[ardgedee]

I've been trying the Red Giant A03 for a little over week now, albeit only sporadically due to other commitments.
 
They're... interesting. I am still trying to get a grasp on the character, because they're bass-heavy, to be sure, but their mercurial nature is revealed by the music they're fed - over here they're a little too reverberant, over there they snap and groove when fed a good beat. Sometimes there's a pleasant balance, sometimes there isn't.
 
Low-level detail is okay, not great, but this middling quality, otherwise perfectly okay for its price point, seems at odds with so many other moments of brilliance they exhibit. I've never had a pair of headphones so open at high volumes that sound so closed at low volumes - but instead of a mumbling midrange it's mostly the lower-mids that dominate at low volume. The soundstage is large and dramatic - these are possibly the only IEMs I've experienced that extend the (sound/head) stage beyond my ears - but it is strikingly shallow. It's Cinemascope rather than 3D.
 
Finding a comfortable setup has been a problem. Tips that are more comfortable also tend to suck out the highs and make them sound thuddy and cheap. Smaller tips will bring the shells too close to my ears and put pressure against the cartilage. RedGiant's red-brown tips are too uncomfortable, but they've shown the best sound quality yet. The black tips are kind of pointless. The best compromise I've found so far has been a smaller than usual pair of Monster gels (they're a little too thuddy, a little too much pressure, but not too much of either), but I haven't tried all my options yet.
 
Unfortunately my time with them will continue to be short for the coming week. I hope to have more to say eventually. I would not be surprised if my feelings change entirely with a longer appraisal.

 

[ardgedee]

A perfect illustration of the A03's nature: Väsen's "Kapten Kapsyl":

 
On the Heir 4.A, the violins swirl and play, the percussion snapping out a sturdy, rolling time. On the RedGiant A03, the drum hits and stick slaps turn it into a polyrhythmic club dance number, while the two fiddles more straightforwardly trade lines between sudden dips. It is all a bit inside-out yet dramatic, a party already made a little blurry by the punch.

 

[MuppetFace]

Glad you decided to post your impressions here, ardgedee. I especially like your using the 4.A as a reference point. Please let us know how they develop over the next few weeks.

 

[jgray91]

 
Quote:

I've been trying the Red Giant A03 for a little over week now, albeit only sporadically due to other commitments.
 
They're... interesting. I am still trying to get a grasp on the character, because they're bass-heavy, to be sure, but their mercurial nature is revealed by the music they're fed - over here they're a little too reverberant, over there they snap and groove when fed a good beat. Sometimes there's a pleasant balance, sometimes there isn't.
 
Low-level detail is okay, not great, but this middling quality, otherwise perfectly okay for its price point, seems at odds with so many other moments of brilliance they exhibit. I've never had a pair of headphones so open at high volumes that sound so closed at low volumes - but instead of a mumbling midrange it's mostly the lower-mids that dominate at low volume. The soundstage is large and dramatic - these are possibly the only IEMs I've experienced that extend the (sound/head) stage beyond my ears - but it is strikingly shallow. It's Cinemascope rather than 3D.
 
Finding a comfortable setup has been a problem. Tips that are more comfortable also tend to suck out the highs and make them sound thuddy and cheap. Smaller tips will bring the shells too close to my ears and put pressure against the cartilage. RedGiant's red-brown tips are too uncomfortable, but they've shown the best sound quality yet. The black tips are kind of pointless. The best compromise I've found so far has been a smaller than usual pair of Monster gels (they're a little too thuddy, a little too much pressure, but not too much of either), but I haven't tried all my options yet.
 
Unfortunately my time with them will continue to be short for the coming week. I hope to have more to say eventually. I would not be surprised if my feelings change entirely with a longer appraisal.

 
Hmm not liking the looks of this, but of course it being huge itself, not all people's ears would fit. 
 
Quote:

Glad you decided to post your impressions here, ardgedee. I especially like your using the 4.A as a reference point. Please let us know how they develop over the next few weeks.

 
It is kind of unfair comparing it to the 4.A, but interesting at the same time to compare to a $500-ish CIEM. It is $500-ish right?

 

[tomscy2000]

Quote:

Hmm not liking the looks of this, but of course it being huge itself, not all people's ears would fit. 
 
It is kind of unfair comparing it to the 4.A, but interesting at the same time to compare to a $500-ish CIEM. It is $500-ish right?

 
Of course, different people might prefer different tips, but for the listening tour I did include the dual flange tips that I found to be fairly good for maintaining both a good seal and comfort. As can be expected, Comply tips also suck out the highs to a certain degree. The thing about the fit is that it's tough to wear them for more than 2-3 hours at a time. They can make my ears very sore, especially compared to my customs.
 
I shied away from comparing them with my 4.A because it really did lose on almost all fronts with respect to accuracy. The 4.A is purpose-built for musical accuracy, accurate soundstage, and excels at bass-control --- basically the polar opposite of what the A03 was designed for.
 
With regard to price, the 4.A is technically $699, but the current price is $450.

 

[Swimsonny]

Nice write up, very well thought out. I'll joint and have a discussion when I have mine in my ears

 

[diwf93942uv]

I love the design of them; too bad about the fit problems; even with the soundstage concerns which I wouldn't consider the biggest deal for me; I don't think my ears could handle those. If they up with a smaller version though...
 
Great review and impressions overall!

