Review of Alpha & Delta AD01 IEMs. http://www.lendmeurears.com/alpha-delta/, also available on http://www.amazon.com/ALPHA-DELTA-Alpha-Delta-AD01/dp/B00Z2Y8DPS/?tag=vectron00-20
Anybody who is familiar with today's EDM music will recognize that a lot of big hits come from DJs/producers (Avicii, Zedd, Hardwell, David Guetta, Skrillex as well as old timers like Tiesto and AvB). The explanation of this phenomenon is very simple: DJs know exactly what works and what doesn't on the dance floor and how to create a hit. Lend Me UR Ears (LMURE) is a well known audio store specializing in sales of popular IEMs, and just like a DJ/producer - they know exactly what works and what doesn't when it comes to in-ear monitors and their sales and service. Maybe for some people it came as a surprise when LMURE announced their own line of IEMs (result of collaboration with some Chinese manufacturer), but I found it to be a logical step forward with an innovative modular design and a popular mainstream sound tuning. Were they able to deliver a hit with their "Alpha" release to make any noticeable "Delta" change within existing crowded headphone market? Let’s find out!
Starting with a packaging, it has a nice gift box style which reveals a jewelry-like setting of AD01 and some of the accessories once you flip open the top cover. Outside of the box on the cover you will only see a fancy "Alpha & Delta" print with "AD01" clear sticker in the corner which probably suggests there will be more IEM models released in the future housed in the same box. No other text, spec, or additional info was printed on the box, while inside I found a printed piece of paper with a list of accessories and other detailed info.
Beside a pair of IEMs and a detachable cable, among included accessories you will find 3 pairs of bi-flange eartips (S/M/L), 3 pairs of regular narrow bore eartips (S/M/L), 3 pairs of hybrid narrow bore eartips (S/M/L), a pair of medium foam eartips (not Comply), and one rather unique hard case with a detachable lanyard. Eartips are generic, and I think it would have been a good idea to also include a set with wide bore opening tips (more about it later). Case is really nice and slim, and large enough to fit IEMs and additional cable or extra eartips. I also like how it has two rubber bands on the sides preventing it from swinging fully open, but I do wish there was an inner mesh pocket to better organize things inside. With an extra room and metal shells, you don't want them to be banging and rubbing inside of the case, thus a mesh pocket can take care of this keeping them more secure.
Unboxing and accessories.
Now, here come design details. Starting with a cable, you have a very nice and sturdy 90deg gold plated headphone plug with a great strain relief. This connector has a slim body that should work even with rugged smartphone case, and a rubbery end cap for a secure grip. Cable itself has twisted high purity OFC wires with a shrink-wrapped rubbery shielding. Cable does contribute to some microphonics, and it's a bit springy and on a stiffer side with some memory effect. Cable management is not that bad and easy to wrap around for storage in a case. LMURE offers an alternative replacement cable with a clear shielding and an even higher purity OFC wires. I don't have it at the moment of writing the review, but will add my impression once I receive it, hoping it will be softer due to a different shielding.
Moving up to y-splitter which is metal with a small cylindrical shape and a nice strain relief on a common side; the splitter side would have benefited from a longer strain relief but it was intentionally designed without one to mate with a chin-slider. I was glad to see a nice chin-slider with some resistance as you slide it up. The connector part has a nice rubbery housing with a good grip and a nice strain relief. The chosen connector was a rare 2mm DC plug with a secure and tight fitment. To be honest, I like this connector a lot better than mmcx. The only problem is this being unique and uncommon when it comes to aftermarket replacement cables. LMURE already has one replacement cable, but it's still OFC rather than something with silver-plated wires or maybe with in-line remote for smartphone control. Hopefully more replacement cables will be offered in the future.
The only gripe I have with a cable is a hard to see L/R marking with slightly raised letters. Unless you are under a good light or bring them closer to your eyes, these are very hard to see. My suggestion is to add a little "bump" on the Left side so you can id L/R just by sliding a finger, a common solution used with other cables/IEMs. In case of AD01 the id of L/R sides is very important for a simple reason - a modular design with identical symmetrical shells.
