[Earbones]

Anyone who has had the 64 audio A12t (studio), could you tell me how it sounds?

I actually owned the A12T and U12T at the same time, and did quite a bit of A/B listening.

In short, they sound identical. I did get very slightly deeper bass with the U12T than the custom, but then again, the reason I had the universal at the same time was because my customs just didn’t end up working out for me fit-wise, (not the fault of the great crew at 64, just my weird ears) so optimal seal/isolation was not present with the A12T.

If you’re just asking how the A12T sounds not having listened to the U12T?.. I’d describe it as many others have… Perhaps the best TOTL all-rounder on the market today. It does everything well, and it does it well at a flagship level. That might seem like par for the course when you’re talking about deuce-kilobuck-and-above IEMs, but you’d be surprised. Like IEMs at every price point, end-game IEMs are more often specialists than not. Quick and dirty example might be the Vision Ears VE8 (I’ll pick something I own and love so I don’t get too much hate, ha ha)… a $2500 IEM that for my money, produces probably the best mids I have ever heard, from anything. But the bass is only par for a TOTL unit, and the upper treble is rounded off, lacks decay, and honestly competes with IEMs costing a lot less. So it’s certainly a respectable end-game unit, but it’s also unabashedly a mids specialist. The A/U12 by comparison does everything very well… a notch or two above par for a TOTL unit… in literally every aspect of sound. So while it is not the best at anything, it’s damn good at everything, at the highest level possible.

The sound signature is best classified as reference in my opinion, slightly north of neutral in the bass department, which adds a dash of “fun sound”… so it’s not entirely a serious affair. A relaxed yet dynamic listening experience, which I will not attempt to articulate; you kind of need to experience it for yourself. Those who’ve listened to this IEM most likely know what I’m talking about. Bass reaches deep and is articulate. Sub bass is there when needed. Lower mids are substantial while the mids gracefully fall back slightly, as with most 64 products, in order to let the vocals shine. Upper mids are sweet but never syrupy, resolving easily into the upper registers which are dominated by the airiness of the wonderful Tia driver. Sound stage and imaging are -you guessed it- good but not great for a TOTL IEM.

 

[toaster]

I personally agree with @Precogvision's classifications. It's been a while since I heard the U18t or the U12t, but I'd definitely categorise the A18t as mainstream or fun. It's got a slight W-shape to it, which is why it's my monitor of choice for drumming. The A18s (and, by extension, the U/A12t from what I've heard) has a much more subdued, flat, unassuming sound, which makes it perfect for monitoring. It's been my mixing and mastering tool since I got it last year, in fact. It doesn't add much to the music, which is what makes it reference to me. Whereas, there's a bit of a low-treble sizzle and a bit of a low-mid dip that the A18t carries wherever it goes. Of course, I'm speaking from an engineer's perspective. What constitutes as neutral or fun to an audiophile or a listener may very well be different.

Very interesting and helpful to know some people interpret it this way.

 

[jaboki]

Great question, you can definitely hear a lot more ambient information when wearing Duo, compared to all of our other IEMs. It does still provide a bit of isolation to bring down the ambient noise of an already quiet environment but definitely ambient enough to hear someone speak. To your point about speaking, yourself, the occlusion effect is greatly minimized, depending on how bass-heavy your voice is. We see it becoming a useful tool to folks broadcasting in settings like podcasts, live-streaming, video games, etc.

Time to try it out.

 

[mashuto]

It is interesting you mention this, this was one of the ideas when designing Duo. As it turned out, the functionality of the final iteration was what eventually caused us to ultimately decide on it. You may even see crude drawings of what you described in that video we mentioned.

Out of curiosity, is that functionality related to the tuning, or the open apex core stuff. Just curious to how functionality changed specifically with different faceplate design choices.

 

[macdonjh]

I wish you guys would quit enjoying the Duo, or at least stop posting about enjoying the Duo. I don't want to want another IEM right now. Cue .38 Special now...

 

[mashuto]

I wish you guys would quit enjoying the Duo, or at least stop posting about enjoying the Duo. I don't want to want another IEM right now. Cue .38 Special now...

Oh here, I can help... They barely isolate at all! And they only have two drivers! Not even any cool new driver types either! Pure garbage!

Now back to listening to my garbage.

