Review: LEAR LUF-Turbo Dual Dynamic Driver IEM
Firstly I would like to thank Lear for sending me this sample, they have over 100hrs of burn-in before writing this review.
*disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective findings.
Specs:
Packaging, Accessories and Build Quality:
The LUF-Turbo come in a fairly plain black box, there is a
LEAR sticker on the bottom which tells you the model inside, but no indication
of specs on the box. Once you open the box you’ll find the IEMs held in a foam
inlay, with the carry case below holding the cable. Underneath the foam inlay
you’ll find the box which holds the tips. The box is plain, but simple and
elegant.
The Turbo come with the typical Lear hard carry case, with a
good selection of tips. You get S, M and L in single flange silicone, and 2
types of foam tips (both M size), you also get a wax cleaning tool. Overall a
nice selection of accessories, and everything that is needed.
The Turbo are very well built, the shells are handmade and
you can see that just by looking at them, the attention to detail is superb.
They are flawless, the MMCX socket is solid and they are a very well made IEM.
The nozzle does not have a lip to hold tips on, but providing you use tips that
are fairly tight I do not see this being a problem.
The supplied cable is pretty average; it's a 4-core braided
cable with good strain relief, and memory wire at the top. The MMCX connectors
are sturdy though, and I see this cable lasting well with some care (the top
section is a little thin).
Comfort, Isolation and Driver flex:
The Turbo are shaped like a custom monitor, and the nozzles
are short, which means these fit very well with a slightly shallower than
average fit. I find these to be very comfortable once you have the right tip,
they do really disappear in your ears.
Due to the shallow fit, and there is a vent to relieve
driver pressure, these do not isolate as much as a fully sealed monitor,
however they are fine for general use, just not the best isolating for noise
commutes.
Driver flex is not much of an issue with these, sometimes it
appears but the drivers return to normal quite quickly. Nothing severe here.
Sound:
Split into the usual categories with a conclusion at the
end.
Lows: From the description on the website, I was expecting
these to be bass cannons, much to my surprise they are not. The lows are
definitely a little fuller than strictly neutral, but they are controlled and
punchy. I am quite impressed by the quality of bass for this price, it can dig
deep when called for, and has a little bit more sub-bass quantity over mid-bass
punch. The lows are articulate, bass guitars sound full, kick drums have good
impact backed up with body. I will say that the speed of the lows isn't the
greatest, the extra bit of body and sub-bass presence does slow down the lows a
little, but they only get congested on very complex tracks.
The lows here do well with most genres, but they play
especially well with modern pop, slower alt rock, and EDM.
What really caught me off guard are the kicks during
Bombtrack by Rage Against the Machine, they hit so hard and sound realistic
with the right amount of punch and body.
Midrange: The midrange has some dips and peaks, it is not
the most linear but it isn't fully recessed when compared to the lows and
highs. They sit just behind the main bass line in most tracks; female vocals do
sound a little thick as there is a dip in the upper midrange. Female vocals
lack a little crispness to them, but there is no sibilance so that is good.
Male vocals actually come across a little better, with a more natural tone to
them. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there feels like at a certain
frequency there is some resonance that dulls the energy of certain notes in the
midrange, muting them slightly. Again this is only during certain tracks, and
for the most part is not an issue. Electric guitars have good energy and the
main thing about the guitars is placement within the soundstage, which is very
precise and accurate. Whilst a little more tuning could be done, the midrange
is largely inoffensive, fun and smooth with good detail retrieval.
Highs: The treble on the Turbo is very good when it comes to
presence and energy. They have not toned down the highs, but they have been
tuned to be smooth. I do find them to be a little splashy at times, but again
at this price point it is hard to do everything right. The highs are not sharp,
and I found them to never become fatiguing, just well placed within the
soundstage with good presence and energy, There is not a lot air up top, and
they do roll off a little early, but this is a minor fault.
The Turbo have a fairly wide soundstage, but the imaging is
very good with a defined centre image and everything has good L/R definition.
The instrument separation is fairly average, they do get a little congested
during faster tracks.
Conclusion: Well I wasn't sure what I was getting with the
LUF-Turbo, I was expecting bass cannons but instead I was actually pleasantly
surprised. These are not flawless, but nothing really is, what these do produce
though is a very fun and engaging sound without major dips or peaks. Yes the
bass is full and articulate, the mids sit a little behind but do sound quite
good, and the highs are definitely there with good energy and sparkle. To get
this sound from 2 dynamic drivers is no easy feat, add in excellent build and
comfort and these are quite the budget IEM. These are one of those IEM's you
can put in and forget about when out and about; they are not made for critical
listening, but for enjoyment.
Sound Perfection Rating: 7/10 (not perfect, but very good
fun)
Comments
Post a Comment