Roseselsa Aurora Ultra Review

Intro 

Today I have with me the Roseselsa Aurora Ultra from Roseselsa Audio (formerly Rose Technics) and I have to say, nice work Roseselsa! The Aurora Ultra is actually a 1+1 hybrid iem consisting of one dynamic driver and one micro planar driver and the awesome thing is that it comes in at under $50! Yes, this is where we all stop what we’re doing and start paying attention. To have a DD/PL hybrid at this cost is quite surprising folks. I actually just reviewed the QOA Mimosa (Mimosa Review) a little while back which has the same configuration (different drivers) and it’s over double the cost. I have to tip my cap to Roseselsa on this one folks. Usually, I write my intro long before I receive a product, but this one came as a surprise to an extent. So, I’ve actually had the time to listen, burn-in, and get my tips right too. Let’s just put it this way… the Aurora Ultra is an absolute BALLER of a set for this cost!

Roseselsa 

As I said, Roseselsa actually used to be Rose Technics. I have zero idea why they did the name change; I liked Rose Technics. However, Roseselsa does have a ring to it. It rolls off the tongue nicely. Anyways, Roseselsa was actually established 10 years ago! Folks, once you’ve been in this game for over a decade, I think we can establish that you are at least some sort of a success story. 2015! I don’t know about you, but I feel that just about every product put to market from Roseselsa supersedes the expectations of reviewers. Now, I don’t know how successful Roseselsa is at actual sales, but they should be quite good if product reviews dictated sales. Those who listen to products everyday are consistently saying that Roseselsa’s products are of high quality, including me. Below are some of my reviews from the brand. 

Reviews… 

So, I’ve actually reviewed a handful of Roseselsa’s products, and I’ve only decided to not review one. That’s a pretty awesome average. My reviewing of their products started with the awesome Rose Technics QT9 MK2S (QT9 MK2S Review). Still a fantastic set by today’s standards. If you can find a set, buy them. Next, I reviewed the Rose Technics QuietSea (QuietSea Review) which is easily top ten iems under $50 for a balanced neutral sound. Then I reviewed the Rose Technics QT9 Mk3 (QT9 MK3 Review). Friends, here me when I say that the QT9 MK3 is a legitimate top tier set within its price point if you like highly detailed neutral/bright and wonderfully detailed iems. Shortly after I was able to get my hands on the Rose Technics Star City 5 Pro (Star City 5 Pro Review) which is a drastically underrated and unsung set of earphones. Again, just pick a set up and thank me later. Lastly, I reviewed the Roseselsa RS9039 (RS9039 Review) which is a very capable budget dongle dac that has some slightly warm and rich timbre and has a ton of power under the hood for the cost. I also have the Roseselsa Distant Mountain Review coming soon. The point of all of this is not to pay myself on the back for all the reviews. The point is to hopefully give this brand a shout-out for one-after-the-other making solid product after solid product. They’ve formed a track record with me and I’m very confident in Roseselsa’s ability. 

Competition 

As always, the biggest issue with the Aurora Ultra are the iems which it is priced around. This is always a problem, for every set at every price point. Hence, why I put some sort of paragraph together in every review intro speaking on competition. Just like every other set the Aurora Ultra has a bunch of extremely well done, well made, well-tuned iems that it fights against. Sets like the IvipQ IQ-14 Shanhai (Shanhai Review), the Kefine Klean (Klean Review), the KZ Zenith (Zenith Review), the EPZ Q5 Pro (Q5 Pro Review), EPZ Q5 (Q5 Review), the EPZ Q1 Pro (Q1 Pro Review), the Truthear Zero 2, the Simgot EW200 (EW200 Review), and the list goes on folks. You could realistically add about twenty more iems to that list and also sorry if I didn’t type out your favorites. At any rate, the sea of iems which floods the market are a constant issue for any iem maker. These brands need to realize that they really do have to bring their “A” game if they want to succeed. So, I’d say the Aurora Ultra has an uphill climb, but I can tell you right now this set has a solid fighting chance. Okay folks, it’s time for critical listening now. Looks like I’ll be seeing you all in about two weeks. So, without further ado… the Roseselsa Aurora Ultra… 

Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:

–HiFiGo

–Amazon US (HiFiGo) 

