Disclaimer
Hey folks! As always, I want to keep everything clear and let you know that Letshuoer sent me the DX1 to check out. I’m not getting paid for this, and they haven’t asked me to say anything in particular, see at my notes, or set a deadline for publishing.
Everything you’ll read here comes from my own time with the DX1. I try to keep things as fair and objective as I can, but in the end it’s still my personal take, and everyone hears things a little differently, and that’s what’s fun about this hobby.
Big thanks to Letshuoer for the chance to try out the DX1, and an even bigger thanks to you for reading my review. Your support means a lot!
Introduction
Hey everyone! I’ve been following Letshuoer for a good while. Their S12 planar is a well known one, and yet somehow I never owned a set myself. Actually, I don’t have any of Letshuoer IEMs, but that changes today with the DX1 in my hands.
This one is a single dynamic driver (I’ve always felt single DD sets gives me the best vocals, and a small spoiler, this one really sings), made out of a full‑metal shell that feels very premium and pretty weighty in the hand. Add a price that isn’t cheap but also not so expensive for that it offers, and it’s hard not to get excited.
So let’s see together if my first Letshuoer lives up to my expectations of the company, and if the DX1 can compete in its price point of 159$.
Unboxing
The box shares the DX1’s whole vibe. The outer sleeve has the same hex pattern you see on the faceplates, so it looks very nice in my opinion, and you can also say that it gives a little preview of what’s inside. When I took that sleeve off, I was holding the box for a good couple of seconds before opening it up, just because it feels so nice. The coating of this box is so soft and nice to the touch, almost velvety.
After I have had enough of touching it, I open it up, and the DX1 sits up top in a foam cut-out, and under that sits the rest of the kit:
Metal carry case – round, sturdy, with a rubbery lid and a soft rubbery liner so the IEMs don’t get hit.
Detachable cable – silver-braided (from the inside, as the outside is rubbery), 2-pin; I’ll dive into the details in the specs section.
Three tip sets – white wide-bores, black and white narrow-bores, and a trio of TRI Clarion tips, which are nice.
And of course, paperwork.
Everything is presented nicely; it’s a thoughtful, premium-feeling unboxing that gives a positive impression right away.
Technical Specifications
Specs:
- Driver unit: 11 mm aluminum-magnesium alloy dynamic driver, diamond-pattern diaphragm
- Impedance: 30 Ω
- Sensitivity: 108 dB @ 1 mW
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 40 kHz
- Built-in filter: 5 kHz acoustic notch
- Shell material: high-gloss electroplated stainless steel
- Cable: 256-core silver-plated monocrystalline copper, detachable 0.78 mm 2-pin
- Termination: 3.5 mm single-ended or 4.4 mm balanced plug options
Driver configuration
Inside each shell there’s just one driver doing all the work: an 11 mm aluminum-magnesium dynamic. Letshuoer made the diaphragm in a diamond-style pattern, and in addition to that, it has a little 5 kHz notch filter. In theory, this design should reduce sharp spikes or resonance in the 5 kHz region.
Design & build
The DX1 is a tiny chunk of polished stainless steel that looks like a piece of jewelry. The steel body feels thick, weighty, and very solid, and it is definitely on the heavy side of things. The hex-pattern faceplate is another nice touch, which I really like.
Cable & connectivity
Letshuoer ships the DX1 with a 256-core silver-plated cable that actually feels pretty cheap but inside looks really nice, and it comes in 3.5mm or 4.4mm. It uses standard 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors, but they look cheap with this transparent design. Overall, it’s a nice cable, but I would expect more for this kind of IEM, as in my opinion it doesn’t really complement the DX1.
Sound Performance
Bass
I would definitely not call the DX1 a bass‑head’s dream, but it reaches low enough to keep me mostly satisfied. With a good seal (easy, because these shells are tiny and comfy), the sub‑bass goes deep for me and even rumbles at times. Let’s say, in “ENTROPYYY” by Lorn, it manages to get deep enough and with enough force to make me feel it. Push it that hard and you’ll feel the deep bass, but most of the time the bass sits in a neutral spot, clean, quick, and never stealing the spotlight from the mids or muddying them.
