I finally got to hear the U12T thanks to
@hlee227. My initial reaction, given my admiring but reserved stance toward the 64audio brand, took me completely by surprise. I freakin’ love this IEM. I love them so much I was literally crying during the audition today. Now I don’t want to return it next week lol. It seems to me that on the way to building a less expensive IEM in their line up, 64 Audio had- either intentionally or accidentally- come upon a new frontier of sound. I knew immediately I need to spend more time exploring this IEM and its tuning decisions.
After about 5 hours of non stop listening which gave me mild dehydration, I am finally in a position to give a small report on the U12T and, by extension, the MX15 and MX20 modules in general. What I can immediately confirm is that the U12T does indeed have a sound that is sculpted differently from all other IEMs I’ve heard to date. To these ears it is a better sound, and I’m going to tell you why.
But first, let’s begin with U12T’s foremost calling card: resolution. Thanks to its remarkable solidity, fluidity, high-grade drivers/internals, and effectiveness of vanishingly low resonance or low distortion tia driver, U12T sounds a shoulder or two above most other IEMs in extracting inner detail. I look at it as literally a detail-extracting perfectionist. For those who savor in-ears that unearth previously obscured details- and who in this hobby doesn’t?- the U12T is a delicious treat.
One of the first things I played through the U12T was the seemingly harsh and messy sounding (on most IEMs) “Stinkfest” from Tool’s masterwork Ænima. The U12T disclosed a previously unheard- even on highly revealing IEMs- exuberance of tiny components in the song’s ever-fascinating percussive underpinning. An already riveting track became even more so.
Furthermore, the inner detail delivered by the U12T manifests itself- without a trace of graininess, mind you- from top to bottom. Quite many in-ear speaker designs do well with midrange detail, but their top or bottom is a relative blur. Not so with the U12T, which is revealing of every nuance no matter where it falls. Further, the U12T doesn’t just produce transient-based detail like the aforementioned percussion; it is equally adept at unearthing timbral information. This is a distinct and complementary type of detail, one whose resolution makes instruments sound more real.
New details are one thing, and I don’t mean to diminish their impact. But for me a far more gripping experience is hearing how multiple musical lines and sonics, are being retrieved, layer on top of the other to create a whole. In truth, this is a much tougher test of an IEM, because one detail or musical event can easily overshadow- or completely obscure- another. Revealing everything at the same time requires not only superior resolution but also near-perfect linearity, phase alignment and timing. The U12T meets these additional requirements, and consequently pulls off the layering feat with unusual aplomb.
Of course, resolution of this caliber is no stranger to few top tiered flagships out there. What I particularly like about the U12T, though, is its ability to not only deconstruct the music, but to put it back together again into a cohesive, organic whole. If I had to choose between ultimate resolution and this ability to present the sum of the musical parts, I would opt for the latter. As it turns out, with the U12T there is no need to choose.
The U12T’s imaging also follows aforementioned resolution chops, which is to say that this IEM is an imaging champ. Few earphones are as adept as the U12T at creating the captivating illusion of a soundstage wholly independent from confined headstage. A soloist and supporting players are exactly where they’re supposed to be, yet without any “Hey, look at me!” hyperbole and, significantly, without drawing attention away from other musical elements. With the U12T, imaging is seamlessly woven into the overall sonic portrait.
Onto the Apex module- It is simply brilliant how I don’t need to worry about any pressure buildup inherent in many sealed BA IEMs. One change I do hear between MX15 and MX20 modules is in the area of increased bass of the MX20. Many reviewers have hailed the tight bass of well implemented BAs, but I have always found them a bit too tight and controlled. I tend to prefer the free-flowing ease of good vented DD designs, even if that means a tad less control. But the U12T offers a nice mixture of ease and control. On my M8, U12T’s bass unfailingly lets music flow without effort or strain. The U12T is equally impressive in other matters of bass. As best I can tell, the move from MX20 to MX15 has not compromised extension in any material way.
If I were being picky about its bass, I would say that in comparison to my reference IER-Z1R, the U12T’s low end is a bit less textured and dynamic. The low notes don’t breathe and bloom quite as marvelously as do notes elsewhere in its musical palette. However, I found that I was only aware of this on the grandest orchestral material.
We now arrive at the category where I hear by far the biggest controversial aspect of U12T sound: voicing. Call it what you will- richness, sweetness, warmth, or boring sound, the tonality of the U12T contrasts with many TOTL’s standard: strictly-neutral or squeaky clean aesthetic or academically tuned (harman research for example). This sweetness is what stole my heart in my short listening session and it immediately made its big presence obvious. Personally I find a slightly warm tonal balance to be consonant with the sound of live music- so long as it is not overdone. The U12T has no difficulty walking that line; its warmth is near natural sounding and certainly not too euphonic.
Listening to the culmination of the U12T’s sonic virtues can be quite a mind-expanding experience as it delivers a newfound vocal lushness, free-flowing bass, clean treble extension and accurate yet organic musicality.