Aurora Ultra Pros

-Build Quality is nice

-The design/aesthetic is fantastic 

-Extremely lightweight and very comfortable

-Best unboxing for its price point

-Like other Roseselsa iems it comes with the RZ200M dongle dac

-Great for smaller ears

-Smooth sonics, organic timbre, fluid sound

-Big, heavy, and fun bass replay

-Midrange has nice weight, very clean

-The treble is very nice

-Clean and clear vocals, very nice

-Nice stage depth and even some layering

-Imaging is better than I expected 

Aurora Ultra Cons

-Fit may be a problem for some (shorter nozzles) 

-Average detail retrieval (not really a con) 

-Nothing else for $43

Gear used for testing 

–Shanling UP6

–Shanling UA6 

–Ifi Go Blu 

–EPZ TP50  

–Shanling H0 

–Fiio JM21 

–IBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2 

–Shanling M6 Ultra 

–Fiio Q15

Packaging / Accessories 

Unboxing 

Folks, I am just going to come out and say it; the Roseselsa Aurora Ultra’s unboxing is easily the best that you’ll find under $50. Flat-out and hands-down the BEST! Having said that, it isn’t a large package, and it isn’t the most ornate. It’s what’s included in the package which really makes this one to remember. So, the box which arrived at my home is a smaller white box with a picture of the Aurora Ultra on the cover, some stats and specs on the back. Once you get inside the box, you’ll be met with the enormous carrying case. Inside of the carrying case you’ll immediately see the Aurora Ultra earphones. Under those you’ll find the cable, the RZ200M 3.5 dongle dac, as well as the eartips. However, you’ll also receive a small black box which holds four liquid silicone “SoundCacoon” eartips. I realize I went through this really quickly, but I don’t want to spoil everything for anyone wanting to purchase the Aurora Ultra. Truly a wonderful unboxing and way more than I expected for this cost. 

Eartips 

Roseselsa really goes above and beyond with all the eartips they provide. I think that all of the eartips are of great quality too. You’ll notice they provided three pairs (S, M, L) of light blue silicone eartips which come with a wide bore and are actually decent eartips. I could see myself using them with some sets. I like them alot because the flange is pretty firm. Definitely solid tips. However, they aren’t perfect for me when wearing the Aurora Ultra. I simply couldn’t get a good seal due to the shorter nozzles. The next set of eartips is really cool though. Roseselsa provides a cool little black box and when you open that little black box, you’ll see four pairs (S, M, L, L) of Roseselsa’s proprietary SoundCacoon liquid silicone eartips. Folks, I love these eartips. They are very similar to the Hiby WG01 eartips. I love how sticky they are and how awesome they are for my ears to get a good seal. Of course, I absolutely used these tips while doing all critical listening with the Aurora Ultra. I feel that Roseselsa is very generous with the eartips they provide. Very nice. 

Carrying Case 

This brings us to the carrying case that Roseselsa added to the package. Friends, this thing is absolutely awesome. One of the best cases I’ve used, without a doubt. Why in the world Roseselsa added this case with a $45 set of earphones is beyond me. It should be with a $450 set of earphones. At any rate, the carrying case provided is a huge black case with an almost rubbery feel on the outside. The case opens like a book and has a very strong magnet holding the case closed. What I live about this case is the actual size and obvious protection that it gives to my iems. I also love the size. Now, I would never be able to out this case in my pocket but it’s perfect for throwing into a bag or backpack. The actual size itself is fantastic as I can fit the Aurora Ultra, the cable, all of the eartips, any dongle dac, and maybe even another set of earphones. It’s just a very nice case which seems like it’s much better than the price point would indicate. 

RZ200M Dongle Dac

One of the usual inclusions within a Roseselsa package is the Roseselsa RZ200M dongle dac. It’s actually a very nice thing to include within the packaging. By this point I have roughly four of them, but they actually sound very nice for more sensitive earphones. In fact, the Aurora Ultra sounds great attached. I feel it’s a nice and easy to carry dongle dac that will provide some decent sound when out and about. Obviously, the RZ200M isn’t going to give you the best sonics on planet earth, not bad either. However, name another brand providing not just the earphones, but also a way to listen to those earphones? It’s a nice addition folks. Also, for my purposes I use the RZ200M all the time in reviews just to see how well some earphones play on weaker sources. Very nice. 