Shells have a symmetrical design with no other way of telling which one are Left or Right. The whole point of this modular design is that in addition to replacement cable (if it breaks you get another cable instead of throwing IEMs away) you can also replace a single shell by buying another one, independent of designated side. LMURE sells a single replacement shell by itself. Even though the shell is made out of alloy material, probably aluminum, it's relatively lightweight and has a smooth olive-shape profile with one vent on the back and another one by the base of the nozzle. Overall fitment works and looks better with wire down, though it's possible to wear it wire up, and maybe use one of the common earhook guides for a better comfort. Personally, I wasn't too crazy about over-ear fitment. Also their design and fitment makes them stick out a bit from your ears, but it's a matter of personal taste. Btw, despite 2 vents, with a right selection of eartips AD01 offers a decent sound isolation with noticeable passive noise attenuation.
Design details.
Fitment.
So how do these dual dynamic (9.8mm and 6.0mm) drivers sound? From a frequency response of 10 Hz – 25 kHz you can already guess about their bass extension. And as a matter of fact, LMURE is very upfront and right on the money describing their sound signature as having "a strong punchy bass while maintaining an overall clarity in mids and treble". Out of the box, sound was a bit on a bright side but it has changed and finalized after about 60 hours of free-air burn in. Also, considering bass impact of these IEMs, narrow bore or foam tips won't do it justice since they will enhance low end further while tame down upper mids/treble. If you prefer a more L-shaped signature, the included tips should do the trick, but I wanted a more balanced sound and ended up using tips with a wider bore opening. As a matter of fact, these are also generic and came with some other IEMs. Bottom line: invest some time in tip rolling before you start judging a sound.
After hours of listening, I found AD01 to have a full body sound with a slightly V-shaped signature and a great low end impact with clear smooth upper frequencies. The tuning of the drivers is done in such way where despite a strong mid-bass punch you can still easily shift your focus from the bass to the mids/vocals and the treble without low end overpowering the frequency range or a sound being too harsh or too boomy, just smooth and clear without becoming too bright or too detailed in analytical way.
AD01 has an average width soundstage with above average depth. Separation/layering effect is better in instrumental/vocal tracks where there is no pounding 4x4 beat. In tracks with strong beats where mids-bass comes out in full swing, this effect is not as clearly defined due to sound becoming a bit congested.
In more details, low end has a great sub-bass extension with a nice supporting rumble underneath of a strong mid-bass punch. Thanks to a dual driver design it's well controlled and isolated without any bloat spilling into lowers mids. Mid-bass is not too fast or too slow, but rather more rounded and slightly laid back (not as aggressive).
Lower mids are on a thicker warmer side adding to a body of the sound and still keeping it in balance with upper mids. Upper mids are clear and smooth, pushed a bit back, but still with enough energy to bring details of vocals and other instruments into the focus. I actually like how uppers mids are pushed slightly back, giving a nice depth to a sound, especially smooth organic vocals.
Treble is smooth, crisp, and clear, not too far extended, and also slightly lower in quantity. A smooth nature of the treble, along with smooth clear upper mids, makes sound non-fatigue and great for extended listening.
Comparing to other IEMs, I actually started to appreciate AD01 even more after realizing how much I enjoy a smooth clarity of mids/treble without being too much in your face. In particular, I found:
AD01 vs IM50: IM50 low end has less impact with a little less sub-bass and not as much of mid-bass, leaner lower mids and a little more upfront upper mids. Treble is brighter and a little splashy (in relative comparison). Soundstage depth was similar but width is a little bit wider. AD01 is definitely warmer and smoother. Also in comparison, IM50 vocals sound dry.
AD01 vs CKR10: CKR10 sounds leaner with less sub-bass, faster mid-bass punch, leaner lower mids, more upfront and detailed upper mids, and better treble extension. I do like clarity of CKR10 upper mids/treble, but found AD01 bass to be tighter and with a much better impact.
