AUDIOSENSE DT600: Majestic Purple Haze

Hello mates and welcome to my another  review.

  In this current tough, very competitive and saturated audio market, we see a lot of new products that were offered from a multitude of audio companies in almost weekly basis as these companies are now vying and make themselves relevant as they try to flood the audio market with their product that are just rehashed from their previous product.

Audiosense is one of the few companies that doesn't follow this kind of business practice by just releasing some rehash products that some audio companies have done since the explosion of chi-fi products in audio market. It takes them a number of months just to release a product for they meticulously conceiving it via research and development just to make sure that they will deliver a good quality product to their customers.

I've done a review on their previous product before, The Audiosense DT300 and I gave it a high mark due to its balanced and well-tuned tonality  that most audio enthusiasts will like its neutral tuning. And now, I was given another opportunity by Audiosense to do a review on their higher-tier product offering that was over US$200/£150 price range which is in the midrange category.

Introducing their latest offering, The Audiosense DT600. DT600 is an all- balanced armature driver set-up IEM like its cheaper predecessor, The DT300 but it has more drivers than the latter one. It also consider as a true successor of the Audiosense's previous highly-regarded product, The Audiosense T800. This IEM is currently available in e-commerce stores and some physical audio stores and it cost around US$248/£184.

The packaging box is very similar to DT300 but it has a slightly different illustration print at front as it shows a DT600 in purple outline and some basic specifications at the back of its black coloured cardboard sleeve. And it has an inner box with a magnetic flap where the contents were placed. The following contents are the IEMs, Four (4) different types of eartips in different standard sizes from silicone tips ones to memory foam ear tips (S,M,L), a cleaning tool kit, a braided multi-core 6N Single crystal copper cable with a L-shaped 3.5mm termination jack, an instruction manual, a velcro cable winder and a sturdy built medium-sized clear Pelican container-like IEM case.

The Audiosense DT600 shell is made of high quality medical-grade resin to  attained that skin friendly experience on wearer's ear and a substantial quality that houses its important components inside. The inner components are the six (6) customised balanced armature drivers from a premium audio solution manufacturer, Knowles specifically for this unit as each drivers are individually connected with their own respective tube channels to deliver an efficient reverberations and contrast of each part of frequency range along with its frequency dividing capacitor to avoid any unwanted distortion. 

It has a smooth texture and seamless contour as I touched it all over with my fingers if I can find any gaps and unwanted edges but it doesn't have any particular issue for it as is a 3D printed mould IEM. It has a MMCX connector that Audiosense usually implemented on their products for flexibility purposes. The aesthetics design choices of Audiosense DT600 is praiseworthy and astonishingly beautiful due to its purple hue with an abalone-inspired pattern on its faceplate. It has single vent hole near at the buttom area of the MMCX connector to regulate the released air pressure which will have a pleasant experience to some people who usually irritated unvented IEMs due to build up air pressure coming off from the BAs.

It is noticeable that this IEM is easy to drive from any decent sources like smartphones, laptops and other multimedia devices due to its low impedance rating and good sensitivity number of 107 dB. This IEM scales well on good hi-fi DAC/Amp devices as it really shines and shows it fullest potential as a superbly well-tuned earphone with its improvements on dynamics and spatial extend.(According to some reviewers, putting up an impedance adapter on this IEM seems to work properly as it give more textured and vibrancy of its tonality.)

And now, when it comes the tonal signature of this IEM. I classify them as a balanced-neutral with some boost on bass part, linear mids and smoother treble response. (When using a impedance adapter. It is more on that U-shape sound signature)

   Here are some characteristic on its tonality of each part of audio frequency spectrum.

LOWS/BASS:

  I assuredly that this is the most prominent asset of DT600, its bass response. Punchy, vigorous and a quantify slam that most basshead that are looking for. For a BA set, this is one of a few IEMs that surprises me on how it really sound almost on par with the dynamics and deep response characteristic of a DD Bass. It subbass performs satisfactory as on it reaches the finite depth of lowest frequency as I felt that rumbling, guttural and thumpiness which indeed quite a surprise for woofer BA.

Midbass has a good amount of texture as it is give some of best tonal characteristic on some certain instruments and voice, from bass guitar to a bass-baritone vocals. Bass guitar has that growl and resonant feeling as I feel every tapping, fretting and slapping style on every bass guitar finger techniques, double bass kicks sounds very impactful and authoritative as I perceived and a deep, powerful and throaty sounding of male bass-baritone vocals. The transient capability of this set is impressive as it deliver a faster decay response. Despite of that well-textured midbass body, Suprisingly that it manage to control it very well that I don't even felt even a hint of bass bleed across the frequency range.

