LAFITEAR LM4 – PALE AND STERILE

INTRODUCTION:

LAFITEAR, based in China is a newly established brand which has released quite a number of products namely the previously reviewed LM3. Though they need noticeable improvement in the sonic aspect, today in our hand is the LAFITEAR LM4 and in this review let’s check out how these fares against the competitors now.

LAFITEAR LM4 SPECIFICATIONS:

Driver: 10mm Single Dynamic Driver with a Titanium Crystal Diaphragm

Frequency Response: 20Hz~20kHz

Impedance: 20Ω

Sensitivity: 115dB

LAFITEAR LM4 OVERVIEW:

LM4 is equipped with a single 10mm Dynamic Driver that has the titanium crystal diaphragm unit which is pretty rare to see in an ultra-budget in ear monitor. The shell is completely made out of resin that comes with a SPC cable as a stock addition. The package feels pretty good for the price with additional silicone ear tips for attaining a secure and isolated fit.

LAFITEAR LM4 SOUND ANALYSIS:

LM4 has a V shaped signature that comes with an elevated bass and treble experience. The tone suffers in the LM4 where it sounds anemic and artificial which affects the whole presentation. The technical aspects are average making them appear non existent in the market competition.

BASS PROFILE:

1. LM4 has a huge quantity of bass that makes even the bass heads nod their head while listening to their favorite tracks.
2. Though the quantity is on the high side, the quality is pretty average with poor control and separation.
3. The distinct separation between the sub and mid bass presence is not seen here making them sound more claustrophobic and monotonous.
4. They do lack the slam which made them appear looser and weightless.

MID SECTION:

1. The whole presentation feels pretty forward making them appear more engaging and concentrated. The recession in the mid section can be evidently seen led the instruments to take the back seat.
2. The lower mid section sounds slightly thinner due to the lack of slam from the mid bass section. This ultimately led to weaker male notes.
3. The upper mid section shows elevated presence allowing the sharper notes to come out with nice presence.
4. The elevated upper mid presence does affect the female vocals where they sound more shrill and thinner.

TREBLE SECTION:

1. The elevated treble presence is clearly seen allowing the presentation to gain enough brightness to make them appear vivid enough.
2. The percussion instruments get adequate attention allowing them to shine throughout the presentation.
3. The decay and attack however gets messed up here with improper timing of it.
4. Additionally the artificial timbre made the presentation appear anemic and coloured.
5. They do stand on the borderline sibilance which might provide the sensation to those who are treble sensitive.

TECHNICALITIES:

TONE AND TIMBRE: Being an in-ear monitor with a single dynamic driver, the anemic (artificial and unnatural) tone and timbre made this a whole mess! They don’t add any natural presence to the presentation.

STAGING AND IMAGING: LM4 has that intimate presentation type which made the stage pretty intimate with a slight claustrophobic feel due to that poor track separation. The imaging feels moderate with more or less precise placement of the notes.

The layering is poor with not so precise differentiation between different note depths which made the presentation lacking smooth transition between the channels and 3D representation.

DETAIL RETRIEVAL AND RESOLUTION: Though there is a noticeable elevation in the treble section, it nowhere helped in the detail retrieval. The resolution is poor while only retrieving the essential element out of the track.

LAFITEAR LM4 VERDICT:

LAFITEAR LM4, an ultra budget offering is a PALE AND STERILE package that nowhere competes with the competitors. The equipped single dynamic driver does a good job in terms of general sound while it does the worst job in terms of tone and timbre. LM4 is made out of medical grade resin that does provide adequate seal and comfort to the user. The stock cable is an SPC one with a type C connector and a 3.5 mm termination.

LM4 delivers a usual V shaped signature that has an elevated bass response along with an extended treble response with a noticeable recessed mid section. Though the bass has enormous quantity, the quality appears inferior where it lacks the slam and control. This made the bass appear less separated and loose. 

The mid section shows noticeable recession that delivers an intimate presentation. The lower midsection and upper mid section both sound thinner and lack the note weight. The added unnatural tone made the presentation appear even more artificial. The lack of note weight led to lushness free presentation.

The extended treble section does help in delivering the adequate brightness making the presentation sound vivid enough. The timbre feels anemic which makes the percussion instruments sound artificial. The extension led the LM4 to set up itself on the borderline sibilance, yet it doesn’t affect much.

The LAFITEAR LM4, is a PALE AND STERILE package in the crowd. The LM4, amidst the design, needs plenty more improvements in the sonic arena.

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES:

POSITIVES:

1. V Shaped Dynamic Profile
2. Design and Fit

NEGATIVES:

1. Poor Technicalities
2. Metallic Tone and Timbre