[Solarsammy]

I would LOVE to see some pics!

I will take few tomorrow

 

[Wyville]

A big thank you to @Solarsammy and @flinkenick for letting me borrow the Saturn. I have by now spent about a week with them and thought it would be nice to share some impressions. A full review will come soon. The images are from Rhapsodio's Facebook, as I am on holiday and do not have my camera with me.



The Saturn required quite a bit of adjusting before I was able to get the best out of them, but after that all I can say is that the Saturn ROCK! Normally I listen to a lot of classical music and these just don't do that well. The treble is too attenuated and some instruments such as violins are pushed too far back, something that can slow down even the fastest classical pieces. So what do the Saturn offer?

The Saturn are warm and smooth unlike anything I have heard before, which is probably logical, as these are the first DD IEMs I have spent time with since my venerable se215 went into retirement. They have a quite wide stage with good height, but less depth, to create a "wall of sound" and it works very well for the types of music the Saturn excel at. The treble is of a high quality, but pushed somewhat into the background to create a super smooth signature that will never be fatiguing. The mids I felt were a little further back than I am used to with my Ei.3, but not the V-shape I initial thought. More like a U- or L-shape, but with very well-positioned vocals that are clear and easily rise above the rest of the music. But then the bass, to me the star of the Saturn. It is really nice and deep with lots of texture and gives the Saturn a more "analogue" feeling compared to the BA-based IEMs I am used to.

As I indicated, I normally listen to classical music and trying that I was not very happy with the Saturn, so I went through my music library to see what did work well and found myself getting addicted by music I would normally not listen to as much. Music such as punk, rock and metal suddenly sounded like I had always wanted it to sound. The impact of the bass, the quality of the treble, the vocals, the way Sammy tuned these felt like the Saturn were made for just this type of music. Electric guitars had so much crunch to them, the bass guitars were so sweet and detailed, the drums had so much impact and on top of that the clear vocals... Absolutely flippin' awesome! The Saturn rock so hard and I absolutely love them for it!

Because of their smoothness and tonality they also work well for blues, jazz and especially older recordings. I have some older, poor quality swing-jazz recordings and the Saturn give a little hint of warmth to the brass instruments to create a very enjoyable and lively sound. Female vocals have some warmth to them, but male vocals feel spot on, which also makes live recordings of Eric Clapton very good to listen to. It feels more like actual live music than I have heard so far. And finally I really, really enjoyed the delicious deep sub-bass while listening to (downtempo) EDM by Astronaut Ape and Carbon Based Lifeforms. Where normally I would describe it as getting a brain massage, the Saturn turn it into a deep-tissue brain massage... Absolutely brilliant!

 

[SeeSax]

A big thank you to @Solarsammy and @flinkenick for letting me borrow the Saturn. I have by now spent about a week with them and thought it would be nice to share some impressions. A full review will come soon. The images are from Rhapsodio's Facebook, as I am on holiday and do not have my camera with me.



The Saturn required quite a bit of adjusting before I was able to get the best out of them, but after that all I can say is that the Saturn ROCK! Normally I listen to a lot of classical music and these just don't do that well. The treble is too attenuated and some instruments such as violins are pushed too far back, something that can slow down even the fastest classical pieces. So what do the Saturn offer?

The Saturn are warm and smooth unlike anything I have heard before, which is probably logical, as these are the first DD IEMs I have spent time with since my venerable se215 went into retirement. They have a quite wide stage with good height, but less depth, to create a "wall of sound" and it works very well for the types of music the Saturn excel at. The treble is of a high quality, but pushed somewhat into the background to create a super smooth signature that will never be fatiguing. The mids I felt were a little further back than I am used to with my Ei.3, but not the V-shape I initial thought. More like a U- or L-shape, but with very well-positioned vocals that are clear and easily rise above the rest of the music. But then the bass, to me the star of the Saturn. It is really nice and deep with lots of texture and gives the Saturn a more "analogue" feeling compared to the BA-based IEMs I am used to.

As I indicated, I normally listen to classical music and trying that I was not very happy with the Saturn, so I went through my music library to see what did work well and found myself getting addicted by music I would normally not listen to as much. Music such as punk, rock and metal suddenly sounded like I had always wanted it to sound. The impact of the bass, the quality of the treble, the vocals, the way Sammy tuned these felt like the Saturn were made for just this type of music. Electric guitars had so much crunch to them, the bass guitars were so sweet and detailed, the drums had so much impact and on top of that the clear vocals... Absolutely flippin' awesome! The Saturn rock so hard and I absolutely love them for it!

Because of their smoothness and tonality they also work well for blues, jazz and especially older recordings. I have some older, poor quality swing-jazz recordings and the Saturn give a little hint of warmth to the brass instruments to create a very enjoyable and lively sound. Female vocals have some warmth to them, but male vocals feel spot on, which also makes live recordings of Eric Clapton very good to listen to. It feels more like actual live music than I have heard so far. And finally I really, really enjoyed the delicious deep sub-bass while listening to (downtempo) EDM by Astronaut Ape and Carbon Based Lifeforms. Where normally I would describe it as getting a brain massage, the Saturn turn it into a deep-tissue brain massage... Absolutely brilliant!

I completely agree with your impressions. I bought the Saturn as well, and they're smooth, musical, fun and engaging. No hint of sibilance anywhere, though my preference would be a bit more treble extension (I am borderline treble head). That said, I have not fully burned them in yet and will report back when I do. Also, changing the cable over to a silver one helped. I'll post some photos here, since they're absolutely beautiful IEMs. One is with the Silver Knight Rhapsodio cable, the other a Rhapsodio Golden MK3.





