Akoustyx R-220 Review – Reset Your Ears
Pros — High-quality neutral “audiophile” tuning; excellent resolution; great comfort; bundle is extremely light and small.
Cons — “Studio reference” tuning not universal, mainly appealing to musicians, producers, and purists.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Akoustyx R-220 is a strictly neutrally tuned, very well resolving 2-BA earphone that will appeal to musicians and purist audiophiles. It is excellent for what it is designed for and a great earphone for re-calibrating one’s ears.
INTRODUCTION
I got interested in Akoustyx after reading the reviews of some of the R-220’s brothers and sisters. After so much Chi-Fi on our blog, I wanted to test some “Made in USA” in comparison. I decided on the reference-tuned 2-BA R-220 out of the company’s offerings that retails at $199. You find the tech specs on the product page: https://akoustyx.com/products/r-220
PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY
What is remarkable is that cable and earpieces, when rolled up, yield a very small package that fits easily in the smallest pocket. Handy. The nifty included neoprene case with side pocket (for eartips) is roomy so that no squeezing is required. Build is high-density polycarbonate for the body casing (known from prescription glasses) and aircraft-grade 7075 aluminum for the cylinder section. An advantage of the polycarbonate shells and the 16-core cable is weight optimization: nothing pulls. The light and thin cylindrical earpieces fit so well that I don’t feel them. For users with fit issues or for a stronger hold, there is a fitting kit included….useful for use in the gym or on stage. The cable is over ear so that they stay in well on the go (even without the fit kit)…and it features an ergonomically well designed 3-button remote (all 3 buttons worked on my iPhone..and, according to the manufacturer, they also function on Android devices). Isolation is good, too, as insertion depth into the ear canal is relatively deep.
The largest of the included tips fit very well. SpinFit CP800 fit, too, but I could not hear a sonic or comfort/fit difference between the two. The Akoustyx R-220 are easily driven with my iPhone SE and Shanling M0 dap.
TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES
My tonal preference and testing practice
This earphone is forward at the upper end and dead flat at the low end. Bass impact and extension are limited by the tuning. Bass is obviously fast and textured, but it leaves very much room for the midrange. Vocals are forward, intimate and on the brighter side, energized by the upper midrange. But, in contrast to many Chi-Fi earphones, these Knowles drivers are so good that the upper midrange does not cause any fatigue to my ears (I am sensitive to the 2-6 kHz area). Quality all around.
This tuning, not surprisingly, results in a shallow soundstage (see all Etymotics). Timbre is “precise”, every note is meticulously well defined. Any dynamic driver in my collection sounds “sloppy” in comparison. Resolution, instrument separation, and layering are outstanding and so is speech intelligibility. Great quality in the $200 segment.
This earphone obviously serves the purpose of creating an “accurate” sound for musicians and studio engineers, and it does it very well. Casual listeners or commuters exposed to street noise may look into a bassier direction.
Design and tuning of the Akoustyx R-220 ask for a comparison with a similarly priced Etymotic Research model. I can only offer the discontinued hf5 (former MSRP $159, $89 on drop.com). The simpler built hf5 sports a single BA, a similar tuning, but the Akoustyx R-220 resolves better. One thing I hold against all Etymotic models is the necessity to replace earwax filters from time to time, which are highly priced…and more so when you are not located in the US. This can add substantially to the purchase price over time.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
I am rather surprised and delighted by the sonic quality of the Akoustyx R-220, which is filling the niche of strictly neutral tuning for the analytical listener, and it does it very well. I cannot see any flaws: it is small, comfortable, and sounds as intended. The quality of the drivers is so good that the forward upper end is not fatiguing to my sensitive ears. As co-blogger KopiOkaya says: “Although not for bassheads or funsters, the R-220 is great for resetting and recalibrating our hearing after every earphones review”. It is as important as a glass of water between two wines at a tasting. Cheers!
The Akoustyx R-220 “is what it is”, and it does it very very well. I have to admit I had initially very modest expectations after seeing the frequency response graph published by the manufacturer: too “bright” looking! My verdict: the R-220’s sound is very good for people who expect this tuning.
As always, keep on listening!
You find an INDEX of all our earphone reviews HERE.
DISCLAIMER
The Akoustyx R-220 was supplied by Akoustyx upon my request and I thank them for that. We wanted to brighten up our blog with a few non Chi-Fi iems.
Our generic standard disclaimer.
You find an INDEX of our most relevant technical articles HERE.
