After 1 year of using the Dunu Ares, I have that sudden urge to get another IEM. I believe this is what everyone calls "BBB" or "Buy Buy Buy Syndrome". Unable to succumb to the syndrome and looking for an IEM for use during National Service, I decided to go on a search on a new IEM. With my initial target being the Rock-it Sounds R-50, I decided to set my budget at around 200. With SITEX and Black Friday occuring at the same time, I was keeping an eye to watch for an offer for TripleFi 10 (which I have no problems with) or the Klipsch x10 (which had a black friday deal in the end). Also, during the SITEX period, the TDK BA200 and Brainwavz B2 (aka Fischer DBA-02) fell into the budget range so they are both in consideration.
I have actually intended to test 6 IEMs, namely TDK BA200, Brainwavz B2, UE700, VSonic GR07 MKII, Shure SE215 and Rockit Sounds R-50. However, UE700 is EOL so there isn't one to test. Brainwavz B2 is not available in the shop I go to as well so I auditioned the Fischer DBA-02 MKII instead, which should be pretty similar.
The TDK BA200 is something that doesn't wow on the first listen, so I took a longer time listening to this. The first thing I noticed is how great vocals sound on these. As a vocal lover I really liked how the BA200 renders vocals. The second thing I noticed is that the bass quantity is surprisingly large for a dual BA. While it is less than the Dunu Ares that I have, it is definitely more than the DBA-02 MKII I tested later. The next thing I noticed is how smooth the treble is. With my most treble heavy tracks "Only my Railgun" and "Level 5 -judgelight-" (both by fripSide), it handles both pretty well without any noticeable sibilance or harshness. While at that time I feel it is close to my preferred signature, I decided to keep it in view in the case I find something better.
DBA-02 MKII is a lot smaller than expected. While I was expecting it to be about as large as the BA200, it is actually smaller. Listening to it, I noticed that it really puts out a lot of detail, in fact slightly more than the BA200. Bass quantity is lower than that of BA200 but typical of a dual BA. The midrange is clean, and the treble is well extended. However it comes off as being too harsh for me when it comes to the more treble heavy tracks.
Shure SE215 is pretty chunky. Bass quantity is definitely greater than the BA200, being a consumer oriented dynamic driver IEM. Mids are less forward than the BA200, and comes across as being slightly less detailed. Treble is very smooth and non-fatiguing at all. However, listening to the Shure SE215, I decided that the bass quantity is a bit too much for me.
Rockit Sounds R-50 actually is very similar to the DBA-02 MKII, unsurprisingly since both use a TWFK dual BA driver. It has a less coloured signature, with slightly lower bass quantity compared to DBA-02 MKII and a crisper treble. However it also comes across as harsh to me in some tracks I listened to.
Finally I tried the VSonic GR07 MKII, which I also liked. Bass has good impact and is tight, though not as tight as a typical BA. Mids are clean and sweet and works on vocals pretty well. The treble harshness is reduced from the original GR07, coming into BA200 territory in delivering smooth treble. With myself impressed by the GR07 MKII, I end up having to make a tough choice between the BA200 and the GR07 MKII. I ended up choosing the BA200 and I did not regret it. More to come in the following review.
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