For whatever business the engineers of iBasso have taken, you can be sure that they will approach it very, very carefully. Not always, of course, this provides an ideal result, but recently the company is clearly at the peak of the form, releasing one successful product after another. It's time to look at their budget headphones, which received the IT01 index.
Even with IT03 iBasso showed that they know how to create effective solutions on someone else's field of headphones. To the budget model, the approach turned out to be even larger, judge for yourself: the five-micron thickness of the diaphragm from the multi-layered graphene, a powerful magnetic system with a force of almost 1 Tesla, a Gemgolz resonator to improve the LF and reduce standing waves on the RF ... And all this in headphones at a cost of about $ 100. If we add to this the delivery kit (I'm running a little ahead of time) and take into account the interests of distributors, it becomes unclear how this can be earned at all. Although, of course, this is not our problem? and the manufacturer is unlikely to work at a loss. By the way, against the background of the upcoming release of IT04 (while the date is not yet, but the headphones have already shown at the exhibitions), I suspect that in the "units" they run the future driver's low-end driver of the flagship model.
Specifications
- Emitter: 10 mm dynamic, with a diaphragm of multi-layer graphene
- Frequency range: 10 Hz to 42 kHz
- Sensitivity: 108 ± 2 dB
- Impedance: 16Ω
- Noise reduction: -26 dB
- Rated Power: 10mW
- Total harmonic distortion + noise: <1% @ (1 kHz, 1 mW)
- Cable: interchangeable with MMCX connectors, oxygen-free copper
- Plug: 3.5 mm
- Weight (without cable): 8 g
Packing and delivery kit
Even the box is surprised by the qualitative approach - an unusual color of a dust jacket, a pleasant polygraphy, an inner box with a magnetic valve - all this looks "more expensive than its price." Inside are the headphones, cable and a wide range of accessories:
- round metal storage container
- three sets of three pairs of different silicone attachments (sizes in the range), plus another pair, immediately put on headphones
- two pairs of foam nozzles
Very good container, replacing here the cover, outside it is metal, and inside is covered with soft material, which protects the headphones from possible damage.
Design and comfortable wearing
The headphones continue the vector of design set by their older brother IT03, but, fortunately, take into account and its shortcomings. The form still resembles "custom", but this time no protrusions resting from the inside into the auricle do. The headphone case is made of plastic, the outer part has the shape of a triangle with rounded edges, the inner one - tapers to a metallic sound, providing an excellent fit. I admit that someone IT01 may not sit down, but it must be the owner of quite unique ears.
The headphones are designed for breezing, to seat them with a cable down - it's unrealistic. Sound insulation is slightly better than average for form factor.
IT01 are available in two colors - radically black and blue-red, after a close acquaintance with the latter, I would perhaps recommend the classic color of the name of Henry Ford.
And, of course, what makes the strongest impression in this model is the wire. I already told you that iBasso can make wires, but of course, I did not expect that they will apply this kung fu in the budget model. The complete cable IT01 in appearance, characteristics and design is quite capable of competing with the "tops" of cable construction. It is made of copper purification 4N, a twisted construction is used with the ground divided to the plug itself. The weaving is not very dense, according to iBasso engineers, this improves the electrical characteristics of the wire. Very cool is the metal block of the splitter with the adjustment slider and the plug. The wire itself is very soft, does not harden in the cold and is not inclined to a microphone effect.
The model uses MMCX connectors, and I immediately say disconnecting them will be very difficult, although, perhaps, this should be considered a dignity.
Sound
The following equipment was used for listening.
- Yulong DA9 and Resonessence Labs Concero HP as DAC and Amplifier
- Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2016 as a source
- Fidelia as a player
- Lotoo PAW Gold, theBit OPUS # 2 and Astell & Kern A & ultima SP1000 and others as portable players
- High Definition Records in Lossless-formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others)
Before listening to the headphones were warmed for 96 hours. The developers recommend heating them for about 200 hours, but the actual changes in the sound stopped after about 10 hours, the rest I "warmed up" already sooner to clear the conscience.
