Headphones, which I want to talk about today, have no analogues in the world, and in this case it is not just a beautiful figure of speech. Intra channel monitors made with the use of 6 emitters in each earpiece, 2 of them - dynamic, and 4 - with a balanced anchor (rebar). In addition, the headphones are made in an unusual for IEM open design, and also have the function of adjusting the bass.
I have already talked about Lear in the review of their great LUF-4 headphones, so I won’t repeat myself, you can reread the previous review. In short, the company has experience in producing IEM, so the ambitious idea with BD4.2 was implemented by them very successfully. The fact is that this flagship model uses an unexpected circuit with two dynamic emitters and a special acoustic low-pass filter. Traditionally, the “armature” provide medium and high frequencies with the necessary detail and clarity, and dynamic emitters - an energetic shock bass. But Lear innovations were not limited to an unusual choice of emitters.
BD4.2 uses four separate sound guides: two for bass, one for medium and one for high frequencies, while the last two have metal tubes inside that remove the unwanted sound resonance with the acrylic body. Emitters for bass made without this, because the bass is not subject to this problem. This design, firstly, allows you to avoid unpredictable interference of sound waves, and secondly, if desired, allows users to customize the sound using acoustic filters.
Also BD4.2 will please the customer with the ability to change the amount of bass using a special knob in their back end. With a simple twist of a complete screwdriver, you can turn the BD4.2 into a neutral monitor solution, as well as into incredibly bass headphones that will satisfy the most avid bassheads. Of course, there are lots of intermediate options.
Order BD4.2 can be both in a universal case, and in the form of "custom", that is, headphones, cast on the cast of your ear. The last option is $ 140 more expensive than the already very expensive universal option (the price is very tangible 1260 dollars), but it is clearly preferable, as the ideal sound insulation and fit for these headphones are very important to achieve maximum sound quality.
Of course, with such a price tag BD4.2, the segment is absolutely top-end solutions, few other headphones can compare with them in price. This is the choice of those who want to get an uncompromising decision and are ready to give any money for it. What does Lear offer in return?
Specifications
- Impedance: 8Ω - 33Ω @ 1 kHz
- Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20 KHz
- Emitters: 2 dynamic, 4 reinforcing in each earpiece
- Crossover: Passive
- Cable: removable, balanced, 1.3 m
Package and Delivery
BD4.2 immediately give the impression of a very expensive device (otherwise they cannot be otherwise). A stylish black box made of thick cardboard with silver embossed hides the inner case. In its role acts shock-resistant plastic PelicanCase, reliably protecting headphones from damage. Also included was a place for a velvety cover with puffs, microfiber cloths for wiping headphones, a small screwdriver for adjusting bass, a brush with a eyelet for cleaning and a large assortment of tips. They put a lot of the last ones in the kit, since it is more difficult to fit the headset in the universal case, and various attachments affect the sound differently. Included with BD4.2 you will receive the following nozzles:
- Three-flange silicone . They are a reference option recommended by Lear, if your ears allow them to land deeply.
- Two-flange silicone . Neutral balanced sound.
- Single-flange silicone in several sizes. Bright sound, rich HF.
- Foam tapered . Neutral warm sound
- Foam rounded . Warm and dark sound with an emphasis on the woofer.
Individual kind words deserve complete cable. This is Lear’s proprietary cable made of silver-plated copper. In English, it is called "tinsel wire", and the literal translation of "tinsel" is quite suitable for him. The wire is very light and soft, but at the same time durable and not prone to tangling and microphone effect. The special coating protects it from oxidation and discoloration, ensuring that your cable always remains silver-shiny. The part immediately adjacent to the connectors is made with a memory effect, which allows you to create convenient "ears".
Design and wearing comfort
Since BD4.2 exist in the universal and custom versions, they are made of transparent acrylic. Workmanship - at the highest level, there is no trace of poor-quality casting or errors. Developers offer a wide selection of colors, as well as for the extra money they can make the outside of headphones (so-called faceplates) made of carbon, denim, wood and many other materials. This option is called True Texture and looks just fine. BD4.2, which were on my review, are made in the "default" version of transparent dark gray acrylic, on the outside - the golden logo of the manufacturer.
In such headphones, a transparent case is the same design element as, for example, special windows in a Swiss watch. It is interesting to consider a very complex internal device BD4.2 - inside there are many emitters, sound guides and elements of a crossover, it turns out that this is an ornament for an avid gadget.
Headphones are quite large, because there are a lot of things inside, so making them smaller in volume is just physically difficult. Lear rightly decided that it was necessary to ensure a good fit, and made the headphones relatively small in size. The entire volume was achieved due to the increase in the thickness of the monitors, they are quite noticeable protruding from the ears, but this is the case when it does not work out otherwise.
With proper selection of nozzles, headphones are worn very comfortably, even long-term listening does not cause problems. Despite the presence of a ventilation hole in the back of the BD4.2, next to the bass control, the sound insulation is at a very good level.