Overall, these offer a really good value in the Rhapsodio lineup. Big, warm dynamic driver bass, great fit (they're large, but super comfortable) and they almost feel weightless in the ear. And you get Rhapsodio's personalized support and interaction, along with a nice accessory package with them. I think Sammy has another success on his hands for those looking for an LCD2-like sound signature in an IEM.

-Collin-

 

[Wyville]

I completely agree with your impressions. I bought the Saturn as well, and they're smooth, musical, fun and engaging. No hint of sibilance anywhere, though my preference would be a bit more treble extension (I am borderline treble head). That said, I have not fully burned them in yet and will report back when I do. Also, changing the cable over to a silver one helped. I'll post some photos here, since they're absolutely beautiful IEMs. One is with the Silver Knight Rhapsodio cable, the other a Rhapsodio Golden MK3.





Overall, these offer a really good value in the Rhapsodio lineup. Big, warm dynamic driver bass, great fit (they're large, but super comfortable) and they almost feel weightless in the ear. And you get Rhapsodio's personalized support and interaction, along with a nice accessory package with them. I think Sammy has another success on his hands for those looking for an LCD2-like sound signature in an IEM.

-Collin-

Great to see more of the Saturn around! I am really loving them more and more for how much fun they are to listen to and I fully agree they are great value.

I wish I had a silver cable to try out. I currently only have the Ares II to try out and that pairing did not seem to work as well as I had expected. Do you know if the stock cable is spc? With Ares II everything became more balanced and I felt they lost what made them so fun. Perhaps a silver cable will pair better, as I too would like just a little bit more treble (without loss of that amazing bass). Although it might also have to do with my source, as the AK70 is quite organic and I think a more analytical source might work better.

Really looking forward to get back home and write up the full review!

 

[vilhelm44]

Hi guys, I'm looking for the next step up to my Oriolus Mk2 and was thinking about the Zombie. Does the Zombie have the lovely MK2 bass and be an upgrade in other areas?

 

[cuemastermind]

Hi guys, deI'm looking for the next step up to my Oriolus Mk2 and was thinking about the Zombie. Does the Zombie have the lovely MK2 bass and be an upgrade in other areas?

I own oriolus mk2 i think galaxy v2 is very good step up to oriolus in terms or resolution micro datail top to bottom extension. Never heard the zombie but im very happy with my galaxy v2

 

[vilhelm44]

I own oriolus mk2 i think galaxy v2 is very good step up to oriolus in terms or resolution micro datail top to bottom extension. Never heard the zombie but im very happy with my galaxy v2

Many thanks for the speedy response, I'll add that to the list

 

[Wyville]

I just put up my full review of the wonderful Saturn:

Rhapsodio Saturn - A Rocker's Delight

​

 

[Kerouac]

I just put up my full review of the wonderful Saturn:

Rhapsodio Saturn - A Rocker's Delight

​

Very well done / written sir

Sammy has put some amazing iems and cables out there in this world, I also still like the Solar very much for 'rock orientated' music
The Saturn seems to be a steal though, at that price...

 

[SeeSax]

Many thanks for the speedy response, I'll add that to the list

While I like the Galaxy V2, its sound signature is quite different from the Oriolus. I haven’t heard the mk2, but it seems to be a smooth, warm IEM. Galaxy V2 is opposite of that. I think Zombie would be a good choice if you’re looking to keep a similar sound signature and add a bit more treble sparkle and overall resolution. Don’t get me wrong the Galaxy V2 is great, but it is a huge departure from the Oriolus.

-Collin-

 

[vilhelm44]

While I like the Galaxy V2, its sound signature is quite different from the Oriolus. I haven’t heard the mk2, but it seems to be a smooth, warm IEM. Galaxy V2 is opposite of that. I think Zombie would be a good choice if you’re looking to keep a similar sound signature and add a bit more treble sparkle and overall resolution. Don’t get me wrong the Galaxy V2 is great, but it is a huge departure from the Oriolus.

-Collin-

Hi Collin, thanks for the message and info. I am looking for an upgrade to the Oriolus sound, so to speak. After reading up on the Gemini and W900, I have set my heart on the Zombies, thanks mainly to your review

 

[SeeSax]

@Wyville your review made the front page, congrats!

Now I will go cry in my corner that my Zombie review never touched the front page lol

-Collin-

 

[Wyville]

@Wyville your review made the front page, congrats!

Now I will go cry in my corner that my Zombie review never touched the front page lol

-Collin-

Thanks Collin! How about that!? Very nice because the Saturn definitely deserve the attention. While I have moved on to work on my next review, I actually have them in right now because I wanted to have that sound in my ears again.

Your review did not make the front page?! That surprises me because it should have! I really enjoyed reading it and it is among the best reviews I have read recently. So no reason to cry because your hard work is much appreciated!

 

[SeeSax]

Thanks Buddy, I really enjoyed your review as well. I actually write reviews for my own enjoyment, not really any other reason so I was only light-spirited kidding But I will try harder on the next one! Thinking something like swimsuit models wearing the IEMs for the photos...yes...that is what I will do.

-Collin-

 

[Wyville]

Thanks! Yeah, pretty much the same for me. I review because I enjoy writing and listening to different IEMs and cables. It also helps manage my ADHD and perhaps one day I can write on the benefits of music therapy, but until then I just enjoy the opportunities I get.

Might steal that swimsuit model idea...