Some short impressions on the
Rikubuds Alter Rider 3, a DIY earbud from
@RikudouGoku
How did you get it.? I have one set. Might be interested in this one.
It comes well
accessorized. Other than the earbuds, these are included:
1) Semi rigid zipper clam shell case
2) White high-density foams
3) Red medium-density foams
4) Black low-density foams
Do foam roll to see what suits your preferences - generally, the white denser foam would add warmth/bass, whereas the thinner black ones would make the sonics brighter and thinner. One can even combine 2 sets of foams (double foam) to add girth and increase warmth if you would like.
The Alter Rider 3 utilizes a RG39 earbud housing, and
comfort is top notch, no complaints at all for this department. The buds fit snugly in the ear, and the ergonomics are well-designed with the long stem nicely nested within the intertragal notch of the ear. So far, I've tested the RG39 for the past 2 hours without any discomfort whatsoever.
The Alter Rider 3 is not that easy to
drive, and scales with amplification.
The Alter Rider 3 uses an innovative
Soundsphere technology. Essentially, there are pyramid shaped diffusing breakers within the housing, which reduces unwanted resonances via dispersing and redirecting acoustic waves. I think this may be the first time that this special concept is applied in earbuds, so kudos to such a brave - but thankfully successful - implementation of something considered uncharted waters for DIYers.
Now on to sound - impressions below are with the white high density foams. Initial testing done with Questyle M15 dongle. The Alter Rider 3 is
neutralish in tonality.
The Alter Rider 3 has exquisite
timbral accuracy, and it is a joy to use it with genres featuring acoustic genres such as jazz and classical.
Technicalities are superb. Soundstage is quite expansive in all 3 dimensions, and instrument separation and imaging are commendable. Even with very complex riffs in music with competing instrumentation, the Alter Rider 3 handles these with ease.
Like most traditional earbuds, the bass is focused in the
mid-bass, with some sub-bass roll-off. The quantity of bass is neutral, but this earbud goes for quality over quantity, with a very textured bass, zero mid-bass bleed and lightning fast speed. On my go-to test track for bass quality - Sting's Englishman in New York - the Alter Rider 3 showcases nice texture for bass lines, and aces the complex bass solo in the middle of this song.
The midrange is the star of the show. The lower
midrange is very transparent, with no bass bleed to impinge here, with a dark background allowing instruments to be layered nicely. The upper mids are boosted and vocals are forwards without veering too much to shouty territory (at moderate volume levels). Vocal and midrange lovers will have a field day and there's something really magical about this bud's synergy with acoustic tunes.
The
treble carries on from the upper mids boost, with decent air and sparkle. The treble is quite well-dosed in my opinion, there is minimal sibilance or splashiness of cymbals/high-hats, and it should be safe for treble sensitive folk. I really like that the Alter Rider 3 does not have the fake resolution/clarity that a lot of CHIFI use to trick the ears (via overly boosting the treble for fake details). Details and nuances can still be heard on this earbud, and the tuning is kind of monitor like in that way.
I'll be burning in this earbud and will report back with A/B comparisons, but ballpark, I would say that the Alter Rider 3 can be rightly classed as a TOTL bud from my first 2 hours with it. Perhaps only bassheads might wanna look elsewhere, but for most others, the Alter Rider 3 scores high in most department