MIDS:

Another asset of DT600 was its midrange quality. Transparent, clean, neutral and organic. It has a hint of warmth that it has mingle well that it gave a sense of cohesion along with the bass response in the spectrum. I do sometimes hear that on some tracks, mids are slightly less forward but still its sound beautifully rendered without any compromises that ruin the texture. Both vocals on both gender sounds even more impressive as it show its natural and vibrancy. Male vocals has the thick and deep voice quality to show its prominence across the mix while female vocals has that clarity, energy and detail that even gave a better resolution.

Percussive, rhythm and wind instruments are presented well with a right amount of note weight and prolificness on its timbre attribute. As the sound of guitars has that soulful crisp, intricate and crunchiness, the mellowness and rich sounding of each pressing of the keynote on a piano and lastly, that snappy and rattling sound of a snare drum strikes.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

      This is the frequency range where I have some subtleties on it. It's more on balanced side of high frequency spectrum, smooth, refined and has a good extension of airiness. It retrieves a good amount of details in high definition quality. It also has a decent amount of sparkle just to give enough energy not to sound rasping, sharp nor hollowness due some scoop and less peaks on upper mids.There is not even a hint of sibilance. It has one of the unoffensive treble tuning that Ive heard as reminds me a certain TOTL IEM with bass boost neutrality.

It has a right amount of shimmer as it gives a cymbal strikes more natural and delineate manner. While the crashing and clanging on hi-hats gives the crisp and soften fast decaying chicky sound even portraying it more realistically.

Overall, it is certainly that DT600 treble was tuned safely and might even consider to some as laid-back treble as it was intended by Audiosense to have its distinct flavour on their in-house tuning.

SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING:

      DT600 has a good spacious and open sounding in an imaginary soundfield as it has a wide soundstage with a good reach on height and decent depth as I do some estimation on its dimensional size.

    Layering and imaging attributes on this set is even more excellent as it has a good amount of spacing on each instrument and a singer/s either in a simple studio band set-up or a multi-row placement of instrument of an orchestra band. And as it really defined the specific location of each instruments, I can fairly precisely to pinpoint out their respective placement accurately. While this is not the most holographic IEM that I've tested but  somehow, it is quite an immersive experience as I feel that I'm one of the audience that watching and listening on the performing artist. It is nice to have a experience on this kind of IEM with good technicalities under $300/£222 range.

 

As I concluded my review here, DT600 is very competent IEM that performs admirably. While this is not a flawless IEM that most audio enthusiast seeking for more refine audiophiliac tuning for faithfully reproducing from their preferred sources duei to that prominent bass region that defined them as coloured sounding.

  You will also wonder in how on earth did Audiosense manage to deliver a cohesive and coherent sounding all-BA set-up that is very comparable to some $300-500 hybrids and all-BA competitors currently in the market.

   To wrap this thing up, I certainly believe that Audiosense DT600 delivers one of the best IEMs in $200/£148 price range as it shos  that an all-BA setup can deliver a bass on quantity and quality similar to a good DD IEM set. This IEM will deliver a joy on both consumer and audio enthusiasts that will put a smile on their faces while they do their listening session.

PROS:

- A gorgeous looking 3D printed IEM shells that screams luxurious.

- "Balanced-neutral" with bass boost tuning.

- Snugly fit to all ear sizes (comfort is the king)

-  Deep and Powerful BA woofer

- Good technicalities aspect

- Once again, that sturdy Pelican box- like IEM container.

- Too many eartips to choose from

- Coherent and cohesive All-BA set-up IEM.

- Vented All-BA driver set-up IEM to avoid uncomfortable build up of air pressure inside the ears that might annoy some users.

CONS:

- MMCX connector (subjective)

- Wishing for more treble quality as my treblehead side says "a little bit lacking."

- Might be too coloured for some adherent neutralheads.

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: Audiosense DT600

IMPEDANCE: 16Ω

SENSITIVITY: 107dB +/- 3dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 15Hz-22KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.25M

PIN TYPE: MMCX CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm

DRIVER UNITS:  Six(6) custom Knowles Balanced Armature Drivers of each side.

Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss- A Living Prayer *

Debbie Gibson- Foolish  Beat *'*

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks *'*

Santana - Europa *

Europe - Final Countdown *

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Barry White - Never, Never Ever Give You Up

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Agent Steel - Bleed for the Godz*

Metallica- Fade to Black **

Camouflage - The Great Commandment *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean *

Bad Manners - Just a Feeling *

Riot- Warrior *

Mariah Carey- Love Takes Time *

Layla Kaylif - Shakespeare in Love *

Stone Temple Pilots - Plush *

David Bowie - Heroes **

Prince - When the Doves Cry *

Exodus - Metal Command *

Marduk - Blond Beast *

P. Diddy - Last Night *

Jimmy Hendrix - Purple Haze*

I am not affliated to AUDIOSENSE nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to thank Elaine Wong for this providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on his generosity towards me and other reviewers.