AUDIOSENSE T800: Audiosense's First-born IEM Wonder

Hello, mates and welcome to my another review blog. And I'll do review from a previous flagship model from Audiosense.

We are aware of the brand, AUDIOSENSE in the audio market for they have a good reputation with the audio community as they deliver some high quality products at affordable,  competitive pricing for audio enthusiasts and audio professionals looking for a more budget-friendly tool. I've done some reviews of their products in the past and I can vouch the overall quality of their product, from its material build to the well-done tuning of their IEM as I rate them in a high mark.

And now a friend of mine in a local AUDIOSENSE chatroom group requested me to do a review on his AUDIOSENSE T800. As you know that I've tested this particular model around three years ago from fellow enthusiast who bought up this unit around $300/£220. The first time I tested this unit, I'm into a euphonia state as how I really immerse myself within the tuning of this IEM. This IEM was one of the reason that it really change my view on what should a mature tuning sounds like.

By the way, let's talk about the whole details about this wonder IEM from AUDIOSENSE. AUDIOSENSE T800 is an all- Balanced Armature driver set-up with eight (8) Knowles on each side. It has the SWFK-31736,  HODVTEC-31618 and unspecified series of custom Knowles four (4) BAs specially for AUDIOSENSE (These are clearly identical set-up to its successor, DT600 with less number of drivers.)

The shells are made of premium quality resin, moulded from a high-precision 3D printing method as it is really well-designed and meticulously well-engineered on implementing some tube channels specifically for each BAs inside. It has also has a frequency divider capacitor to avoid any unwanted distortion and overlapping of its audio response spectrum. It has also a carbon fiber finished on its faceplate with stylized "AUDIOSENSE" brand as it reminds me an aesthetics of a hyper sports car. The shell size actually is more in large category but the good news is it really fit and secure well into my lug holes as I don't feel any uncomfortable and even soreness as I can wear them for a few hours.

As I said that this IEM was lend to me by a friend so I won't disclose the whole details on its stock packaging box and the included accessories, I have a speculation that it has almost the same accesories with its succesor units , The DT300 and DT600.

(It has thick custom-made cable from a local audio cable modder, JBC Audio.)

The Audiosense T800 scales well in my devices (both are LG devices with hi-fi quad DACs) as they have an ample power to drive it to its fullest potential for it has exhibit a lot of dynamics, you might unimpressed on its sensitivity of 90db but don't let these number fool you as they are quite loud at 40% in my hearing perception for the impedance rating itself was only 9 Ohms that will be easily drive to most decent sources.

The tonality of DT800 is more on a U-shape sound signature for it has boosted bass, more linear and neutral mids and some elevation on treble.

Here are the sound characteristics of each part of its frequency spectrum.

LOWS/BASS:

First, I will say it right now, this is bassy set. It has that slam, punchy and accurateness. It has a satisfactory sub- bass for I felt that grumbling and guttural depth on its lowest frequency.

Mid bass has that textured that contributes on its hefty note that it makes it more thick sounding as it surely the authoritative and impactful bass kicks that gives us that intensity and the roaring and somber sound on every plucking of a bass guitar either its slapping, fingerstyle or fretless techniques. Another contribution on weighty note on a mid bass is it added a fervor feeling of a bass-baritone vocals for I really want to experience it on listening session on male voices. It has an above average transient response with as it gradually fading on the sound spectrum. Overall it has an impressive bass response as it has the quantity and quality knowingly that it is a BA driver.

MIDS:

The mids is slightly recessed on this one but it retain its well-textured, clean and somehow still balanced across the frequency range with its warmth. Both vocals of each respective gender will be fairly  benefited on its decent weight note as it sound more emotional as it will have a clarity, good amount of details and resolution on it.

All instruments from percussive to horns sounds more affront as it is loaded with richness overtones on its timbre quality. From the crisp and crunchiness of a guitar, the mellowness and rich tone of piano, the added brassy sound nature of horns and other blowing instruments and the sustaining shuffling and rattling of a snares strikes.

For me, As I scale this up in quantify manner it has a thick, teeming with saturated tones and harmonics while it has that good detail and a contrast resolution of each tonal colour respectively.