Like many headphones, IT01 is very dependent on the landing and selection of attachments, varying the density of the insulation of the ear canal, their sound can be changed in very wide ranges. In general, as with IT03, with the landing of the younger model, it may be necessary to tinker, but, for my taste, the result is worth it. The total supply of "units" - a musical, with a properly designed V-shaped frequency response and a slightly accented bass.
LF headphones are raised, and the lift is not made in the midbass area, as is often done by other manufacturers, but comes from the very "depth", which adds bass more massiveness. Fortunately, the good high-speed characteristics of the IT01 emitters save them from stumbling into a murky sound, the bass here is perfectly textured and has a good separation, but sometimes still dominates the lower part of the MF due to physics, but this can be attributed to the nature of the model's supply.
In exact accordance with the perception curves of the sound of people, the MF is a little omitted (well, or rather the bass and the "top" are raised), but without excess. In some cases, you can blame for some lack of expressiveness in the lower part of the MF, due to the dominance of the bass, but this can be compensated for by the source without accentuation of LF. In the rest the middle here is good - detailed, with a fine resolution, without excess monitor dryness. The imaginary scene is slightly larger than the average in width and slightly less than the average in depth, but the separation of the plans succeeds perfectly to the headphones, as well as the positioning of the instruments.
HF is also a little accented, therefore, it's worth mentioning that the HF-fobs should skip this model, for my own taste, the "top" is just enough to compensate for the bassiness. The HF resolution is good, although not ideal, the attacks are well worked out, the attenuation is medium, but in general - everything is normal for its price category.
No matter how much one wants to do without comparisons, unfortunately, it will not work. Of course, I can not compare IT01 with all good models of this price segment, therefore only some of them are presented.
iBasso IT03 . In general, despite the difference in "level", the headphones are somewhat similar. If we discard the obvious difference in the resolution of the MF / HF caused by the emitters, then IT03 slightly accentuates the LF, offers less backward MF and more "layered" HF with better attack and attenuation.
Ostry KC09 . Everything is simple, the "bass" - with V-shaped AFC, "point" - darkened, so they have less than HF, and almost all the rest of the difference is based on this. Also 09 are slightly more merged on the MF and have fewer deep LFs.
Simgot EN700 Pro . Another model, the difference in perception of which is based on the HF and HF bands, the Pro version of 700-ki in this part of the range is softer that it will please the RF fobs. Plus Simgot in general is a bit "smoother", offering a feed with less analyticity.
FiiO F9 Pro . Of course, the usual version of the F9 would be closer in price, but the difference in general is not so great, and the "proshki" were closer in the box. FiiO hybrids are somewhere half way between 01 and 03: more detailed MF, slightly sharper HF, in general, the difference is quite obvious even with the technology.
Compatibility
Of course, using these headphones with different phones and tablets makes little sense (although in general, you can), they need to select a player, at least initially-mid-level, preferring models with a neutral sound (yes, even the same iBasso DX80 or Cayin N5-II).
Stylistically, the model is quite universal, naturally adjusted for personal tastes, although styles with "live" instruments work out especially well for it. Critical to the quality of the record, I would rate somewhere around 6 points out of 10.
Traditional sample tracks
Art Blakey - Moanin ' . Well, how not to start a list of examples for these headphones with good jazz? IT01 offer everything to immerse in the atmosphere of a jazz club: a warm base of bass, good accented high frequencies, a deep scene ... Add to this a quality record from Blue Note - and we'll get an expectably excellent result.
Karen Souza - Do You Really Want to Hurt Me . If to male vocals in IT01, if desired, you can find fault (although for this price - it's stupid), then they can do a feminine job perfectly, and this track serves that proof. A little extra warmth and extended HF serve as an easy seasoning, favorably shading "basic taste".
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black . Well and one more example of an excellent female vocal decorated with a deep line of shock, I think, nobody will surprise, that IT01 perfectly consult and in this case.
conclusions
Even if you do not listen to headphones, IT01 can be bought for the sake of one wire, jars and attachments, but iBasso managed to make a good sound (of course, not for everyone, but when was it different?). We can say that IT01 immediately became a bright event of the beginning of the year, I hope that the rest of the producers will not disappoint in 2018 and will please us with their developments.
The article is based on materials .
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