 

[twister6]

Great question, you can definitely hear a lot more ambient information when wearing Duo, compared to all of our other IEMs. It does still provide a bit of isolation to bring down the ambient noise of an already quiet environment but definitely ambient enough to hear someone speak. To your point about speaking, yourself, the occlusion effect is greatly minimized, depending on how bass-heavy your voice is. We see it becoming a useful tool to folks broadcasting in settings like podcasts, live-streaming, video games, etc.

And it is also going to be very useful for musicians performing on stage who need to be aware of other performers and the crowd.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Oh here, I can help... They barely isolate at all! And they only have two drivers! Not even any cool new driver types either! Pure garbage!

Now back to listening to my garbage.

Are you being sarcastic?

 

[64Audio]

Out of curiosity, is that functionality related to the tuning, or the open apex core stuff. Just curious to how functionality changed specifically with different faceplate design choices.

The function of Duo's face was always going to be about allowing for an open air shell to complete our apex core system. When we commented on the different iterations of the mesh/grill assembly we're talking about what is best for manufacturing. From an engineering standpoint, making parts that fit properly into each other, staying secure over time, having the intended cosmetic feel was how this final faceplate configuration was decided on. Although the U6t looks amazing, going for a simple understated design, the faceplate is fairly straightforward and was mostly about us deciding on a few color combinations. Duo, like U18s, took some serious engineering to come to fruition. It is the subtle details we obsess over, which all come together to make something we're extremely proud of. Things like the connection of Duo's faceplate to the shell being made as seamless as possible, or ensuring a smooth flycut of the U18s faceplate to give that contrast between the matte finished indentations and the reflective top layer.

 

[GiullianSN]

Time to try it out.

Mine is stuck in shipping since Monday.

 

[mashuto]

Are you being sarcastic?

Yes. Quite sarcastic. Sure they don't isolate well and only have two drivers (which we all know isn't necessarily an indicator of quality), but the duo is very pleasant to use. They sound great and are extremely comfortable both in fit and pressure, or the complete lack thereof.

The function of Duo's face was always going to be about allowing for an open air shell to complete our apex core system. When we commented on the different iterations of the mesh/grill assembly we're talking about what is best for manufacturing. From an engineering standpoint, making parts that fit properly into each other, staying secure over time, having the intended cosmetic feel was how this final faceplate configuration was decided on. Although the U6t looks amazing, going for a simple understated design, the faceplate is fairly straightforward and was mostly about us deciding on a few color combinations. Duo, like U18s, took some serious engineering to come to fruition. It is the subtle details we obsess over, which all come together to make something we're extremely proud of. Things like the connection of Duo's faceplate to the shell being made as seamless as possible, or ensuring a smooth flycut of the U18s faceplate to give that contrast between the matte finished indentations and the reflective top layer.

Very interesting. Always nice to get a peek into certain design decisions. Thanks for sharing!

 

[macdonjh]

Oh here, I can help... They barely isolate at all! And they only have two drivers! Not even any cool new driver types either! Pure garbage!

Now back to listening to my garbage.

Thank you, I've put a "pin" in your post so I can refer to it whenever I get the itch for a new IEM.

 

[mashuto]

Thank you, I've put a "pin" in your post so I can refer to it whenever I get the itch for a new IEM.

Advice I myself need to follow from time to time too.

To be clear, I really enjoy the duo. But sometimes I definitely need to remember that what I already have is pretty great and the endless search for newer and better usually just results in... Different.

 

[firesign]

Advice I myself need to follow from time to time too.

To be clear, I really enjoy the duo. But sometimes I definitely need to remember that what I already have is pretty great and the endless search for newer and better usually just results in... Different.

So you like the Nio more than the Duo?

What did you not like about the Trio so that you no longer have it?

 

[mashuto]

So you like the Nio more than the Duo?

What did you not like about the Trio so that you no longer have it?

The treble in the trio was a bit too sharp for me and when I sold it, it was just because I had others I preferred more, including the nio, which is a smoother sounding iem.

As far as nio vs duo, it's a bit of a toss up at the moment. I'm not sure I would say I like the duo more overall, but it does have some qualities that I like a lot. Back to treble, it's almost kind of in-between the nio and trio. I feel the open back definitely gives the duo a bit of unique character that the nio doesn't quite have. The nio however is more versatile with Apex module choices.

Leaning sightly towards selling the nio in favor of keeping the duo, mainly because I think the duo just fits sightly better to what I would be looking for in my small collection right now.