[Dsnuts]

TGXear Serratus

Many of you guys know me from the numerous IEM threads including the discovery thread and such. I start threads that I deem worthy of starting. Meaning the items of topic I feel needs its own dedicated thread. Well recently our good buddy @tgx78 has been around headfi as long as I have and I have known this guy through the many DMs and exchanges we have had on the threads through the years. Recently has started his own venture into his own bud company.

I know we have bud threads and such but hear me out. His new buds and I have the Serratus on hand are something I consider substantial. If you need to see the first review about these this was posted about them here.

In any case he has been working on 3 models.

1. Apha: 600 ohm Beryllium dome composite diaphragm, N52 magnets
2. Tantalus: 500 ohm Beryllium composite, hardest to drive at 86db/mW
3. Serratus: 300 ohm PET polymer film diaphragm, N52 Neodymium magnets

I have the Serratus in hand and I have to admit I was not expecting the sound quality of this thing to be what it is. There are not too many headfiers that go onto making their own phones but in this case it is only natural our buddy tgx has used his know-how in sound tuning and modding to the point where. Hey, why not create his own buds.

Website here.

So here it is, the Serratus. This is taking DIY buds to another level as I did not expect them to sound like what the Serratus does.

On open listen I was greeted with one of the widest and deepest stages for anything I have put into my ears. It is definitely open headphone like in stage. And even then it's holography was astounding from the get go. It is clearly tuned with a reference balanced sound in mind. I mean how can a simple bud achieve a summit fi sound signature right? One track turned into an album which turned into me frantically forwarding to test my familiar tracks on my Fiio M15.

I was dumbfounded. These things sound stupendous!. Which had me thinking. Heck these things need to have their own thread. So here we are. Anyone that considers yourself a fan of earbuds or sound quality that is generational for the price. Here we go.

 

[Dsnuts]

This is my official read about the Serratus. Grab a set, it will be good for your soul.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tgxear-serratus.25974/review/29353/

 

[tgx78]

Thanks to @Dsnuts and the Head-Fi for having me here to discuss my earbuds!

I'll answer common questions here as the thread grows so people don't have to search for information. Cheers

 

[ian91]

Thanks for starting this thread. It will be a great place to discuss and share our impressions and love for our sets.

I have heard the Serratus and the Alpha (an 'early' version - the 'final' version to arrive soon). Both are what I consider 'TOTL' transducers (not just in the world of earbuds but IEM/headphones in general). If any readers are new to earbuds, make sure to stop by the Earbuds Roundup thread where there is an absolute plethora of resources and incredibly knowledgable people to introduce you to the medium. Earbuds won't be for everyone (they have a different presentation, especially in the bass, when compared to IEMs) but for those that value an open sound with a natural staging similar to overears then there's a whole new world to explore.

@nymz produced an excellent review of the Serratus that caught my eye and he turned out to be on the money with his observations. The Serratus presents a great stage, a balanced signature with great extension and it has a revealing texture from top to bottom that's perfect for instrumental music. I'm not quite ready to share opinions on the Alpha but suffice to say it's a tremendous listen.

If I were to give one tip to those considering one of the aforementioned models, all of which are high impedance, it would be to have a good source otherwise you won't see these shine. It's very important for adequate bass extension, dynamics and imaging that they are powered well. Both the Serratus and the Alpha open up when connected to a desktop amp and their character changes.

As for @tgx78 he is clearly putting thought and close attention into his driver choice and builds. Also, not only do they sound good but they look good too. I'll post some pictures soon!

 

[o0genesis0o]

Wow, TgxEar has snazzy branded carrying case too. The brand is growing. Best of luck! I’ll try to order the Serratus in a month or two, as I try to get the M11s first.

Any story behind the name of these buds?

 

[tgx78]

Wow, TgxEar has snazzy branded carrying case too. The brand is growing. Best of luck! I’ll try to order the Serratus in a month or two, as I try to get the M11s first.

Any story behind the name of these buds?

