iBasso IT01 a fun IEM. Single multilayered graphene driver. !! 99 USD !!

[loomisjohnson]

i've now spent enough time with the it01 to conclude that it really is worthy of the mega-hype--it's a perfect piece for my lowbrow sensibilities in that it's easy to drive, isolates great and sounds good with less-than-perfect sources. at the same price point the simgot en700 and se-ch9t do certain things better (and others not as well) but i rank these in the top tier.

 

[bahamot]

This IEM was the one made me believe in IEM
Now I wonder how much better will the IT04 be?

 

[taslavar]

Can anyone here compare the IT01 to Trinity Icarus III, Vyrus, or the PMV A-01 Mk 2? The hype on this IEM is tempting and they look super ergonomic, but I'm not sure they offer anything over my current collection.

 

[PopZeus]

I have JVC on the way too.. I can only have them by the 8th of March though. How do these compare in comfort and sound quality against the stock wide bore tips?

I'm not huge into tip rolling, as I tend to stick with stock tips unless the IEMs fit the spiral dots (and I've owned a few that were compatible). With the IT01, I pretty much put the spiral dots on as soon as I got them so I haven't had a lot of time with the stock tips. They seem pretty nice compared to other stock tips. Decent fit and sound. So they might not have as big a bump is sound quality than other IEMs that come with lower quality tips.

When one has the proper size for one's ear canal, spiral dots seal very well and generally present a refined IEM experience. Thankfully I only need the L size, but others might need a half size "M/L" or a combination of 2 sizes if one canal is slightly different from the other. Once you get that proper fit, I find spiral dots tend to tighten up bass, open up the mids, and perhaps smooth out the treble (although that could be due to the relative improvements elsewhere in the frequency range; audio is so weird!) compared to most stock tips. The IT01 pair VERY well with the spiral dots.

 

[phthora]

Can anyone here compare the IT01 to Trinity Icarus III, Vyrus, or the PMV A-01 Mk 2? The hype on this IEM is tempting and they look super ergonomic, but I'm not sure they offer anything over my current collection.

I have a friend with the Vyrus and I have the Phantom Master and the Hyperion. The IT01 is definitely better than the Vyrus and Hyperion. While those are impressive in their own right, the iBasso has much better bass in terms of clarity, texture, and weight, and it also has more detailed mids and smoother, less peaky highs. Over those, the iBasso is the clear winner.

With the Phantom Master, the bass is fairly close. That out-of-phase push-pull dual dynamic works very well, but it misses just a bit of the texture and speed of the iBasso. I find the mids on the Trinity off somehow. I've never really been able to put my finger on it. No manner of filters or tips ever got them just right for me (ended up using the green filter and Spiral Dots). IT01 has a more coherent sound signature overall, with very smooth mids and treble. It's one IEM that required the least amount of brain burn-in for me. Just right right out of the box. Detail and quality of mids goes to the iBasso by a long shot, none of that hollow weirdness. Treble is more present in the Phantom Master, which I like better, but there are peaks as well. The iBasso might have the advantage there, but it's up to taste. Lastly, the IT01 is vastly more comfortable and lighter. I don't usually mention that sort of thing, but the difference has been pretty huge for me.

 

[CoiL]

Nothing I tried seemed to remedy the result and the DX200 is brand new. At first I thought it may have been the software (Neutron) but that proved wrong as it happens with Mango too. Low gain is what I used.

Turn volume down and try high gain. Just for the sake of testing out.

 

[psedog]

I've never really been a believer in expensive cables. I really wanted to see how much of a difference the IT01's are compared to SE215's. I didn't expect it to be so close once I switched cables.
The IT01's are a little easier to drive so I had to balance it towards the SE215's. The midrange is a little more pronounced on the Shures and the bass is a little wider on the iBasso's. Treble is actually very similar. The lack of Treble on the 215's appear to be based on the cable, because with the iBasso cable they really come to life.

Again, I need another iBasso cable. I honestly can't believe how different they sound with this cable.

