[Taveren]

man.....I just could not resist and pre-ordered, now to sit back relax and wait for the initial reviews (which will be awesome

)  

 

[d marc0]

Hi guys!
 
The Altone 200 finally reached my doorstep...
 

 

First of all I'd like to thank T-PEOS for sending this review unit. These did not come in retail packaging so I won't be able to show you photos of the box and accessories. I did however receive a small pouch with a few tips and a shirt clip. 

 

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:

 

I really like the material used for the casing (aluminium and steel) unfortunately the photos don't show how nice they really are. Simple, clean lines, but definitely feels premium. I am however concerned about possible scratches/dints if these are handled roughly or even when simply tucked away then the earpieces bump against each other. I guess only time will tell how these will fare after constant usage.

 

The size is perfect... these IEMs are smaller than your average monitors. Even smaller than the Zero Audio Carbo Basso; to think that was very comfortable for my tiny ears. The Altone 200 is more comfortable and I simply don't feel like I have them on after long periods of listening because of the lightness and the smoothness of the surfaces.

 

Now the sound... oh boy! T-PEOS has impressed me once again. At the price that these are being introduced, I expected a small back step in sound quality. To my delight, it is the exact opposite! They kept the best qualities from their previous offerings and fined tuned the rest of the frequency that needed refinement. The BASS is better, more visceral, and textured compared to the H200 from memory. Reminds me so much of the H300 bass: tightness, detail, texture, sub-bass extension, and layering. MIDS is quite nice because it maintains clarity and detail you'd expect from BA drivers. Despite the boosted bass and treble, the vocals sit firmly in the background. I didn't notice any veiling whatsoever and never felt missing on detail/clarity. This is one of those rare moments that an IEM with this sound signature did not neglect the vocals/mid-range. HIGHS still has the signature T-PEOS emphasis in the lower treble and I'm happy to report that it's now more refined and more controlled. Not perfect but close... still very highly dependent on the quality of the recording + volume level. To my ears the balance between the BASS vs TREBLE is nicely done. Imaging and resolution is still as good as the T-PEOS flagships. The emphasis in the lower treble may still bother those who are really sensitive in this area but I can confidently say that those who can handle it will appreciate the added sparkle/brightness/resolution.

 

Please take note that I'm using Sony noise isolating hybrid tips with shallow insertion. I haven't started tip-rolling just yet so there may be slight changes in my impressions if I end up using different tips for my final review.
 

 
 

To those who have owned or heard the H200; it is time to move on and enjoy a MUCH better IEM. The Altone 200 has a much improved bass response, no dips in the upper midrange, and a more refined/controlled treble performance. It still has the T-PEOS house sound but in a much improved fashion.

 

Stay tuned for my full review...

 

[mochill]

^ nice impression

 

[nmatheis]

d marc0: Thanks for the impressions! Makes me eager to receive my pre-order and compare against DN1K. Sounds like the pre-orders are shipping mid-July, so I'm expecting to receive mine around the end of the month.

 

[kahaluu]

Very nice impressions. Thank you.

 

[waynes world]

Hi guys!

The Altone 200 finally reached my doorstep...




To those who have owned or heard the H200; it is time to move on and enjoy a MUCH better IEM. The Altone 200 has a much improved bass response, no dips in the upper midrange, and a more refined/controlled treble performance. It still has the T-PEOS house sound but in a much improved fashion.

Stay tuned for my full review...

Why do I get the feeling that you're talking to me lol! Great impressions d marc0

 

[Deviltooth]

They look good.  I like the use of the strain relief colors to mark left and right.

 

[Taveren]

@d marc0: how are the strain reliefs looking? from your photos (which is very impressive BTW kudos) they seem to be rather short.

 

[Miyaichi]

  They look good.  I like the use of the strain relief colors to mark left and right.

+1, me too ^^ hopefully they won't have any problems with QC

 

[d marc0]

Why do I get the feeling that you're talking to me lol! Great impressions d marc0

I actually was! 

 
I wanted to PM you and @UnityIsPower because I don't want my friends to miss out on a very promising product and deal. I decided to just do it here in a subtle way coz I didn't want to come across as pushing a product because I'm not an endorser. 
 

  @d marc0: how are the strain reliefs looking? from your photos (which is very impressive BTW kudos) they seem to be rather short.

They seem well made and a bit flexible but only time will tell if they are good. Right now I don't see any reason to worry about it especially because the IEMs are very light.
 
You're right about it being a bit too short but it does look more proportional in person than in the photos.
The photos make them look really short.

 

[Taveren]

Originally Posted by d marc0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
They seem well made and a bit flexible but only time will tell if they are good. Right now I don't see any reason to worry about it especially because the IEMs are very light.
 
You're right about it being a bit too short but it does look more proportional in person than in the photos.
The photos make them look really short.

Cool, thanks for the clarification. 

 

[peter123]

 

Stay tuned for my full review...

I most certainly will 

 
Great impressions and very nice pitures as always!

 

[Hapster]

I wonder if we'll be seeing altone 300? I'll be the first to preorder that

Looks like they're clearly better than the H200 atm, not a surprise. I'm interested in more H300 comparisons though.

 

[AUserName501]

I'm interested in these but I'm hesitant to buy something that I can't return though I'd buy used from another forum member.
 
It would be great if T-Peos could send IJokerL a pair because he is the one of the most respected reviewers on these forums and will likely send it to Tyll afterwards to be measured. At the moment I've got an itch to try something different than my current Etymotic ER-4PT and I'm interested in something with a more 'fun' sound signature while maintaining the clarity that the ER-4 is known for. At the moment the IEM world is flooded and no-one seems to have a clear idea of what is the best in what categories and price. If I were to describe what I'd want in an IEM it would be the Sennheiser HD800 with a bit more bass and a little less treble. Perhaps, these will be it but I won't risk buying new.

 

[Hapster]

Hmm, since obviously it's new you can't find it used, maybe offer someone who owns it slightly more than it's worth with the option to return it and let them still profit a little if you do want to return it?

That way you can try them with minimal risk? I'm not sure who'd do it though.