accurate. I might have to send em back for a remold (boo hoo). Either that, or I'm not fitting the left piece properly. I definitely don't find it as snug as the right earpiece, and this is affecting the balance of levels somewhat. Everything sounds... off center. Or perhaps *too* centered. Hard to explain, but its disconcerting at times, depending on which album I'm listening to and how the stereo mix pans out. Still, center-panned tracks definitely sound a bit strange. L & R panning is great. But I realise that I have to get the fit absolutely perfect, if not SQ suffers - I get less bass, strange midrange emphasis (in a bad way), centering feels weird. Sometimes a get a nice fit, then I wiggle my ears or shift my head a bit and its back to weird-fit mode. I'll take a few days to figure out before I drop Aurisonics a line to see what we can do about it. Could be that I'm not doing it right.




 
Soundstage wise, its definitely very immersive in an onstage sense, as opposed to being 10 rows from the band / orchestra. Really feel like I'm surrounded by musicians. This is definitely very helpful for musicians, getting instruments placed nicely in the stereo field but still retaining a very immediate "live" feel, reducing the feeling of being cut off from the rest of the band - something I struggle with all the time when I'm on IEMs onstage. As mentioned, L & R panning is really great, I get the sense that the IEMs respond to small adjustments in the stereo pan, allowing me to precisely place instruments and vocals in the stereo field, which works great for de-cluttering monitor mixes, especially for Aviom users, who don't get a lot of fine control over stereo panning. For casual listening, its just a treat to get a nice stereo seperation.
 
In terms of SQ... in a word... WHOA. I enjoyed the ASG-1 for the very relaxed high end, which I appreciate because I run my stage monitor mix pretty loud, and tend to dial down treble to reduce fatigue, especially for longer sessions. The AS-2 clearly has a lot more treble extension than the ASG-1/AS-1. Takes away that high end veil that some folks may have noticed (and taken issue with). Lots and lots of detail - which I'm not terribly used to, since I'm a fan of muddier / warmer IEMs with less treble sparkle. I'd previously mentioned that I had briefly auditioned a universal AS-2 demo set (NOT an ASG-2), and commented that it sounded like a slightly brighter ASG-1. I'll revise that position - its a lot brighter, a lot more detail and clarity. If high end sparkle is your game, this is definitely worth checking out.
 
The Aurisonics midrange is still there - very firm, robust. Still the star of the show. Perhaps a little more hi-mid emphasis. But that might be result of phasing issues owing to the not so ideal fit in my left ear. But definitely very addictive - I can't go back to some of my other IEMs now, because they don't feel as engaging without the Aurisonics' midrange forwardness.
 
Bass-wise, the AS-2 is a beast. At least as much low end as the ASG-1, if not more. Possibly even deeper. In a quick A/B test, I definitely feel that the AS-2 packs a bit more low end extension, and a heck of a lot more low end impact compared to the AS-1. I did feel that the ASG-1 delivered more low end impact than the AS-2 though, but I'll need a lot more time to assess that properly. The low end is always nicely defined and not bloated at all. Very lovely. Bassheads will be more than satisfied.
 
In a nutshell, the AS-2 delivers the goods across the spectrum - nice sparkly highs, firm midrange and thumping, defined low end. Looking forward to using these onstage, when I'm finally able to get back to playing in church. In the meantime, gonna enjoy using em on my daily commute.

 

[kenman345]

Nice little review you got there. Glad to see someone else get some love from Dale. I can't wait to see your full review if that isnt the final impressions. Sucks to her about your fitting issue. Did you have the same problem with the AS-1's? Seems a bit weird as their isnt any reason they shouldnt be a perfect fit if you had a good fit with the AS-1's.
Quote:

[Review]

 

[anoxy]

Oh man. I'm reading your review at the audiologist right now with my ears filled with silicone. He's trying to sell me on Westone customs but I'm telling him how attractive Aurisonics AS-2 look haha...