As you can see from the pictures the Shure's tuck better into the ear which is great for laying down or bedtime. You also don't get cone flex. The Shure's also block ambient sound a little better.

iBasso has a richer sound stage especially considering the quality of cable that it comes with. (With the SE846 cable the iBasso's seem to be missing some Treble just like the 215's).

I really wish I still had the 846's. I'd love to hear them with these cables.

 

[loomisjohnson]

Can anyone here compare the IT01 to Trinity Icarus III, Vyrus, or the PMV A-01 Mk 2? The hype on this IEM is tempting and they look super ergonomic, but I'm not sure they offer anything over my current collection.

i don't have the icarus (i do have the delta and pm4) but can opine as to the other two. the it01 is bigger-sounding and better in all respects than the vyrus. the pmv (which i like a lot) is much closer--the it01 isolates better, has deeper better controlled bass and a more rounded stage; it's also brighter and perhaps more extended on top. the pmv has a very natural, analog quality--it's less coloured than the it01-- which may be better for certain less frenetic genres. if i had to pick one it'd be the it01, but it's not an evolutionary leap over the pmv.

 

[slugman]

Hey guys sorry for the late reply. All i have to say is: wow! Holy moly wow! I am so impressed and I am very glad I bought these!

The cable is flat out gorgeous--definitely the highest quality cable in the IEM's I've acquired thus far. I may buy a couple extra's for any future MMCX iems.

I initially tried them connected to my android phone (lg k20), and I thought they sounded great. A definenite improvement over the EDC's. I didn't realize that these had a flat frequency response, but it makes a huge difference imo. The midrange really sings, the treble is excellent without being sibilant, and the bass is present and extends into the subbass 10hz regions.

I was even more impressed when I connected these to my dac/amp--my Topping NX4 DSD. The NX4DSD is an NX4 with an upgraded sabre dac (ess9038pro), although I believe the amp section is the same. Sabre dacs are known for being bright.

The EDC's have a fun v-shape tuning, but when paired w/ my sabre dac it can be fatiguing--especially when I set the High gain setting. No sibilance but man those high frequencies are killer. For that reason, I never used the high gain setting w/ the EDC's.

However w/ the IT01's and their flat tuning, I can use the high gain setting! Oh man, it really opens up! The subbass really rumbles--in fact, I don't even have to use the bass switch. The best part is the high frequencies are not fatiguing at all w/ the high gain setting w/ the IT01's.

Cool, These will be a nice step up from the EDC. How do you like the KZ zs6 versus the EDC?

You know, when I first got the EDC's I was convinced that I wouldn't like them as much as the ZS6's. I found the ZS6's have an incredible midrange. Unfortunately the camfire-style audio shell is just flat uncomfortable, and the pointy edges protrude into my ear. I can't wear the ZS6's for more than 4 hours, certainly not a work shift.

Now, without hesitation I can say that I prefer my EDC's over my ZS6's. In fact, they were my daily drivers before my IT01's. My fiance really liked the EDC's, I told her she could keep them.

Congrats! These are amazing earphones for $100.

I've heard a couple of the IEMs you you're thinking of next, so let me give you some info.

I picked up a pair of Primo8's through Massdrop and I thought they sounded terrible. Very little bass, uneven prominent mids, and relatively decent treble. I don't mind a lean signature, but these didn't do that signature well. Worse, the build quality was not up to par. The cable is pathetically flimsy and mine broke within days. Upon replacing the cable with one I had around, one of the earpieces crapped out and stopped making sound. NuForce took care of me and I will say that their newer stuff, the HEM series, shows a lot of improvement. But, your money can go much further, as the IT01 demonstrates. I thought the Primo8 was rather unimpressive and much prefer the B400.

The Brainwavz B400 are fantastic, and to me they beat out the IT01. But, it's very close. Much closer than the difference in price would suggest. I opted for the balanced Candy Cane cable (because the stock cable feels very cheap), so it came out to $230. The bass on the B400 hits less hard, but seems to be just as warm overall with a nice mid-bass hump. Mids are more forward and detailed on the B400 and treble is more present. It's still on the warmer side of neutral, but more relaxed and balanced than the IT01, with better resolution and imaging. They complement each other nicely, but neither has a very neutral sound. The quality is close enough that the winner may come down to personal preference on this one.

