Condensed impressions on the
Rhapsodio Sagga. Full impressions shared on Rhapsodio thread for those who avoid TL;DRs
.
Source: Stock or Socrates cable + R8/MAX + MQA Tidal streaming + CP155 eartips. Requires a relatively powerful DAP, sounded best from MAX and not great from DX160.
Sound:
Bass: The bass is definitely the most intriguing part of the IEM. It digs deep with a slight focus on mid-bass over sub-bass. It does detract a bit from the mids but is very well controlled. It is tight and punchy. The magnetostatic driver seems to provide a quicker decay than most dynamic drivers. It also does seem to move more “air” than the typical balanced armature, but you likely will not get the speaker/sub-woofer kind of boom akin to a standard dynamic driver.
While it does not fully replicate a DD in terms of realism and rumble, I do feel it fits somewhere comfortably between a well implemented BA and DD. In Bjork’s “Hunter”, it shreds through the sub-bass and thumps from left and right with ease, portraying the various densities and speed in the sounds. Its’ ability to handle fast basslines/double-bass is impressive.
Mids: This is where things get a bit wonky and ultimately fell short for me. I am a fiend for texture and as detailed as the mids can be, they felt slightly recessed to me. Occasionally they can come across as a bit crisp or metallic. Metallic to me does not necessarily mean thin or sharp, but rather lacking that warmth that helps with instrument texture and naturalness. Granted, overnight burn-ins did help subdue the crispness quite a bit. For reference, I put about 40-50 hours of burn-in before these impressions
Otherwise, instruments are generally airy and hold their staging on the axis well. Based off both MAX and R8, I would actually describe the IEM as slightly cold/bright with definite strong bass emphasis. Female vocals do sound very good – more sensual than male, which seem to be pushed back in the mix.
Treble: The lower treble is well extended, with occasional sparkle (although personally not enough sparkle for me). The transients come across more crisp than warm/smooth. You can pinpoint the cymbal hits quite well on the vast stage of Saggas, although they do not come across as particularly organic. There is strong upper treble air to help avoid congestion. With some overnight burn-in, the crispness/brightness has dwindled down bass becoming prominent in the signature.
Staging & Details: Sagga’s bread and butter (along with the bass) seems to be the overall staging. It comes across as
almost 3-D like, with strong layering (not Odin levels but close). Odin for example has more of that surgical precision ability that makes it easier to pinpoint imaging. For Sagga, notes do fly around your head, mostly from left to right and depth (but not on Infinity’s level, particularly on height). The detail is top notch as well, I would say around the Elysium ability for microdetail.
Conclusion:
In short, Sammy has created another unique IEM. I am curious how the magnetostatic drivers plays out over time (i.e., Sagga, Bomber, and Supreme MKII). Sagga’s bass is fun and unique, with overall strong technicalities which compete with similar priced IEMs (as long as it suits your signature preferences). From my sources and for
my preferences, it does fall quite short on overall texture and realism for the mids + treble.
However, it would be interesting to play with some tube sources and higher quality silver/gold cables to test out other synergies.