 

[kenman345]

You won't regret your decision to go for AS-2's. They're really awesome. and yes, they do look quite magnificent. 
Quote:

Oh man. I'm reading your review at the audiologist right now with my ears filled with silicone. He's trying to sell me on Westone customs but I'm telling him how attractive Aurisonics AS-2 look haha...

 

[anoxy]

I actually think the super glossy polished look is hideous, and I'm disappointed at Aurisonics' lack of (affordable) customization options. But from the impressions I've read on the AS-2 sound signature, I'm almost 100% sold.

 

[Swimsonny]

Anoxy, how did you think asg-1 fares against 4.Ai

 

[anoxy]

To my ears, they are polar opposites. When I plug in my 4.Ai, the music demands my attention with clarity and details. With the ASG-1, I lose a fair bit of that detail, but in turn I gain excellent bass and non-fatiguing highs that I can listen to for hours. When I use the 4.Ai I find myself gravitating towards classical and vocals, whereas with the ASG-1 I prefer hip-hop and electronic genres, sometimes acoustic music.
 
I'm not very good at describing sound characteristics yet, so overall I can't say I would choose one over the other. I just long for a perfect mix between the two. 

 

[ChrisSC]

Quote:

I actually think the super glossy polished look is hideous, and I'm disappointed at Aurisonics' lack of (affordable) customization options.

100% agree.  I wouldn't want the attention and then having to explain that my earphones cost more than $1,500 because of it.  Its nice that Dale did that for free though.

 

[kenman345]

Kangcore, if you had the chance to go back and pay for the Black Rhodium now that you've seen it, would you do it? (Do you think it would've been worth the money spent getting those plates if you didnt already have them for free)
Quote:

100% agree.  I wouldn't want the attention and then having to explain that my earphones that cost more $1,500 because of it.  Its nice that Dale did that for free though.

 

[shotgunshane]

I think the rhodium plates look fantastic. Reminds me of the American muscle car days! I know the chrome was awesome in person on the proto. Congrats on the upgrade!

 

[kangcore]

Hey Kenman, thanks for the kind words. 
 
RE: paying for the Rhodium plates - I'm quite a utilitarian guy. So i probably wouldn't have gone for the rhodium plates if I had a choice. Polished shells would be nice, but that's it. Are they value for money? I don't know, it all depends on the value you derive from cosmetic modifications. I'm not big on cosmetics. That said, the rhodium plates sure look preetty... If preeetty is your trip, the rhodium plates are your ride
Quote:

Kangcore, if you had the chance to go back and pay for the Black Rhodium now that you've seen it, would you do it? (Do you think it would've been worth the money spent getting those plates if you didnt already have them for free)

 
I did have the fit issues with the AS-1, which is why I didn't post earlier about my AS-1. Those fit issues were serious enough to have them sent back to Aurisonics for a refit. The fit is way better now compared to when I had the AS-1. Right earpiece is solid gold, but the left earpiece isn't too hot. Lemme see if its not user error before I drop em a line.
 
Quote:

Nice little review you got there. Glad to see someone else get some love from Dale. I can't wait to see your full review if that isnt the final impressions. Sucks to her about your fitting issue. Did you have the same problem with the AS-1's? Seems a bit weird as their isnt any reason they shouldnt be a perfect fit if you had a good fit with the AS-1's.

 

[Idsynchrono_24]

What a nice way to wet my whistle after the long drought of Aurisonics AS2 posts. Thanks for the pics and write up Kangcore, the rhodium looks really stealth and badass! Guess it shouldn't be long now til Dale finally opens up the sales lines for the ASG-2

 

[fuzzyash]

I think the rhodium plates look fantastic. Reminds me of the American muscle car days! I know the chrome was awesome in person on the proto. Congrats on the upgrade!

i second that
personally, the rhodium plates look amazing but if im going to be paying $600 for aesthetic options, i want them to scream money

 

[kenman345]

Then pay $500 and get some Gold plates.....those are really beautiful. 
Quote:

i second that
personally, the rhodium plates look amazing but if im going to be paying $600 for aesthetic options, i want them to scream money