AD01 vs A73/A71: Surprisingly, low end was tuned similarly between these two, though quantity/impact is a bit stronger in AD01. A73 lower mids are leaner and upper mids are brighter, as well as a bit more upfront and more detailed. Also, A73 has a better treble extension (thanks to BA drivers). It does felt like a similarly tuned low end dynamic driver, and the difference was primary in mids/treble where AD01 has another dynamic driver while A73 has BA driver. There are also similarities with A71, another dual dynamic IEM, but A71 bass has a little more mid-bass bloat and a little less clarity in upper mids (more veiled).
AD01 vs VSD3: VSD3 has less sub-bass, thinner-punchier mid-bass, leaner lower mids, brighter/harsher upper mids, and brighter treble with a better extension. AD01 stands out in here as being a lot smoother and easier on your ears for an extended listening period.
AD01 vs S5: S5 bass is very similar with a bit less sub-bass and a little weaker mid-bass punch. S5 also has slightly leaner lower mids, and more upfront upper mids that sound harsher; also treble is a little higher in quantity. In comparison, AD01 soundstage is more spacious and not as much in-your-head like S5.
Summary.
I think AD01 should adapt a marketing slogan of "for recovering bassheads who want to take their sound to the next step". Don't get me wrong, these IEMs are not a one trick pony, and they are fantastic for a range of EDM, Pop/Rock, and Hip Hop styles, but constant presence of the bass (mid-bass hump) might not be appropriate for instrumental or classical or any other type of music where you crave more analytical retrieval of details with expanded staging. LMURE did a great job with a modular design including capability to replace/purchase just a single earpiece and a replacement cable with a high quality short DC connector. But what impressed me the most was a dual driver design tuned to perfection with a full body smooth and clear sound, delivering a strong bass that punches with authority without overpowering the rest of a sound spectrum, and leaving enough headroom for a second dynamic driver to deliver clear smooth upper mids and well defined treble. Just be aware, you NEED to use a wide bore eartips to get to that sound signature. I will go even as far as saying, if you are listening to a lot of EDM and Club music and strong punchy bass is your thing, these IEMs are a must have to add to your collection.
Anybody who is familiar with today's EDM music will recognize that a lot of big hits come from DJs/producers (Avicii, Zedd, Hardwell, David Guetta, Skrillex as well as old timers like Tiesto and AvB). The explanation of this phenomenon is very simple: DJs know exactly what works and what doesn't on the dance floor and how to create a hit. Lend Me UR Ears (LMURE) is a well known audio store specializing in sales of popular IEMs, and just like a DJ/producer - they know exactly what works and what doesn't when it comes to in-ear monitors and their sales and service. Maybe for some people it came as a surprise when LMURE announced their own line of IEMs (result of collaboration with some Chinese manufacturer), but I found it to be a logical step forward with an innovative modular design and a popular mainstream sound tuning. Were they able to deliver a hit with their "Alpha" release to make any noticeable "Delta" change within existing crowded headphone market? Let’s find out!
Starting with a packaging, it has a nice gift box style which reveals a jewelry-like setting of AD01 and some of the accessories once you flip open the top cover. Outside of the box on the cover you will only see a fancy "Alpha & Delta" print with "AD01" clear sticker in the corner which probably suggests there will be more IEM models released in the future housed in the same box. No other text, spec, or additional info was printed on the box, while inside I found a printed piece of paper with a list of accessories and other detailed info.
Beside a pair of IEMs and a detachable cable, among included accessories you will find 3 pairs of bi-flange eartips (S/M/L), 3 pairs of regular narrow bore eartips (S/M/L), 3 pairs of hybrid narrow bore eartips (S/M/L), a pair of medium foam eartips (not Comply), and one rather unique hard case with a detachable lanyard. Eartips are generic, and I think it would have been a good idea to also include a set with wide bore opening tips (more about it later). Case is really nice and slim, and large enough to fit IEMs and additional cable or extra eartips. I also like how it has two rubber bands on the sides preventing it from swinging fully open, but I do wish there was an inner mesh pocket to better organize things inside. With an extra room and metal shells, you don't want them to be banging and rubbing inside of the case, thus a mesh pocket can take care of this keeping them more secure.