Cable

The cable provided is actually a very nice wire. Once again, I am somewhat surprised at the accessories given and the cable is a good reason for that. At any rate, the cable included in the package is a black 3.5 single ended 2-pin cable made of 5N OCC copper and covered in fabric. It really is a nice 3.5 cable. I feel that the only good reason to cable swap would be if you need a 4.4 or 2.5 balanced cable for your sources. For my purposes I actually did have to swap as I listen mainly on 4.4 balanced. The cable I went with was actually a white 4.4 balanced cable that came with one of the Hidizs sets. I liked it because it is very lightweight and doesn’t pull the Aurora Ultra out of my ears. That said, I want to make one thing clear, the cable provided is a very nice 3.5 se cable and there really isn’t any good reason to swap out cables. I think this was a very nice addition. Not only does the included cable sound nice, but it also looks very nice too. 

Build / Design / Internals / Fit 

Build Quality 

The Roseselsa Aurora Ultra is a decently well-built iem. The Shells are actually made of a plastic resin and are completely transparent. However, the faceplates are made of metal-alloy and really do complete the look. However, it also adds some durability to the Aurora Ultra’s frame. I happen to adore the build of this set and feel that while it isn’t “built like a tank” like so many sets we see, it is built very precisely. I love the ergonomic shape of this iem as well as the small size of them. When I say they are featherlight, I mean they are absolutely featherlight. This set is so very light, so ergonomic. They honestly sit perfectly in my ears. Though I will say, the nozzles are not long at all, and this could pose a fitment problem for some people. This is why using the slightly longer SoundCacoon eartips worked best for me. I need a slightly longer eartips for a good seal with this set. So that’s something to consider. However, in the end the Aurora Ultra has a nice build. Again, not built like a tank, but built with function and comfort in mind. 

Design

Now, the design of the Aurora Ultra is in my opinion one of the classiest and simplest designs that I’ve seen in quite some time. I love the aesthetic of this set. Roseselsa knows that they don’t have to add some amazingly adorned and ornate styling to look good. People like simple sometimes. Just a very minimalist design. On the HiFiGo website it states that you can order the Aurora Ultra in three colorways. Those being “Silver”, “Iron Grey”, and “Sky Blue”. Obviously, my set is the Sky-Blue colorway, and I happen to think it looks pretty dope. There’s something so nice about the faceplate design too. Add to that the transparent housing and it’s a clear winner (pun intended, #DadJokes). Seriously though, Roseselsa made something simple and easy, and they didn’t have to spend a fortune or up the price to create something nice to look at. Once you put that black fabric cable on this set it looks even better. Really a nicely crafted set. 

Internals

Like I said earlier, the Aurora Ultra is actually a two-driver hybrid iem which consists of one dynamic driver and one micro-planar driver. I found this to be great for such a low cost. As I said, I just reviewed the QOA Mimosa which features a similar driver configuration, and it cost over twice the cost of this set. At any rate, to be exact, the Aurora Ultra has one 10mm topology dynamic driver which features a 3rd generation topology diaphragm made with anno-materials and what Roseselsa calls an “optimized microstructure” which utilizes rare earth magnets. Next, the micro-planar is a 6mm ultra-linear driver which I’m assuming delivers the ultra-highs. I’m not entirely for sure but that’s usually the use case. I will edit this when I know for sure. Now, I will say this… it’s obvious that the drivers used are of good quality. I don’t detect any loss of fidelity at high volumes and in fact, I found the Aurora Ultra sounds better when pushed. The drivers are nice folks. 

Fit / Comfort 

The Aurora Ultra has such a distinct shape which fits perfectly within the ear. It has a hard angle inward which helps it to curl right inside. The ergonomics are great. Though, just because this sets fits my ears doesn’t mean they will fit yours. They are very small, very light, feels like nothing at all in the ear. I find the Aurora Ultra to be one of the more comfortable iems out this year. 

Drivability / Pairings 

Output Power 

The Roseselsa Aurora Ultra is rated with an impedance of 30 ohms and a sensitivity of 115 db’s. Translation: Super easy to drive. No doubt about it. I can use just about anything in my arsenal to drive this set to proper volume and dynamics. I mean, Roseselsa even provides a small 3.5 single ended dongle dac, the RZ200M and the Aurora Ultra sounds very nice attached. Folks, I used the Aurora Ultra at length with the KZ AZ20, the KZ AN01, the FIIO UTWS5, many 3.5 dongle dacs, my iPad, two different old Android phones and on each device the Aurora Ultra sounded very nice and had plenty of volume along with nice dynamism. No doubt the Aurora Ultra is a very easy set to drive properly. Now, I do notice that it also scales to a degree with more power. Most definitely the treble tightens up a hair with even the 150mW EPZ TP35. You should notice a slightly cleaner sound with a touch more juice. I’m talking a decent Dongle Dac. It doesn’t have to be some $400 device. Obviously, with my more expensive sources the Aurora Ultra sounded even better but that’s to be expected. This is a very promising set which can be used with just about anything. 

