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Much hype has surrounded the newfangled (and uniquely bizarre) EarWerkz Supra “universal custom in-ear monitor” that are currently being funded on Kickstarter. As I run a well-known YouTube channel, Jack from EarWerkz hooked me up with “the only finished Supra in the entire world.” I received them yesterday morning and have already put 10–12 hours of listening time on them. I will (obviously) update this post as my ideas and opinions further develop.
TL;DR version: these are no short of phenomenal—if you’re in the sub-$500 non-CIEM market, you need these
The Supra feature an incredibly unique half-shell design. These aren’t really CIEM. They’re universal. They look like a CIEM, they’re comfortable like a CIEM, they’re even handmade like a CIEM. Yet, they aren’t a CIEM.
As I’m sure you can see from the photos, they’re amazingly beautiful. I’ve seen some very pretty IEM/CIEM, but these are a whole different class. I’ll even go so far as to say that they’re the most beautiful acrylic-poured pieces that I have ever seen. There is not a single bubble in sight, the colors are superbly contrasted, and polishing (and believe me, they’re polished) looks absolutely gorgeous. They look far more expensive than their price tag. There is the 2-pin cable connector (more on that later), and the acrylic tip which supports the Comply tip that will need to be used in conjunction with the piece.
I was honestly a bit worried about the weird universal-CIEM design—that it’d be uncomfortable, that it’d look weird, that it’d be inferior to a true CIEM—but I stand corrected. The fit is really, really excellent. Yesterday, I wore them for about 4–5 hours without removing them and I didn’t notice the slightest bit of uncomfort. They almost fit like a CIEM, nd they actually isolate better. It’s amazing, really. Even with no music playing, I can’t hear hardly anything. I’m sure the choice of Comply tips has much to do with this. I haven’t tested silicone tips yet. You can decide whether or not this is bad, but I think it’s great.
They definitely need to be amped. I thought that they’d run from an iPhone or iPad without much trouble due to the relatively low impedance, but I find them incredibly veiled and ultra-dark. They’re near-unusable. They just sound… under-powered. The story changes the second it is plugged into an amp. For reference, I’ve been using a Woo WA7, Woo WA6 (fully upgraded tubes), and (as a budget, portable amp) an Epiphany EHP-O2. The additional power opens up the Supra like magic.
Before critiquing how my ears perceived the Supra analytically, let me just express how they make me feel from a non-analytical approach: EarWerkz Supra make me smile the second I press “play” in almost every circumstance.
Too often, CIEMs in this price range go for the ultra-flat, un-exciting, non-unique signature. Not the Supra. They maintain a pretty neutral response without sounding boring. They’re extremely pleasurable and fun to listen to. They’re ultra-transparent and clear for their price. The low-end is surprisingly good—there is a little bit more upper-bass than middle/deep bass, but seldom does it become distracting. The mids are what bring a smile to my face. They’re distinguished, and luscious. The all-too-overrated v-shaped response isn’t hardly at all present here. That said, the mids aren’t overpowering; they respect the other responses nicely. Trebles are a dream with great extension that never become sibilant or harsh. I find them to articulate female vocalists especially nicely (reproducing “Hey Now” from London Grammar dropped my jaw yesterday—the Supra made it sound like Hannah Reid was in front of me). Soundstage is good (used the classic “Stank” by Lenny White to test)—not “out-of-this-world” but still quite good.
The cable is truly my only complaint. And it’s a complaint for a few reasons:
The memory wire that forms around the ear tends to be too short and the cable comes jetting up over the top of my ears. But there is good news. After mentioning this to Jack, he said the following:
I’m glad that it uses a standard 2-pin connector that can be replaced with a 3rd party cable, but I would feel more at ease if a more comfortable, higher-quality (silver, or at least pure copper) cable were provided—even if it cost a few extra bucks to upgrade. Jack responded with the following:
Cable aside, (and I’ll develop more thoughts in the next few days) from these first several hours, I can say that I’d recommend the Supra to just about anyone in this price range; and yes, I’d recommend it over CIEMs in this same price range like the prestigious UE–4 PRO and the JH5 Pro. The Supra really are that good.
