Crossposting my impression for Supernova (
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/7th-acoustics-supernova.26433/reviews#review-33134)
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7th Acoustics is an Indonesian boutique iem maker, founded by Stephen Synanta in 2020 and has enjoyed meteoric rise since then. I first heard about them in 2021 when one of my Indonesian mates shared his glowing impression on SG8, one of 7A early creations. Early 2022, they released Supernova, their latest totl iem and once again, I heard positive reviews about it. I was keen to audition it but getting one for audition outside Indonesia was almost impossible.
Therefore, big thanks to Stephen and Denny for loaning this Supernova for Aust Tour and the tour organiser
@Damz87 for this opportunity.
Supernova is all BA iems with 6x drivers. In general, it has a safe neutral tuning (with slight hint of warmness), however, it manages to be musically engaging.
Quantity wise, Supernova has a decent bass punch. It is impactful enough and capable to inject excitement on the low end of notes, but i doubt it will satisfy most of bass lovers. Unfortunately, it has typical BA bass texture that’s rather pillowy and plasticky. It is missing that DD bass slam. Moreover, the bass is rather loose (ie not tight) and not as well controlled as I would prefer.
Mid for me is the star of the show. Supernova has slightly more elevated lower mid which gives nice warmth in vocal that I really enjoy. Vocal is smooth and has that analog character – while still being authoritative and weighty. Male vocal simply sounds magical with it.
In term of treble, I feel like Supernova is tuned to be on the safe side, maybe a bit too safe. The lower treble is pleasant, it does not show any sign of sibilance or shouty. However, some people may find the top end a bit dull. There is noticeably lack of treble extension.
Supernova is a relaxed and organic iem. In term of speed, it puts more emphasis on a more natural decay, instead of being fast and clinical. Musical note edge is rather blunt, which is pleasant for long session listening but at the expense of being less precise and detailed. Indeed, my biggest criticism of it is the lack of refinement in texture and layering.
Comparison:
I do not have a lot of experience with iem in this price range. Closest one that I am familiar is Monarch Mk3 (Mmk3) that costs $200 more.
Mmk3 is a quite different iem than Supernova. It’s more energetic, with better bass texture. Having dd bass also gives advantage of a more natural bass timbre. Mmk3 also has better instrument separation. However, Mmk3 has noticeably hollow mid compared to Supernova, with more forward treble, drier and sounds more artificial.
In summary, Supernova is a superb iem. In my opinion, it’s the best iem under $1k for vocal. Its strength lays on its non-offensive tuning and pleasing sound presentation. Therefore, it an ideal iem for background listening during working/studying. However, it only has average technicality. Therefore, it won’t suit for critical music listeners.
With Supernova, 7th Acoustics has proven themselves to be master in tuning. I am excitedly waiting for their upcoming iem, Asteria which they plan to release later this year to which would compete in totl/summitfi iems market
beautiful set up my friend