 

[wilzc]

Sounds similar to the Koss KDE250.
 
How..  interesting...
 
 

 

[tomscy2000]

Quote:

I love the design of them; too bad about the fit problems; even with the soundstage concerns which I wouldn't consider the biggest deal for me; I don't think my ears could handle those. If they up with a smaller version though... Great review and impressions overall!

 
Yeah, the fit is always going to be the most controversial aspect of this earphone; I told the people at RedGiant that they might want to provide listening kiosks to the retail locations that they're trying to break into, so that people can try out the fit. It's in their interests to do such a thing, as they wouldn't want a high return rate because of people who bought the earphone and couldn't get along with the fit...
 
Quote:

  Sounds similar to the Koss KDE250. How..  interesting...

 
KDE250... is that the uber earbud that Koss introduced a while back? Looked like a bionic ear lol

 

[wilzc]

 
Quote:

 
Yeah, the fit is always going to be the most controversial aspect of this earphone; I told the people at RedGiant that they might want to provide listening kiosks to the retail locations that they're trying to break into, so that people can try out the fit. It's in their interests to do such a thing, as they wouldn't want a high return rate because of people who bought the earphone and couldn't get along with the fit...
 
 
KDE250... is that the uber earbud that Koss introduced a while back? Looked like a bionic ear lol

 
Ive had the KDE250 for like half a year. Recently sold them off. Yeah its a pseudo earbud with dual drivers..  20mm and 13mm. Madness... 
I've written notes about them for a review thats been pending for soo long, but in short, they're exactly what you describe the Ossicle to be!!!
Cept the Koss KDE250 doesnt isolate at all..  being earbuds..  that..  are..  like  shovels..  in your ears..

 

[ardgedee]

 
Quote:

It is kind of unfair comparing it to the 4.A, but interesting at the same time to compare to a $500-ish CIEM. It is $500-ish right?

 
Yes and no. I have only limited experience with good IEMs, and these are the two I've listened to the most, most recently. I have the Tri.Fi 10 here but haven't had time to bring it out yet. If I had a broader range of useful benchmarks at hand, I would bring those in as well. Coincidentally there might not be two recently buzzworthy IEMs that are in greater contrast with each other than the 4.A and A03. But above all, the A03 is good enough in some regards -- and better than the 4.A in some -- to be worthy of the comparison, even if it is bound to fall short.
 
In some ways, I prefer the A03 to the 4.A. One is stormy and dramatic, the other is cool and factual. The A03 made the Väsen track above sound fun. I can't imagine wanting to put it away and forget it because of its flair, but I can't imagine it as my only IEM either; the tempestuousness gets tiresome, and it makes me want my 4.A again.

 

[jgray91]

 
Quote:

 
Quote:

It is kind of unfair comparing it to the 4.A, but interesting at the same time to compare to a $500-ish CIEM. It is $500-ish right?

 
Yes and no. I have only limited experience with good IEMs, and these are the two I've listened to the most, most recently. I have the Tri.Fi 10 here but haven't had time to bring it out yet. If I had a broader range of useful benchmarks at hand, I would bring those in as well. Coincidentally there might not be two recently buzzworthy IEMs that are in greater contrast with each other than the 4.A and A03. But above all, the A03 is good enough in some regards -- and better than the 4.A in some -- to be worthy of the comparison, even if it is bound to fall short.
 
In some ways, I prefer the A03 to the 4.A. One is stormy and dramatic, the other is cool and factual. The A03 made the Väsen track above sound fun. I can't imagine wanting to put it away and forget it because of its flair, but I can't imagine it as my only IEM either; the tempestuousness gets tiresome, and it makes me want my 4.A again.

 
Ahh I get your point. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[jgray91]

 
Quote:

 
Quote:

 
Yeah, the fit is always going to be the most controversial aspect of this earphone; I told the people at RedGiant that they might want to provide listening kiosks to the retail locations that they're trying to break into, so that people can try out the fit. It's in their interests to do such a thing, as they wouldn't want a high return rate because of people who bought the earphone and couldn't get along with the fit...
 
 
KDE250... is that the uber earbud that Koss introduced a while back? Looked like a bionic ear lol

 
Ive had the KDE250 for like half a year. Recently sold them off. Yeah its a pseudo earbud with dual drivers..  20mm and 13mm. Madness... 
I've written notes about them for a review thats been pending for soo long, but in short, they're exactly what you describe the Ossicle to be!!!
Cept the Koss KDE250 doesnt isolate at all..  being earbuds..  that..  are..  like  shovels..  in your ears..

 
Wow that looks ridiculous. Makes me want to look for a used pair just for the form factor LOL.

 

[james444]

Quote:

Ive had the KDE250 for like half a year. Recently sold them off. Yeah its a pseudo earbud with dual drivers..  20mm and 13mm. Madness... 
I've written notes about them for a review thats been pending for soo long, but in short, they're exactly what you describe the Ossicle to be!!!
Cept the Koss KDE250 doesnt isolate at all..  being earbuds..  that..  are..  like  shovels..  in your ears..

 
Hmm, to my ears the KDE250 have very good dynamics and soundstage depth.

 

[wilzc]

 
Quote:

 
Hmm, to my ears the KDE250 have very good dynamics and soundstage depth.

 

The dynamics is excellent. And the soundstage is wide beyond belief. But I find them lacking in height and depth.