Sonic Pairings 

To my ears the Roseselsa Aurora Ultra has a neutral to warm/neutral tonal coloration which just so happens to be the sweet spot for being able to play nice with many different source tonalities. The only sources which gave me problems and didn’t agree with me as much were brighter sources. Devices like the Fiio KA3 (for example) made the treble too tinny, too tizzy, and even slightly metallic. There’re a couple others which I didn’t like as much but for the most part just about every device I have sounded great. A couple of my warmer Burr Brown dac/amps came across a hair too warm making the bass sound a bit too stuffy but that wasn’t all the time. For me it was the brighter sources which sounded worse. The upper treble on the Aurora Ultra is boosted a hair and the brighter sources tended to emphasize those upper portions of the treble. 

What do you need? 

Like I said, try to find a decent Dongle Dac at the least. It doesn’t have to have a 4.4 balanced port either. The Aurora Ultra sounds just fine on any 3.5 single ended dongle dac. In fact, if you are okay with it, just use the RZ200M that comes with the Aurora Ultra, it sounds very nice. However, if you want to scale the sound a hair more than using 4.4 balanced on a decently powerful dongle dac will take things up a notch and tighten certain areas of the spectrum.

Sound Impressions 

*Note: before I dive into the sound quality of the Aurora Ultra I’d like to add a few notes. First off, like any set I did burn-in the Aurora Ultra for about 3 full days. I honestly have zero idea if this helped or not. I really didn’t get a solid gage on the sound prior to burn-in. Also, I listen almost entirely with flac or better files which are stored on my devices. The Android music players of my choice are UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro) and Hiby Music Player at times too. 

What’s it sound like? 

To my ears the Roseselsa Aurora Ultra has a definite warmth which covers an otherwise neutral sound. So, warm/neutral. Most definitely the bass is boosted, big, and basically pregnant with mid-bass fullness. Without question this adds some smooth warmth to the sound. However, you also have a decently boosted treble as well. I’d probably call this set U-shaped if anything. There’s a touch of recession in the midrange, but I seriously don’t feel the recession is anything that feels too pushed back into the sound field. I say that because the mids do have some solid energy, and dynamics along with decent presence and clarity. To me the Aurora Ultra is a smoother character though you’ll definitely hear some treble infused crispness. The Aurora Ultra is just a hair bass heavy on the left side, but it really isn’t far off from a balanced sound. No doubt there is certainly some warm tonal coloration which provides some nice note weight as well as that smoothness I was referring too. In my opinion the Aurora Ultra is a musicality-first iem that is meant for fun, somewhat guilty pleasure, but also a clean enough sound that technicalities aren’t lost. 

Musical

Now that I’ve said that I should also inform you that the Aurora Ultra does not have an analytical tuning. I’m sure many of you have already gathered that, but for those who desire that ultra clean, airy, open, clinically separated, and highly detailed sound, they won’t entirely get that here. I did say won’t “entirely” as I also don’t feel that the Aurora Ultra is necessarily bad in these disciplines either. Listen, Roseselsa knows who their demographic is with this set. They know who’s going to be purchasing the Aurora Ultra and it generally isn’t the ultra-audiophile who finds that any bass influence is detestable, and a perfect harmonious balance is the key to good music. They know that the person shooting for the under $50 price point typically wants something to move their feet to. A little added weight down low, some slam, some groovy fluidity, some dynamic expression. This is a fun set folks. If you are judging the Aurora Ultra on any other basis then I think you’ve missed the mark as a judge. After all, we as reviewers have to consider the “target” that a company was shooting for to decide whether they’ve hit that target or not. Not if “we” like it. The point is, the Aurora Ultra isn’t tuned to bring every subtly to the forefront. It’s a musical sounding set crafted for people who want something… musical. 

