I remember being impressed by the sonic clarity and wide soundstage of the first Audeze planar earphones I got to try at IFA in Berlin a few years back. Now the company has introduced a pair of closed-back in-ear monitors called Euclid for the promise of "superior detail retrieval and sonic accuracy with a soundstage and dynamic range so robust you'll forget you're listening to a closed-back in-ear."
The company's first closed-back in-ear monitors feature custom 18-mm planar magnetic drivers sporting a neodymium N50 magnet array, a Uniforce voice coil with ultra-thin diaphragm and Fazor wave guides (to reduce phasing and distortion) – all contained within milled aluminum housing in black with gold accenting and a carbon fiber faceplate.
The single planar design means that there are no crossovers for "superior coherency" across the whole 10-Hz to 50-kHz frequency range, and listeners can look forward to less than 0.1 percent total harmonic distortion and 105-dB sensitivity at the eardrum reference point.
The earphones can deliver a maximum sound pressure level of over 120 dB for "the highest dynamic range of any in-ear in its size category" – though the company recommends keeping the volume below 85 dB for the user's hearing health.
A braided cable is provided, which is hooked over and behind the ear before being connected to a source audio device, and Audeze has considered today's wireless audio trend too, with a Bluetooth cable attachment coming in March, along with 4.4-mm balanced cables. The earphones ship with three different styles of silicone tips as well as some Comply foam eartips.
The California-based audio specialist best known for its high-end audiophile and reference headphones has priced the Euclid in-ear monitors at US$1,299, which isn't quite as pricey as the company's LCDi4 flagship planar earphones but still throws the new ear candy squarely into the luxury/audiophile end of the market.
Product page: Euclid