Unboxing and accessories.
Now, here come design details. Starting with a cable, you have a very nice and sturdy 90deg gold plated headphone plug with a great strain relief. This connector has a slim body that should work even with rugged smartphone case, and a rubbery end cap for a secure grip. Cable itself has twisted high purity OFC wires with a shrink-wrapped rubbery shielding. Cable does contribute to some microphonics, and it's a bit springy and on a stiffer side with some memory effect. Cable management is not that bad and easy to wrap around for storage in a case. LMURE offers an alternative replacement cable with a clear shielding and an even higher purity OFC wires. I don't have it at the moment of writing the review, but will add my impression once I receive it, hoping it will be softer due to a different shielding.
Moving up to y-splitter which is metal with a small cylindrical shape and a nice strain relief on a common side; the splitter side would have benefited from a longer strain relief but it was intentionally designed without one to mate with a chin-slider. I was glad to see a nice chin-slider with some resistance as you slide it up. The connector part has a nice rubbery housing with a good grip and a nice strain relief. The chosen connector was a rare 2mm DC plug with a secure and tight fitment. To be honest, I like this connector a lot better than mmcx. The only problem is this being unique and uncommon when it comes to aftermarket replacement cables. LMURE already has one replacement cable, but it's still OFC rather than something with silver-plated wires or maybe with in-line remote for smartphone control. Hopefully more replacement cables will be offered in the future.
The only gripe I have with a cable is a hard to see L/R marking with slightly raised letters. Unless you are under a good light or bring them closer to your eyes, these are very hard to see. My suggestion is to add a little "bump" on the Left side so you can id L/R just by sliding a finger, a common solution used with other cables/IEMs. In case of AD01 the id of L/R sides is very important for a simple reason - a modular design with identical symmetrical shells.
Shells have a symmetrical design with no other way of telling which one are Left or Right. The whole point of this modular design is that in addition to replacement cable (if it breaks you get another cable instead of throwing IEMs away) you can also replace a single shell by buying another one, independent of designated side. LMURE sells a single replacement shell by itself. Even though the shell is made out of alloy material, probably aluminum, it's relatively lightweight and has a smooth olive-shape profile with one vent on the back and another one by the base of the nozzle. Overall fitment works and looks better with wire down, though it's possible to wear it wire up, and maybe use one of the common earhook guides for a better comfort. Personally, I wasn't too crazy about over-ear fitment. Also their design and fitment makes them stick out a bit from your ears, but it's a matter of personal taste. Btw, despite 2 vents, with a right selection of eartips AD01 offers a decent sound isolation with noticeable passive noise attenuation.
Design details.
Fitment.
So how do these dual dynamic (9.8mm and 6.0mm) drivers sound? From a frequency response of 10 Hz – 25 kHz you can already guess about their bass extension. And as a matter of fact, LMURE is very upfront and right on the money describing their sound signature as having "a strong punchy bass while maintaining an overall clarity in mids and treble". Out of the box, sound was a bit on a bright side but it has changed and finalized after about 60 hours of free-air burn in. Also, considering bass impact of these IEMs, narrow bore or foam tips won't do it justice since they will enhance low end further while tame down upper mids/treble. If you prefer a more L-shaped signature, the included tips should do the trick, but I wanted a more balanced sound and ended up using tips with a wider bore opening. As a matter of fact, these are also generic and came with some other IEMs. Bottom line: invest some time in tip rolling before you start judging a sound.
After hours of listening, I found AD01 to have a full body sound with a slightly V-shaped signature and a great low end impact with clear smooth upper frequencies. The tuning of the drivers is done in such way where despite a strong mid-bass punch you can still easily shift your focus from the bass to the mids/vocals and the treble without low end overpowering the frequency range or a sound being too harsh or too boomy, just smooth and clear without becoming too bright or too detailed in analytical way.