Nice work Roseselsa 

Another cool thing is that the Aurora Ultra has a very cohesive sound altogether. Roseselsa did a nice job of combining these two drivers to form a very homogenized sound field with great transitions as each area of the mix is perfectly feathered into the next. As a whole I’d say that transients come across fairly naturally as they aren’t too quick or too slow. I also feel that while the timbre is very nice per the tuning, the Aurora Ultra doesn’t have a perfectly natural sound also. This is not a bad thing. I certainly don’t hear anything sibilant, or metallic. I also don’t hear any harshness, or sharpness either. Roseselsa did a fine job of keeping the sound relatively safe as it doesn’t push the envelope with any piercing highs, or exaggerated pinna rise. It certainly isn’t shouty. Really, the Aurora Ultra is a pleasant sounding under $50 iem with a solid tuning, a fun sound, and a pretty clean sound as well. Nice work Roseselsa. 

Bass Region

The low-end of the Aurora Ultra is most certainly emphasized with a heavy helping of mid-bass beef and some very solid extension into the sublevels of the bass. The graph shows a roughly 10-11 dB bass shelf, but that bass shelf extends far into the midrange and doesn’t completely flatten out until around 600-700hz. That all said, I wouldn’t call the Aurora Ultra a basshead style sound at all. While the bass hits hard, and hits deep, it isn’t that eyeball rattling heavy drone that bassheads are desiring. However, if you want a bass which can bring the boom, and bring the sublevel feel to that boom then the Aurora Ultra can certainly bring that. Now, the bass isn’t the most laser focused that I’ve ever heard and isn’t exactly rock hard. I also wouldn’t say that transients move along at breakneck speeds either. They are fairly quick I suppose. I can tell you that it can handle faster bass passages pretty well. I’d actually say that the Aurora Ultra has a natural attack, slightly softened, with a decay which also recovers in a natural way. I’d also say it’s somewhat atmospheric, very satisfying for those heavy bass drops, kick drums, and dirty bass guitars. There’s some pretty good resolution in the bass region too. Having said all of that, I honestly don’t feel that the bass dominates the mix. Yes, it brings warmth, yes it brings some weight, but it also really only shows its muscle when a track calls for it. Very nice for $43.

Sub-Bass 

The sublevels of the bass region reach some very deep pitched tones with a heavy-handed feel and a very authoritative rumble. The sub-bass on the Aurora Ultra is heavily emphasized providing a very haptic and tactile feel. In the track “Paradigm” by The Head and The Heart you can feel that reverberant and guttural buzz right away as this track begins with it. It’s pulsing and edgy with a very palpable sense of texture. Really fun for the price. The bonus is that the bass doesn’t sound or feel cheap. There’s a solid density and roundness to the sub-bass (the mid-bass too for that matter). It moves along with some agility to it, some ductility. It’s a very groovy sub-bass. Another track that really brings out the heavy grumbling drone in the Aurora Ultra is “Tell Me What’s on Your Mind” by The Decemberists. Folks, it reaches very deep. The nice thing is that it doesn’t simply sound like a mess of bass mass blurring through the bassline. It has some contour, some edge, and it comes across relatively clean per the price and tuning. 

Mid-Bass 

The mid-bass is definitely emphasized as well but I don’t feel that it comes through quite as hearty and bullish as the sublevels. Please don’t take that to mean that it isn’t authoritative and physical because it most certainly is. Now, the mid-bass can mask over some frequencies at time and on some tracks, so keep that in mind. Yet that doesn’t take away from how full the bass can sound when I’m replaying a grungy bass guitar. Like “Groove” by Ray Wylie Hubbard, a track I use all the time in my reviews. The Aurora adds that mid-bass plumpness without the bloat. You’d think by the graph that this would be a muddy bass, but I can assure you that it most certainly is not. In fact, note definition is pretty nice. Listening to “Billie Jean” by Weezer I can hear a pretty precise attack through decay with those quick and heavy kick drum booms repetitively hitting one right after the other. It sounds nice folks, it sounds fun. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect though. Certainly not some ultra defined mid-bass, but nice for what it is. 

Downsides to the Bass Region 

The largest downside is without a doubt for those who don’t enjoy a larger bass section. Not everyone is seeking out a big bass. So many want snappy, great resolution, super defined. The Aurora Ultra is almost there but it can sound a hair one-noted at times. Again, not perfect. However, for what it is, it’s great. 