Sound
The following equipment was used for listening:
- Resonessense Labs Concero HP as a DAC and headphone amplifier;
- Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2013 as a source;
- Audirvana Plus 2.0.1 as a player;
- HiFiMan 901 and Fiio X5 as portable players;
- VSonic Gr01 and HiFiMan Re600 as a headphone for comparison;
- High-resolution recordings in Lossless-formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others).
It should be borne in mind that when describing the sound of these headphones, I “nagged” them more than usual, since the high price simply obliges them to be better than models 2 and more times cheaper. All that I have said below is more a feature of their sound than of flaws. In the development of BD4.2 (by the way, this is not the first revision), as in many products of this level, the masters tried to achieve not only incredible quality, but also to show their vision. I can say that they succeeded: the headphones sound very high quality, but at the same time have a unique sound handwriting.
The main condition for obtaining one hundred percent return from BD4.2 is to ensure their proper fit with complete isolation. You will be able to “identify” the desired fit by the vacuum, which will be obtained when you try to get the headphones. Simply put, headphones should be delivered with a smacking sound. Do not be afraid to experiment with incomplete nozzles, I heard good reviews about the sound of headphones with hybrid nozzles (silicone with foam rubber under it), but the real field for experiments is much more. The second option is to simply order BD4.2 in a custom version, immediately devoid of these problems.
Thanks to my friends I can publish metering charts Lear BD 4.2. The three upper plots are the frequency response in different positions of the low frequency controller, the two lower plots are the impedance at the extreme positions of the controller.
I found for myself the optimal sound using three-flange nozzles.
The bass slider used in BD4.2 is surprising in its performance. The tuning of the low frequencies is carried out in the range up to 1 KHz (mostly, of course, much lower) and allows you to adjust the level of low frequencies in the range up to 24 dB. In the minimum position you get MF and HF with a minimum amount of bass, achieving a near-monitor sound. This is not an option for me, but sometimes it sounds very interesting, for example, on vocal compositions or on recordings of small string ensembles. In the maximum position, you get the dream of a bass lover: two dynamic emitters with a proprietary acoustic filter are capable of giving so many low frequencies that it does not seem like much to anyone.
After experimenting with the bass adjuster, I left it at the 8 o'clock position, and it gave me the next sound.
The bass is very percussive, it is felt that two dynamic drivers rock a considerable amount of air, giving it out in the form of an articulated and assembled bass. Some recordings, for example, Japanese drummers from Ondekoza, sound quite enticing, no other earphone inserts could create such a clear picture of the sound of various drums before. Of course, pure reinforcement headphones benefit a little in terms of low-frequency resolution, but they lack the power and musicality of the bass very much, so I think that hybrid headphones still benefit in overall bass perception, and BD4.2 bypasses everything I heard.
Midrange - also at the level. The slightest nuances of music and voice overtone are transmitted very well. The main thing in the midrange in BD4.2 is to find the position of the bass adjuster that suits you, and they will reveal all the details: the rustles of the music stands with notes, the creak of chairs, fingers touching the strings and much more. The tools are well separated, well positioned in space, their character is transmitted with the necessary accuracy.
The upper frequencies - detailed, clearly delineated, will definitely not have to complain about their lack, there may be even a lot of them in poorly recorded tracks, which can cause sibilants. But if your audio material is of decent quality, then you will not have to be dissatisfied with HF: headphones play out the slightest aftertaste, attenuation and light air notes at the excellent level. Compositions are simply filled with air. If you like a darker flow - an acoustic filter or resistor will allow you to mute the high-frequency to the desired amount.
BD4.2 does a very good job of conveying volume: the spatial positioning of objects is clear, and the groups whose music is filled with special effects (for example, Yello and Enigma) sound great.
Naturally, the headphones are genrely universal, without any problems, they will transmit any music: from energetic metal to light chamber ensemble. In some cases, you can use the bass adjustment function, but for me personally, a comfortable position for 8 hours is universal and suitable for everything.
Compatibility
Headphones are not designed for use with low-quality sources and recordings of poor quality. All the flaws of the material will be submitted to you with maximum frankness and directness. But, in general, buying headphones for the money - it is clearly worth taking care of purchasing a good player or DAC with an amplifier. Headphones are extremely shown sources with low output impedance (less than 1Ω), otherwise the number of treble will decrease (although this can be used if desired to get a softer sound).
Concero HP from Resonessense Labs showed itself at the height, proving once again that it is ideal for a variety of IEMs.
findings
As befits a true flagship, the Lear BD4.2 is expensive, made with high quality, plays very well and pleases the user with innovation. These are headphones that can hardly bore you with their sound: even if the normal sound is boring, you can use the bass control, other attachments, acoustic filters in the sound guides, and even connect them through a resistor to get a different character.
The article is based on materials .
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