Meet Softears RSV. As an audiophile, I have come across some in-ear monitors (IEMs) that make me question my listening abilities. The RSV is one of those IEMs. Not only is it difficult to review, but it is also hard to recommend at its current price without knowing the listener’s taste in detail. I don’t believe this IEM is a “blind buy” worthy purchase, yet you should take the opportunity to audition if possible. However, I will provide you with a framework to decide for yourself. Instead of listing the pros and cons, I will explain my experience. So please take the time to read this article thoroughly.
Softears is a company that I find quite intriguing. With products like the remarkable Twilight or the exceptional Studio 4, this company has made a name for itself in the audiophile world. Their reputation mainly stems from their high-quality balanced armature (BA) drivers.
This is a 5BA IEM and comes with a moderately sized shell which looks beautiful. Fun Fact – I got the same review unit as Timmy from Gizaudio & I haven’t encountered any unit variation story till now.
Timber
I have to talk about its timber characteristics first otherwise it would be very hard for me to paint the picture of its tonality accurately.
Timber makes or breaks an audio experience for me. I am a huge fan of HD600 mainly because of its timber. Similarly, I don’t like headphones/IEMs that can’t project exact timber (many planars). And I am glad to say this IEM is very pleasing in terms of timber reproduction.
The violin sounds velvety, it contains the body in great tonality. Lower registers are very lifelike as well as upper registers. If you are sensitive to treble, you are covered since they produce upper registers with zero sibilance, and no peaks whatsoever. I can listen to Vivaldi for hours in this IEM.
The guitars sound smooth. Classical guitars sound exceptional too, Tarrega/Segovia covers sound delightful and chocolatey. Acoustic guitars miss the upper registers a bit. Eric Clapton Live Concerts/Robert Johnson Covers missout on the crunchiness, but still holds the timber very well. Electric Guitars sound beautiful for almost every tone. The tamed-down upper frequencies help a lot.
The Drums sound very realistic too. Drums are the hardest instrument to reproduce due to their complex heterodyning characteristics. Some IEM overuses the bass, and some underuse the tactility. I am happy to say this IEM is close enough to replicate the sound of drums. Where it falls behind is the Cymbals. The transient nature is not there in the timber, it just feels lacking in the air. Trailing edges are very missing from the range.
Wind Instruments also are done very nicely, with good body and texture but also lack in sizzle and shine. But it can be a very good way to handle these instruments for treble-sensitive people. I do miss the brightness and it feels a little dark to me.
The Cello/Bass feels very lifelike. It will provide you with a feeling that the bass is playing in a club, due to its subtle bass elevation it doesn’t overpower the real feel of the bass in the mix.
The timber of the vocals is the highlight here. They are simply outstanding and very balanced in textural information. Nothing is over or underused. From male to female, deep voices like Paul Anka & Frank Sinatra to thin voices like Ariana Grande & Zayn Malik sound super good. You will be immersed in the vocal tonality of this IEM.
All of the instruments I mentioned above acquire a similar base to portray themselves. They sound very analogue-like. In 2024 there are very few audio products that can give the vintage & rich sound tonality. I am not into this type of signature because they sacrifice on few fields of the spectrum. But if you chase this vintage CD-like tonality, this IEM won’t disappoint you.
The reason I explained it timber is so that I can accurately describe its tonality.
BASS
You can’t expect bass from this set. Not that it produces BA Bass with a low-quality attack and decay, but it is very tasteful. We all know that subdued bass is very much needed for mid-centric IEMs. The thing that bothered me the most was the sub-bass. It is understandable to have more midbass for thump and slam but Softears could’ve improved its subbass quantity. In some genres, it feels disconnected from the midbass which is also very low in quantity.
So when does the bass become a problem? Whenever you would expect a slam, it will sound underpowered. Daft Punk is a no-go for this IEM. Changing tips also doesn’t help that much.
Although the attack and decay are very analogue-like. Fast enough to make the whole FR sound clean and the decay is slow enough to maintain a natural feel while giving it a transient response at the end/roll off.