HIGHS/TREBLE

The quality of the treble is on leaning on a bright side as I noted for its has decent amount of sparkle, glistening and vividness on each treble section.

There are some noticeable peak on the upper mids as I do encounter some edginess and boost that adds up that I encounter some hint of sibilance especially on consonant-laden voices but it is still passable in my sibilance test rating at it don't really affect that much as I don't find it as irritating and fatiguing.

Presence part of treble has that clarity and crisp as it adds up with its defining quality. Cymbals and hi-hats will gain on this one as it added more shimmer on the prior  and more fletting, crisp, dampened-like percussive of the latter instrument that I've mention. It has also satisfactory airiness range of its sound that add some sense of space.

SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING:

To measure up and estimate on its dimensional size. It has a quite above average width, a good reach on height and fairly-distanced depth range as I find more holographic on its presentation. Think of a medium-size IMAX theater room.

Imaging and layering is even more impressive on this set as it has a sense of spacing and separation of each instrument and vocals and and its placement on either an array of typical studio band set-up or a multi-row structure of an orchestral band as I can accurately pointing out its exact location as intended placement on the track. Stereo panning quality is laudable as I do spatial cue sweeping to each channel.

COMPARISONS

Since, this review is a special one, I add a section on this review as I rarely doing some detailed comparison to other products

Audiosense DT600:

These sister has actually contrasting tonality on one another. DT600 has more balanced and neutral sounding with a boosted bass compared to bit coloured tuning and U-shape sounding of T800. They have both bassy aspect, but T800 is still more punchy and impactful compared to DT600, while DT600 is still more on a balanced textured lows but still elevated along its frequency range. DT600 has more translucent, cleaner, detailed and more organic mids compare to the more dense and saturated mids response on T800 that sound a little bit blare and a hint of metallic timbre. DT600 is more on a laid back treble compare to a more brighter one on T800. Soundstage is slightly wide on DT600 but Imaging and Separation of instruments are evenly match but I give it on T800 due to more holographic and 3D spatial sound field.

See Audio Bravery:

Both of See Audio Bravery and Audiosense T800 gives me an introductory euphonic impression. Both of them are starkingly similar from tuning to technicalities, Bravery has that warmish-neutral which can be perceive as a slightly U-shape while DT800 is more on traditional, more coloured U-shape tuning. Both has a quality and quantity bass, Bravery BA bass sounds more natural and closely resembles the tonality of DD bass with more dynamic depth, Mids and treble  is even more sounds natural on Bravery but when its comes to clarity, detail retrieval and more vivid resolution,T800 will take a lead but at the cost of less organic sounding and less closer to intended sound reproduction as it more sound "digital" compare to analogueish warmth of Bravery. Technicalities on separation, imaging and soundstage are on par, but coherency is ahead better on Bravery.

Bravery approaches the musicality aspect while T800 is more of a monitor-like system.

To sum up this review on Audiosense T800, the big question is its relevance in the current state of more competitive audio market. Despite that this is an old model, Can it still slug out with newer competitors in the current range of US$300/£220?

For me I can safely say its an affirmative one for I believe that T800 has still a lot to offer that some other competitors has some lacking attributes to compare with. It is like an aged wine, the more it stays relevant in the audio market, the more that it is palatable to the audio connoisseurs.

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: AUDIOSENSE T80P

IMPEDANCE: 9Ω

SENSITIVITY: 90dB +/- 3dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 10Hz-22KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M

PIN TYPE: MMCX CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm

DRIVER UNITS: 8 KNOWLES Balanced Armature drivers on each side.

PROS:

- High quality 3D printed shell.

- Balanced tuning

- Impressive bass quantity

- Good detail retrieval

- Superb technicalities

- Well-implemented design cues inside of the IEM and using a choice Balance Armatures drivers from Knowles.

CONS:

- MMCX connector (subjective)

- Disernable upper peaks that occasionally gives off some hint of sibilance and tinny sound.

- Might be bulky to small-size ears.

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 *

P.S.

  I would like to thank Mr. Emmanuel Tapulayan for lending me his Audiosense T800 for a few days. May the audiophiles gods bless upon you, mate.