Midrange 

The midrange is one which has some slight warmth and weight to it. No doubt the bass region spills over pretty far into the midrange helping this region sound more full and even slightly rich sounding. This is a semi-smooth midrange that has plenty of rhythmic fluidity and plenty of softly textured musicality. That said, there’s also plenty of crispness at times brought in from the treble region. I find the midrange very clean as well. No grain, no veil whatsoever, and nothing that feels murky at all. It’s simply unsullied which sounds nice when coupled with a semi-rich note body. The timbre in this region leans organic with a more earthy feel to it. You don’t have those ultra snappy notes, it isn’t super highly detailed (though details aren’t bad either), and you don’t have perfect instrument separation in complicated tracks either. Also, the midrange is not the most airy and open sounding midrange. One thing you can expect is that sibilance won’t be an issue and I don’t hear anything overtly bright or harsh. It’s a very melodic midrange, very tuneful, and it has a fine ability to draw emotion out of my music. Overall, I really do enjoy the sound of this midrange. It isn’t too recessed, isn’t hollow sounding, or too soft on attack. It’s nice. Very clean sounding actually. 

Lower-Midrange 

The lower-mids take on quite a bit of warmth cast upon it from the bass region giving male vocalists a wider presence, a softer presence, but also good presence. They don’t sound dull, so that’s a good thing. There’s some energy in this region keeping that from happening. Male voices like Max McNown in “Better Me for You” gets some from the Aurora Ultra to sound pretty vivid to my ears. I’m not saying they are the best male vocals that $43 can buy you, but Max’s raspy-scratchy voice sounds positively awesome. Males sound like their voices have some oomph to them. Again, they’re fairly juicy, they’re rich sounding too. Other singers follow suit, such as higher pitched males like Nate Ruess of the band Fun. in the track “Carry On”. Obviously, his voice carries a bit further, it’s more energetic in nature. Having said that, his voice still has that semi-rich body to it without it coming across sharp at all. There’s this nice smoothness which coats every single note yet just enough crispness to define those notes too. It’s really a nicely done musicality first midrange. 

Upper-Midrange 

Now, the upper-mids come through much more energetic and even further forward in the sound field. I hear some nice shimmer in this region for both instruments and female (some males too) voices. The pinna rise in this area actually matches the low-end with about a 10-11 dB rise. What this does is adds some actual snap for instruments like percussion and some slight edginess to strings, violin etc. Snares have some snap on attack and that slight crunch too. However, it’s the females which stand out to me. Singers like Sia in “Unstoppable” sound absolutely wonderful. This is a track which can get out of hand fairly easily, but the Aurora Ultra actually maintains that control along with great timbre in the inflections of her voice. She has that hard rasp and throaty type voice that comes through awesome on this set. Or Olivia Rodrigo in the some “Driver’s License” is another track that does very well on this set as every last pinch of emotion comes through very well. This track is all about young teenage love and the hurt that can ensue, and the Aurora Ultra handles it very well. Surprisingly well actually. Just like the bass region, the midrange isn’t perfect, but for $43 it’s quite good. 

Downsides to the Midrange

The midrange has its share of issues depending on your preferences. While detail retrieval is around average, it isn’t a detail beast. While you have decent definition on its midrange notes the Aurora Ultra doesn’t have perfect midrange resolution. The bass definitely does carry over into this region making some intonations and notes sound somewhat blunted at times. This also isn’t a very airy and open sounding region which does kind of push notes together creating slightly less separated notes. Granted, energy is solid, and the Aurora Ultra does much better in simpler tracks, but it certainly isn’t a picture of technical ability. Having said all of that we should all expect this after peering at the frequency graph. Bass is heavy, it bleeds, it can mask, and it adds that slight richness and weight. It sint some cool, ultra defined, and snappy transient midrange. Like I’ve said a few times, it’s great for what it is. 

Treble Region

I find the treble region is one which surprises the most. First off, this is a fairly well boosted treble but not even close to the point of becoming strident or harsh. It’s almost a safe treble which adds just enough brilliance to sound pretty authentic. Let’s put it this way, it’s certainly not artificial sounding. The micro-planar responsible for this region is an obviously very capable driver. It has some of that treble punch that we like so much. Not at top tier levels obviously, but really nice in respect to the emphasis. It’s a clean treble that has better resolution than I thought it would. Really for a cheaper budget set I find the treble to be nicely detailed but also musical too. It isn’t that dry & thin style treble either as there is some body to notes. I adore that there is some sharpness without sounding abrasive. It’s really a nice tuning folks. There’s some edge, some treble bite. Roseselsa did a nice job of providing enough luminance to add some levity across the mix, yet in the same breath it also isn’t the airiest treble I’ve ever heard. Again, it’s a safer sound. 