In the end, this set is not made for bass heads & that should be clear by now. Nor it will satisfy the majority of the Hi-Fi Audience. If we compare it with something like Aful Performer 8, it will fall behind. I would’ve liked a more elevated sub-bass (+3dB @20hz) just to maintain the uniformity of the midbass with it.
The resolution is not also that good in the bass region. The craving for a DD in this IEM stayed with me for the entirety of the audition.
Midrange
The midrange in this IEM is what makes it so special. As I told earlier with its timber characteristics, I very much like this IEM. Everything sounds very natural and vivid. The realism is present in great quantity. Textural information is there, not as much as Performer 8 but not also as low as IE600. You will certainly feel that the elements are very natural in presentation not too in your face and not too laid back at the same time.
The head voice in this IEM is a bit much for me to handle. Not that it is sharp or sibilant, but it separates the head voices in the mix way too much to a point where everything else falls apart and you might start feeling unattached with the song. Most of the songs I listen to daily consist of head voices.
The chest voice as well as nasal vocals came out very natural. But still, I missed the implementation of a DD. You will miss the authority in some places where it might lack a bit of confidence.
Treble
Treble in this IEM nothing to write home about. It is very inoffensive but not up to a point where it might sound dark. The air frequencies are present but not enough to make the soundstage feel spacious (This is a complete discussion since many tuning methodologies can be used in the ear gain region to make the soundstage larger ).
But what this treble does to the sound is very sweet and inoffensive. Although I will talk about its resolution later on, the treble is tuned in such a way that details come to your notice in a very subtle way. Without being sharp/sibillant. In one word it feels chocolatey. Fluid, enriched with note weight, sweet.
Resolution
Details and Resolution are perceived in the audio community very differently. I think of the resolution to be the ability to bring out every element in the mix and for details, I mean how nuances it can project to our ears, be that the micro contrast or textural information.
I am not very happy to say that the RSV is very average in its resolution capability. Normal tracks won’t be a problem but complex mixes will not be resolved. Although it won’t feel congested or claustrophobic, it will just deny the presence of certain instruments in mixes.
For details, they are also very average. On one hand, they can produce textures well but on the other hand, due to recessed treble, certain elements of the instruments are very hard to notice. For example – Long lasting tone in pianos/any other acoustic string instruments. The time of holding a note is less than the price point so, you might crave some details in this area.
Soundstage
This IEM is not a soundstage monster. RSV will give you a proper soundstage that won’t feel claustrophobic or expansive. It will be big enough to place instruments outside your head but small enough to make vocalists very personal and engaging. The soundstage in IEMs is pretty tricky since they rely on your HRTF and Pinna Compensation, so I can only give you my experience with it. Which is very average.
Drivability
The drivability of this IEM is very good. It runs very fluently on almost all dongle DACs. From very cheap Dongle DACs like Abigail Pro/Apple Dongle to Moondrop Dawn Pro. The FR range does not change as such but the features like Separation and Treble Refinement increase ever so slightly with more expensive Dongles.
Conclusion
Although I do recommend this IEM but not with a smiling face. This price point holds contenders like Twilight / Hype 10 / Supernova. So , I recommend everyone to try this at least once before spending the MSRP. If you get this anywhere around USD 300 , it is a steal. Specially if you’re a mid-range enthusiast.
Pros –
- Vocals
- Timber
- Inoffensive tuning
- Very accurate sense of Neutrality
- Note weight
- Cohesion of BA drivers
Cons –
- Air Pressure due to no ventilation
- Depth of the shell is a bit much
- Shell quality feels cheap
- Sometimes sound dark
- Low resolution in this price range
- Nozzle is big & slippery
Ratings
Sub Bass – 4.5/10
Bass – 5.5/10
Lower Mid – 7/10
Upper Mid – 7.25/10
Lower Treble – 6.5/10
Upper Treble – 5.75/10
Timber – 7.5/10
Resolution – 6/10
Imaging – 5.75/10
Soundstage – 5.5/10
Overall Rating – 6.125/10
Tonality = A+
Technicality = B+