EarWerkz is going to hit it big with Supra and send competitors back to the drawing board.
I’ll update the thread as new thoughts come. I’ll monitor the thread too so that I can answer any questions that you may have.
TL;DR version: these are no short of phenomenal—if you’re in the sub-$500 non-CIEM market, you need these
The Supra feature an incredibly unique half-shell design. These aren’t really CIEM. They’re universal. They look like a CIEM, they’re comfortable like a CIEM, they’re even handmade like a CIEM. Yet, they aren’t a CIEM.
As I’m sure you can see from the photos, they’re amazingly beautiful. I’ve seen some very pretty IEM/CIEM, but these are a whole different class. I’ll even go so far as to say that they’re the most beautiful acrylic-poured pieces that I have ever seen. There is not a single bubble in sight, the colors are superbly contrasted, and polishing (and believe me, they’re polished) looks absolutely gorgeous. They look far more expensive than their price tag. There is the 2-pin cable connector (more on that later), and the acrylic tip which supports the Comply tip that will need to be used in conjunction with the piece.
I was honestly a bit worried about the weird universal-CIEM design—that it’d be uncomfortable, that it’d look weird, that it’d be inferior to a true CIEM—but I stand corrected. The fit is really, really excellent. Yesterday, I wore them for about 4–5 hours without removing them and I didn’t notice the slightest bit of uncomfort. They almost fit like a CIEM, nd they actually isolate better. It’s amazing, really. Even with no music playing, I can’t hear hardly anything. I’m sure the choice of Comply tips has much to do with this. I haven’t tested silicone tips yet. You can decide whether or not this is bad, but I think it’s great.
They definitely need to be amped. I thought that they’d run from an iPhone or iPad without much trouble due to the relatively low impedance, but I find them incredibly veiled and ultra-dark. They’re near-unusable. They just sound… under-powered. The story changes the second it is plugged into an amp. For reference, I’ve been using a Woo WA7, Woo WA6 (fully upgraded tubes), and (as a budget, portable amp) an Epiphany EHP-O2. The additional power opens up the Supra like magic.
Before critiquing how my ears perceived the Supra analytically, let me just express how they make me feel from a non-analytical approach: EarWerkz Supra make me smile the second I press “play” in almost every circumstance.
Too often, CIEMs in this price range go for the ultra-flat, un-exciting, non-unique signature. Not the Supra. They maintain a pretty neutral response without sounding boring. They’re extremely pleasurable and fun to listen to. They’re ultra-transparent and clear for their price. The low-end is surprisingly good—there is a little bit more upper-bass than middle/deep bass, but seldom does it become distracting. The mids are what bring a smile to my face. They’re distinguished, and luscious. The all-too-overrated v-shaped response isn’t hardly at all present here. That said, the mids aren’t overpowering; they respect the other responses nicely. Trebles are a dream with great extension that never become sibilant or harsh. I find them to articulate female vocalists especially nicely (reproducing “Hey Now” from London Grammar dropped my jaw yesterday—the Supra made it sound like Hannah Reid was in front of me). Soundstage is good (used the classic “Stank” by Lenny White to test)—not “out-of-this-world” but still quite good.
The cable is truly my only complaint. And it’s a complaint for a few reasons:
The memory wire that forms around the ear tends to be too short and the cable comes jetting up over the top of my ears. But there is good news. After mentioning this to Jack, he said the following:
I’m glad that it uses a standard 2-pin connector that can be replaced with a 3rd party cable, but I would feel more at ease if a more comfortable, higher-quality (silver, or at least pure copper) cable were provided—even if it cost a few extra bucks to upgrade. Jack responded with the following:
Cable aside, (and I’ll develop more thoughts in the next few days) from these first several hours, I can say that I’d recommend the Supra to just about anyone in this price range; and yes, I’d recommend it over CIEMs in this same price range like the prestigious UE–4 PRO and the JH5 Pro. The Supra really are that good.
EarWerkz is going to hit it big with Supra and send competitors back to the drawing board.
I’ll update the thread as new thoughts come. I’ll monitor the thread too so that I can answer any questions that you may have.