Treble Extension 

Extension into the highest of highs is pretty nice too. Now I am not saying you won’t ever hear any splashiness as I did hear some from time to time. However, it was never to a fault. Secondary harmonics of most cymbal strikes sound as though they have a good level of volume, energy, and they have a nice trail off without sounding clipped, or on the flip side… they don’t lag either. In the track “I Bloom” by Nirvana I can clearly hear those cymbals chiming away in a fairly natural manner. Extension is solid folks. 

It’s just nice! 

As I said, detail retrieval is nice in this region as well as sound separation. I hear a nicely resolute sound, a very clean sound, a full sound too. I love the strumming guitar in the track “Ride to Robert’s” by Jason Isbell. They sound so very natural and once again… clean. I also hear a fast treble that can take on quicker and more complicated treble tracks rather well, especially for a $43 bass heavy and musical set. “Be Your Man” by Billy Strings shows this off as his super-fast banjo carries this song. Well, any Billy Strings track. At any rate, I can hear every last pluck, every rebounding string. Every last ultra-fast note seemingly piled on top of each other sounds distinct, rounded, and bodied. Another track which absolutely stands out is Jon Baptiste‘s wonderfully done track “Symphony No. 5 Stomp”. Folks, the Aurora Ultra nails this song so perfectly, so naturally. The piano comes through in a very natural tone and timbre along with that nice body I’ve been talking about. Truly very nice folks. 

Downsides to the Treble Region 

I suppose the downside would be for those who enjoy a more rolled-off and even easier-on-the-ears style treble display. I would never call this a bright treble, per say. However, it can probably be a bit bright for those who are very sensitive to any brilliance. Besides that, I don’t really hear anything else that I’d complain about at this cost. 

Technicalities 

Soundstage

To my ears the soundstage is about average. It does help that the Aurora Ultra has nice extension both ways which does seem to add a psych-acoustic stage widening ability. However, it’s about average. I also feel it depends on the track too. This stuff is never cut-and-dry even though we reviewers like to pretend they are. The stage is pretty darn tall though. It helps to make the stage feel very full sounding. Like every area of my mindspace is filled with sound. I do hear some depth too but it’s not the easiest thing to discern. Overall, it’s nice though. Basically, the stage isn’t congested and that’s all that really matters. 

Separation / Imaging 

Like I’ve said a few times, instrument separation is not going to blow your mind. Again, this is a slightly warmer sound, it’s not as airy and open, you have some richness to the body of notes too. These are all attributes which usually won’t aid in a set’s ability to separate instruments. I’m not saying the Aurora Ultra is bad either though. If there was a way to quantify separation other than with my ears, I bet it’d be about average. It’s not bad, but bits also not above average. Imaging does better though. I never had any issues spotting where an instrument is and I never heard anything floating around my head either. There is some slight layering going on too. I’d definitely say that imaging is good, actually it’s very good. 

Detail Retrieval

Detail retrieval is a funny subject. At times I feel the Aurora Ultra is flat out impressive while others I feel it’s pretty much average. Most certainly anything in the treble area is highly detailed in both a macro and a micro sense. However, the midrange is all about awesome macro-details. You’ll get some micro detail illumination from time to time and with simpler tracks, but the bass can mask certain frequencies and complicated tracks sound kind of complicated with this set. What I love about this set is its macro-details and resolve. Again, it’s such a clean sounding set, and you’ll notice that fairly quickly. It’s just that some of those super fine bits of minutia won’t be drawn to the surface as well as an analytically tuned iem. That’s it. Not bad at all folks. 

Is it worth the asking price? 

I hesitated even putting this section in my review because this set is one of the easier no-brainers that I’ve had in some time at this cost. So I’m not beating around the bush…I feel that the Aurora Ultra sounds above its pay grade. I don’t know exactly where I feel it competes, but $43 is cheap for the sound quality. It is a very nice sounding iem. Kudos to Roseselsa. Absolutely it’s worth the cost of ownership. There are some other iems which it’s situated around that do give the Aurora Ultra a run for its money, however I don’t feel that anything flat-out eclipses this set in straight up sound quality. Nobody could convince me of that. Without question this set is a steal at $43.