Mids
Here’s where the DX1 really shines. Vocals jump straight to the front row; male and female voices are clear, clean, and vibrant, you name it. “Valhalla Calling” and “Wake the White Wolf” by Miracle of Sound give me chills every time, and tracks like “The Horror and the Wild” (The Amazing Devil) or Patty Gurdy’s “The Longing” sound rich and intimate. There’s a tiny dip around 3 kHz where the ear normally gets a boost, but because the bass and treble stay so neutral, I barely notice it, because there is not much contrast there; it’s just neutral sounding. In “Akuma no Ko” by Ai Higuchi, her voice sounds so natural and lifelike, with no extra shine, just… right.
Treble
For a single DD with this type of tuning, the top end reaches surprisingly high. On Aphex Twin’s “#20” those airy, almost celestial tones come out clean and controlled, but I still feel like I miss some details up there compared to other IEMs. It’s not going to outperform a good multi-driver set, but it doesn’t disappoint me either. The extension feels mostly smooth and, again, nicely balanced with the rest of the tuning. If you are into vocals and just want a natural and smooth-sounding IEM with midrange focus, this one definitely does it.
Technicalities
Soundstage, separation, and imaging are solid. Forest Swords’ “Crow” spreads out each detail in its own space, easy to follow without sounding congested. On big orchestral pieces like “Retreat and Reveille” from Hans Zimmer, things can muffle up a bit, but honestly that’s not bad for a single DD at this price. Overall, the DX1 keeps complex tracks well presented, with better layering than I expect from a single-driver set in this bracket.
Comparison: Letshuoer DX1 vs. FiiO FD15 (149$)
Build & Fit: These two could be cousins. Both have full-metal shells with a similar teardrop shape and sit flush in my ears. Comfort is basically a tie. I can wear either for hours without any discomfort. The FD15 comes in at for $149, while the DX1 asks for $159, so price is also one of the similarities.
Tuning & Overall Flavor: If you look at both graphs, you’d see they follow each other pretty closely. The FD15, I would say, is a hair warmer: male vocals have a touch more body, and the upper mids/treble are smoothed out a bit better. The DX1, by contrast, keeps things leaner and vocals a bit more forward.
Vocals: Male vocals sound thicker on the FD15, while the DX1 pushes them slightly forward and presents them more clearly. That 3 kHz region gets a small lift on the FD15, so it fills in the dip I noticed on the DX1 and gives voices a little extra room to get more air and sound more upfront when they reach higher notes. The difference isn’t night‑and‑day, but if you are sensitive to that pinna gain region, you will notice it.
Which one? Honestly, it comes down to which aesthetic speaks to you first and second, the minor sound differences. Want a slightly warmer one with thicker vocals? Grab the FD15. Prefer a touch more bite and vocal clarity? The DX1’s your pick. Both punch well above their price and share an excellent build, so you are, without a doubt, choosing between two winners here.
Conclusion
After having the DX1 with me for a few weeks, I can sum it up pretty simply: it works for me, but there is a but. The shells feel solid and disappear in my ears, and that single dynamic driver gives me a very natural and midrange-focused tonality with pretty good technicalities. I still feel tough, like I miss a bit of both ends, yet vocals sound very nice and sit right up front, so it can definitely be called “a singer IEM”.
Is it the best at technicalities and tuning? No. When I throw complex tracks at it, things can sound a bit trampled. But for the price, I’m okay with that trade-off. What I get in return is an IEM that makes my vocal songs sound alive, looks and feels like a piece of jewelry in my hand, and is super comfortable.
Bottom line: if you love vocals and want a tough, good-looking IEM that you can grab and go, the Letshuoer DX1 is a “yes” from me. I’ve got pricier sets on the shelf, with different tunings, but the DX1 has something interesting in it, and that says a lot.
Pros
- Vocals are clear and up front.
- Full‑metal build feels very premium.
- Small shells fit comfortably for long sessions.
- Neutral tuning with surprisingly deep sub-bass when I get a good seal.
- Good technicalities for a single DD at this price.
- Nice accessory pack.
Cons
- Gets a bit congested on dense orchestral tracks.
- A slight dip around 3 kHz can thin some voices.
- Can sound boring for some people.
- Can’t really compete with a good multi-driver IEM in terms of technicalities.
