Pros:
- Excellent build quality
- Excellent price to performance ratio
- Tons of included eartips
- Great noise isolation
- Included impedance adapter provides a second sound signature
Cons:
- None
Introduction:
Audiosense is a Chinese company that specializes in producing in-ear monitors. Their lineup mostly consists of IEMs with full BA setups. Their DT and T series exclusively use BAs, while their AQ series uses a hybrid setup of BA + DD. The DT600 is the fourth and newest model in their DT series that is aimed to succeed the T800, which used to be Audiosense's all-BA flagship. The DT600 currently retails for 248 USD, and was provided to me at a discounted price by Audiosense in exchange for this review.
Specifications:
Driver units: 6 Knowles balanced armature (equally divided 2 for the lows, 2 for the mids, and 2 for the highs)
Impedance: 16 ohms
Sensitivity: 106 ± 3 dB
Frequency response range: 20 Hz - 22 kHz
Source:
Poco X3 paired with iBasso DC03 and Shanling UA1
Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.
Unboxing and Accessories:
The DT600 comes in a black rectangular sleeved box. Removing the sleeve and lifting the magnetic flap up reveals the signature Audiosense clear waterproof case that contains the earphones nested on foams, cables, and other accessories including a cleaning tool, 4 sets of different eartips, velcro strap for the cable, and an instruction manual.
Additionally, Audiosense included an 80 ohm impedance adapter. This seems to be a last-minute addition since the adapter is simply taped to the box instead of being inside of it. This adapter gives the DT600, or basically any IEM that uses a balanced armature driver, a different sound signature which I will discuss in detail below.
The eartips, from left to right in the picture, are the GT40S, S400, generic silicone tips, and the AT400/AT100 foam tips.
Build:
The shell is made of 3D printed transparent resin with a very smooth and glossy surface. The faceplates sport the Audiosense logo adorned with purple abalone and silver flakes. Much like what Audiosense did with the DT300, the pattern of the flakes is unique to each shell, so no two shells and pairs share the same pattern. Looking at the other side you will see the 6 custom balanced armature driver units that they used with a tube attached to their individual nozzles going to the main nozzle of the shell. Audiosense also added a small vent near the female MMCX connectors to ease the pressure when wearing the earphones.
The cable is the standard Audiosense 8 core 6N single crystal copper which is very soft, lightweight, and tightly braided. The male MMCX connectors are made of plastic with color coded side indicators. The splitter and chin slider are made of metal, while the 3.5mm L-type gold plated plug is made of hard rubber.
Now let's get to the sound.
Lows:
The lows are reproduced in a full-bodied fashion. Subbass has a lot more focus than the midbass. The depth in the subbass can go really low accompanied by a resounding rumble, and the balanced armature pair that handles this section really showcases its abilities with bass heavy tracks. The midbass, on the other hand, has a slightly below average weight in its notes and impact to its punch.
Overall, similar to the DT300, Audiosense managed to tune the lows in a way that it doesn't sound like the section is handled by balanced armatures. That being said, the bass doesn't feel loose or disjointed for the DT600 to be considered as a bassy set of IEMs, and most importantly, it doesn't contaminate the midrange.
Mids:
The mids are moderately forward with a linear approach; upper and lower mids share the same slightly elevated thickness. Despite having a bit of a warm timbre, the mids are reproduced with great clarity. Male and female vocals have an above average articulation, and most instruments like the piano and guitar are well-defined.
Overall, the mids have that nice warmth in them that I really prefer as I find it more relaxing compared to bright sounding mids. If this is not for you, you can always tweak it by using widebore eartips.
Highs:
The highs are relaxed a bit but with a decent amount of shimmer in them. Treble reach is slightly elevated, with an accompanying decay that is just adequate. Due to the non-aggressive nature of the highs, the DT600 can be listened to for extended periods of time without fatigue.
Overall, despite the said quality and quantity of the highs, there is still a great amount of details present in this section. Additionally, it never gets overshadowed by the presence of the lows.
Soundstage and Imaging:
The stage has an above average expansion, with the width having a tad more volume than the height. Imaging and instrument separation has great precision; different instruments and their position in the stage can be identified with minimal effort. Instruments are also layered nicely with very minimal congestion on complex tracks.
Comparisons:
with the 80 ohm impedance adapter attached
The lows became recessed and relaxed. Subbass was reduced significantly especially the rumble, while the decay stayed the same. Midbass impact was also reduced but it was only partial. The mids became brighter yet it also became smoother. Upper mids were notably elevated, and instruments sounded more airy and spacious. Now, the highs are where the adapter had the most changes. The treble became a lot more forward, the reach was heightened, and the decay was also extended. With the soundstage, the expansion in both the height and width was enlarged. Imaging was also slightly improved as well as the layering and instrument separation.
Audiosense DT600 (6 BA, 248 USD) vs. Audiosense DT300 (3 BA, 180 USD)
Both of them have the same level of rumble, depth and decay in the subbass. However, the midbass of the DT300 is more forward, has more thickness and hits harder and heavier. In the mids section, they share the same texture and timbre but the mids of the DT300 sounds a bit more forward, while the mids of the DT600 have better transparency and clarity. Instruments also sound more airy and more detailed in the DT600. The decay in the highs are identical, but the DT600 has marginally more reach. In the soundstage department, they are also identical in the depth, but the DT600 has a slight edge in the width. Imaging has better clarity in the DT600, as well as the layering and instrument separation.
Audiosense DT600 (6 BA, 248 USD) vs. See Audio Bravery (4 BA, 279 USD)
The lows of the DT600 have significantly more presence. Subbass reaches deeper in the DT600 and much more felt, while the midbass is more forward and has more weight. The mids are more forward and have better articulation with the Bravery, but the mids of the DT600 sound thicker especially the lower mids. The highs sound almost the same. They both have the same amount of reach. The Bravery has a slightly longer decay but the highs of the DT600 sound more forward. In the soundstage department, the Bravery has more expansion in both the height and width. Instruments have better layering and it feels like there is more air between them, and the imaging is clearer with the Bravery.
Conclusion:
Audiosense is on a roll right now, releasing one IEM after another that satisfies in both visual and technical aspect of things. Following the DT300, the DT600 has that same level of build quality, well thought out design and commendable sonic performance. Also, like its little sibling, the DT600 performs extremely well in the low frequencies, providing a powerful, rich yet inoffensive bass that resembles dynamic drivers; rightfully succeeding the T800.
Tags:
In-Ear Monitors