Nice good looking out dude! I really appreciate the feedback. Wow. that sucks about the Primo8, I was really impressed w/ the EDC's so I thought for sure the Primo8's would be decent. I was thinking about the Hem's but the quad driver configuration is really expensive.

Save up for the it04

I had no idea about the IT04's! They look gorgeous! Has IBasso released an MSRP for those? I'll just save up for those instead!

 

[Dsnuts]

$500-- Wouldn't it be something if it was 5X the sonics?

 

[bsoplinger]

For those who may have missed it, a number of posts ago $500 was mentioned as the suggested retail price for the IT04.

… As you can see from the pictures the Shure's tuck better into the ear which is great for laying down or bedtime. You also don't get cone flex. The Shure's also block ambient sound a little better…

Ummm, what picture? I don't see one.

… A definenite improvement over the EDC's. I didn't realize that these had a flat frequency response, but it makes a huge difference imo. The midrange really sings, the treble is excellent without being sibilant, and the bass is present and extends into the subbass 10hz regions…

The EDC's must have a really large U or V shaped curve to have you think that they have a flat frequency response. Bass and sub bass is definitely increased. Its just because they are so smooth across the entire spectrum that the additional bass doesn't stand out. I like, really like, how the IT01 sound but I'd never say that they had a flat frequency response.

 

[H T T]

I decided to give my IT01 to a friend as a gift. They just weren't for me. Though I did love everything about them except the bass, it was just too much and distracted heavily from the rest of the spectrum.

Does anyone know of a more analytical IEM similar to the IT01? Not opposed to spending more if I get the sound that I want. For reference, the Head-Direct RE0 is closer to the overall sound I want. Though the IT01 does have a more detailed midrange. That might give you an idea of what I want.

Is the Head-Direct RE0 the same as the HifiMan RE0?

 

[Punnisher]

Is the Head-Direct RE0 the same as the HifiMan RE0?

I believe so. Back when I got them the brand name was known as Head-Direct. It has probably been almost 10 years since I bought those.

 

[SciOC]

Yeah, I definitely would agree the it01 are somewhat v shaped. Occasionally I find them to be just a bit bright, but I'm not sure there's much debate about them having accentuated bass... Not unusual at all at this price. I'm one of the few detractors of the EDC. I think they're just ok, I much prefer the tfz e5 for 60 dollars on massdrop.


Too bad about the kz if the EDC is easily better, I think I'll try one or two of the new models they have coming out instead then. I don't particularly care about comfort or looks, being that anything is more comfortable than my old grados.

 

[slugman]

The EDC's must have a really large U or V shaped curve to have you think that they have a flat frequency response. Bass and sub bass is definitely increased. Its just because they are so smooth across the entire spectrum that the additional bass doesn't stand out. I like, really like, how the IT01 sound but I'd never say that they had a flat frequency response.

Okay maybe not completely flat, but certainly fairly uniform. There's about 10db increase from 20 hz to 400 hz, a little dip to 1000 hz, and then a bump from 3k - 5k hz. These are definetely the flattest/most-uniform iems that i've owned.

And yeah the EDC's are known for being vshaped. In fact a lot of folks on massdrop hate them for the extra bass.

Yeah, I definitely would agree the it01 are somewhat v shaped. Occasionally I find them to be just a bit bright, but I'm not sure there's much debate about them having accentuated bass... Not unusual at all at this price. I'm one of the few detractors of the EDC. I think they're just ok, I much prefer the tfz e5 for 60 dollars on massdrop.

I've been wanting to try out some TFZ's and see what their soundstage is all about. I was thinking of the King, or maybe the king pro..

And damn for $5 bills, hmm i may just do the Brainwavz b400 for now. For that much Id rather get HE560's or hell even those focal's on massdrop. Still very tempting!

SciOC let me know whats up w/ that Hiby R6!!!