AD01 has an average width soundstage with above average depth. Separation/layering effect is better in instrumental/vocal tracks where there is no pounding 4x4 beat. In tracks with strong beats where mids-bass comes out in full swing, this effect is not as clearly defined due to sound becoming a bit congested.
In more details, low end has a great sub-bass extension with a nice supporting rumble underneath of a strong mid-bass punch. Thanks to a dual driver design it's well controlled and isolated without any bloat spilling into lowers mids. Mid-bass is not too fast or too slow, but rather more rounded and slightly laid back (not as aggressive).
Lower mids are on a thicker warmer side adding to a body of the sound and still keeping it in balance with upper mids. Upper mids are clear and smooth, pushed a bit back, but still with enough energy to bring details of vocals and other instruments into the focus. I actually like how uppers mids are pushed slightly back, giving a nice depth to a sound, especially smooth organic vocals.
Treble is smooth, crisp, and clear, not too far extended, and also slightly lower in quantity. A smooth nature of the treble, along with smooth clear upper mids, makes sound non-fatigue and great for extended listening.
Comparing to other IEMs, I actually started to appreciate AD01 even more after realizing how much I enjoy a smooth clarity of mids/treble without being too much in your face. In particular, I found:
AD01 vs IM50: IM50 low end has less impact with a little less sub-bass and not as much of mid-bass, leaner lower mids and a little more upfront upper mids. Treble is brighter and a little splashy (in relative comparison). Soundstage depth was similar but width is a little bit wider. AD01 is definitely warmer and smoother. Also in comparison, IM50 vocals sound dry.
AD01 vs CKR10: CKR10 sounds leaner with less sub-bass, faster mid-bass punch, leaner lower mids, more upfront and detailed upper mids, and better treble extension. I do like clarity of CKR10 upper mids/treble, but found AD01 bass to be tighter and with a much better impact.
AD01 vs A73/A71: Surprisingly, low end was tuned similarly between these two, though quantity/impact is a bit stronger in AD01. A73 lower mids are leaner and upper mids are brighter, as well as a bit more upfront and more detailed. Also, A73 has a better treble extension (thanks to BA drivers). It does felt like a similarly tuned low end dynamic driver, and the difference was primary in mids/treble where AD01 has another dynamic driver while A73 has BA driver. There are also similarities with A71, another dual dynamic IEM, but A71 bass has a little more mid-bass bloat and a little less clarity in upper mids (more veiled).
AD01 vs VSD3: VSD3 has less sub-bass, thinner-punchier mid-bass, leaner lower mids, brighter/harsher upper mids, and brighter treble with a better extension. AD01 stands out in here as being a lot smoother and easier on your ears for an extended listening period.
AD01 vs S5: S5 bass is very similar with a bit less sub-bass and a little weaker mid-bass punch. S5 also has slightly leaner lower mids, and more upfront upper mids that sound harsher; also treble is a little higher in quantity. In comparison, AD01 soundstage is more spacious and not as much in-your-head like S5.
Summary.
I think AD01 should adapt a marketing slogan of "for recovering bassheads who want to take their sound to the next step". Don't get me wrong, these IEMs are not a one trick pony, and they are fantastic for a range of EDM, Pop/Rock, and Hip Hop styles, but constant presence of the bass (mid-bass hump) might not be appropriate for instrumental or classical or any other type of music where you crave more analytical retrieval of details with expanded staging. LMURE did a great job with a modular design including capability to replace/purchase just a single earpiece and a replacement cable with a high quality short DC connector. But what impressed me the most was a dual driver design tuned to perfection with a full body smooth and clear sound, delivering a strong bass that punches with authority without overpowering the rest of a sound spectrum, and leaving enough headroom for a second dynamic driver to deliver clear smooth upper mids and well defined treble. Just be aware, you NEED to use a wide bore eartips to get to that sound signature. I will go even as far as saying, if you are listening to a lot of EDM and Club music and strong punchy bass is your thing, these IEMs are a must have to add to your collection.