They are all local mountains. Only climbed up Tantalus and Black Tusk but hopefully Alpha next year.

 

[o0genesis0o]

They are all local mountains. Only climbed up Tantalus and Black Tusk but hopefully Alpha next year.

Good naming. As a beginner DIYer, I would say your buds are also mountains to reach

Btw, I drop by your art website linked by @nymz in the review. At first, I thought all of the pictures are photos. Such amazing painting skill.

 

[weexisttocease]

I'm glad now there's a dedicated thread to TGXEar.

Earbuds grabbed my attention very recently and I received the Tantalus a few days ago. Build quality is excellent and it sounds even better. What I really like it compared to IEMs is the timbre and soundstage. It's fantastic. Listening to live music it just gives you goosebumps.

 

[tfaduh]

I'm glad now there's a dedicated thread to TGXEar.

Earbuds grabbed my attention very recently and I received the Tantalus a few days ago. Build quality is excellent and it sounds even better. What I really like it compared to IEMs is the timbre and soundstage. It's fantastic. Listening to live music it just gives you goosebumps.

Speaking of Tantalus, we need @WoodyLuvr here. I'm sure he said he recently received his Tantalus too.

 

[Sifo]

Definitely deserves a dedicated thread! I've had the chance to try a couple of Jim's amazing earbuds here and there, can't wait to receive a Serratus.

 

[SBranson]

I am so glad this thread is finally up. I think I must be one of the very first lucky enough to have access to these amazing transducers. I don’t want to just call them earbuds as that limits the scope of their influence.
@tgx78 and I first ”met” through a couple gear exchanges a couple years ago but this year we have met up a few times with a small band of west coast Canadian head-fi’ers. At the meet in the spring I learned of the earbud projects and was gifted a prototype set (which I still have) and was pretty amazed because to me earbuds were those ill-fitting, rough sounding old Apple earbuds.
Soon after an got the Tio Lake, which was a refinement of that first set, then a prototype of the Serratus.. and now I am so thankful that I have gotten to hear and own most of these amazing earbuds.

Its been said but timbre is, for me, the main thing about TGXEar and why they are so special. @tgx78 is a lifelong musician and an accomplished artist and for me, that high level of appreciation for the “details” of what is good and beautiful come through in the tuning. As a musician I really appreciate that though the technicalities are excellent, the tone and timbre of instruments are “correct” and music becomes real, .. becomes human..
These don’t stop at timbre though as with each new earbud I get to hear, the soundstage has deepened, the imaging has become more 3-d, and the balance of warmth and clarity has been getting better.

I have owned the Traillii and did so for almost a year and I currently have the Abyss Diana Phi with an Eletech Inferno cable. The Diana’s have the benefit of scale and bass impact.. they come closer to the 2-channel experience but in timbre the Alpha is as good... really. It’s a different experience being a small earbud from a full headphone and I’m glad to have both regardless of the insane price difference but for a sit down session, I get as much enjoyment from the Alpha.

For those looking into these I think it should be remembered that these are all pretty high impedance earbuds and I have a pretty powerful amp in the Burson. I first tried the Serratus and Tantalus on the RU6 dongle and it’s a different experience on a full size amp.

Besides my tools, which I need for work, my little audio set up is my only items with any worth and @tgx78 ’s earbuds are my most used gear and each set seems to keep getting better.

 

[cocolinho]

Highly interested in the Serratus, @tgx78 I see you're in Canada, how does shipping works for Europe (I'm in France) , thanks

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[Ace Bee]

@tgx78 I have several questions. The first is - will you also start making DD iem? Because if you are, I would like to be the first customer!
The second - can a 200 ohm earbud be driven sufficiently from a portable DAP like Shanling M7? Or does it need a portable amp as well?

 

[rcoleman1]

Glad I found this thread. I'm always looking for new TOTL earbuds to try. Thought I'd stop making purchases for expensive TOTL IEMs for while...add to my earbuds collection. Gonna try the Serratus.

 

[nymz]

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Soon (TM)

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