The Why… 

Because the Aurora Ultra has thee best unboxing experience that you’ll find at $43. I feel that I can say that, and I don’t say “thee best” … ever, about anything. Look at all that you get folks! It’s almost silly. How are they making money? Did they do this as a solid to their fans? I’m only partially joking. Anyways, not just the unboxing is good. The Co. For table and ergonomic shape of this set is truly great. I’m telling you right now if this set fits your ears, it’ll be a set you can wear for hours and not even realize it. They are featherlight. Also, the design is dope. I like the minimalist design. It’s simple folks. Roseselsa isn’t trying to wow you with ornate features to the design. It’s just cool. Cool colors, cool shape, it’s cool. However, the sound is what brings us here and it’s the sound which makes this set worthy of a “no-brainer” moniker. The bass is heavy, deep, fun, but also dense and it’s not a muddy bass. Then you have this nicely bodied, warm/neutral, and almost organic midrange that sounds very clean, great macro-dynamics and macro-details. It’s energetic, and there’s nothing which is a turn-off about the mids. Lastly, that treble is top tier in its price point. There I said it. It’s a treble with body, with bite, with punch, with great extension, and it sound natural. There’s nothing which sounds offensive or artificial either. Folks, this is just a nicely tuned hybrid set, and I hope you consider it if you are looking around this price for your next iem. 

Ratings  (0-10)

*Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the Roseselsa Aurora Ultra ratings below, that would be $30-$50 iems of any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5-6” is roughly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $35-$55 is a very large sized scope of iems. So, It should be a nice surprise to see a rating above a “9.0”. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me. 

Aesthetic 

–Build Quality:      8.5    Nice budget build.         

–Look:                      8.9    Dope minimalist design. 

–Fit/Comfort:         9.9     Fit and comfort is flat-out great. 

–Accessories:          9.9    Best unboxing per its class. 

–Overall:                 9.3🔥🔥                                 

Sound Rating     

–Timbre:                  9.1    Natural-ish, nice timbre. 

–Bass:                      9.0   Heavy, deep, foundational bass. 

–Midrange:              8.9   Clean, bodied, good energy. 

–Treble:                     9.7   Possibly the best treble of its class. 

–Technicalities:      8.4    Good techs per the tuning.    

–Musicality:             9.4    Musicality-first.                                                     

–Overall:                    9.1🔥🔥🔥

Ratings Summary:

I won’t go long in this summary, but I should echo what I said in the note above this section. The Roseselsa Aurora Ultra is being rated against any iem between the price of $30 and $50 with any driver configuration. I went back and forth with so many iems that I didn’t even get a full count. Let’s face it, sets like the Shanhai Q-14 and the Kefine Klean, the Zenith, and a few others did rate higher in a few areas. However, the Aurora Ultra does just about everything pretty well and came out with a high overall sound score at “9.1”. I think it deserves it. Mainly because the Aurora Ultra is a hair cheaper than those other sets. I also want you to please overlook these ratings. Ratings are terrible ways to assess anything folks. It leaves out all nuances. I truly hope you don’t plan your buying on these ratings. Furthermore, these are only my opinions built from a two-hour ratings period which is hardly a solid assessment in the first place. That said, I wouldn’t change anything in these ratings. Other than that, maybe I went too low on the “Midrange” rating. That’s the only one which is bothering me. However, I’m not going through that process again… Lol. The ratings are locked in. 

Conclusion 

To conclude my full review of the Roseselsa Aurora Ultra I first have to give a big thanks to HiFiGo for providing this set in exchange for a full and honest review. HiFiGo knows the deal folks. That is, if I don’t like it, I won’t review it. They’ve never once pressured me, ever. They’ve never once asked me to say anything or speak highly of anything, ever. Never even hinted at it. This is why I have a solid relationship with them, and I hope it continues. I also have to thank you, the reader, because every single click and view at Mobileaudiophile.com is a win for us. The website needs viewership; we need that internet traffic to succeed. We don’t try desperate things to get those views and clicks either. We simply write stuff in an honest way to help you. It is our greatest hope that our words have helped you out. So, thank you for taking the time out of your day folks. It means a lot. 

Other Perspectives 

Now that you’ve spent time reading my review I do hope you’ll now go and check out a bunch of other reviews. I don’t have to say it to you, but we are all different. Each and every one of us is different in a multitude of ways. That doesn’t just go for the consumer, that goes for reviewers as well. We are simply not all alike. What I think and feel may not be the same as the next reviewer. It’s that simple. So, it would behoove you to check out as many as you can, get as many opinions as you can to hopefully help you make a purchasing decision. With that said, I think I’m done folks. So, please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!!