It’s been a while that we saw releases from the brand TFZ China and it is a suprise when news broke that they have rebranded themselves into a new shiny brand EarAcoustics. Their new line of IEMs, Silver Angel, has been launched and they are getting attention around the globe for their immaculate build with a noteworthy sound quality but coming in a plethora of rather confusing model names. I have personally reached out to Zoe from the team of Earacoustic and with great joy and gratitude, they have sent me a pair of the all new EarAcoustics SPA Pro Max for an honest review. How will the rebrand work? Is this a new era for them in this cut throat portable audiophile segment? We shall tackle these questions here.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the EarAcoustics SPA Pro Max;
- Driver Unit: 11.4mm Ultra Clear Analysis Graphene Diaphragm, Dual Magnetic Circuit, Dual Chamber Dynamic Coil With N52 High-Power Magnets
- Sensitivity: 111dB
- Impedance: 30Ω
- Frequency Response Range: 5-40,000Hz
- Distortion: <0.5% THD
- Transient Response: <3ms
- Wire Specification: 0.78mm dual-pin LITZ coaxial, oxygen-free copper and silver-plated braided wire, 1.2m
The EarAcoustics can be purchased from their website as well as many other platforms worldwide.
https://earacoustic-audio.com/ProDetail.aspx?ProId=96
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging here is truly premium that comes with a silver cube shaped box that feels professional yet exclusive. Upon opening we are greeted with the accessories box that houses 6 pairs of soft silicone eartips where 3 pairs of them are wide bore and 3 pairs are the narrow bore variations alongside a brochure. Beneath lies the glorious, shiny IEM head themselves. The rest of accessories are under the IEM head that includes a zippered PU leather case, a coaxial cable with a PU leather cable cinch and a lucky bracelet. Fully accessorized packaging worthy of the asking price indeed and probably the best unboxing experience in this price range.
Design
This is where the SPA Pro Max really caught me by surprise, the build and design. I am not a fan of shiny materials as they are smudge magnets and may look too fancy but these IEM might change my perception as they are beautiful to say the least. Their quality is immaculate and no seams are visible producing a unibody build that is wonderful. The shells are made with zinc alloy and they are quite light as well with some minor heft. The faceplate has a snake on the left side and EarAcoustics logo on the right with snake scales underlying them. Truly amazing metal works here.
Fit here is ergonomically good with smooth curves and they fit like a custom IEM. They are on the bigger side of an IEM which may cause fit issues for smaller ears.
The SPA Pro Max is equipped with a 11.4 mm nano graphene driver with dual magnetic circuit and dual chamber that has more than 1 tesla of magnetic flux with the N52 magnets. The specifications and diagram are very well presented on their product site and they are indeed informative.
The nozzle here has a good length with a 6 mm maximum diameter. The mesh here is unique with a design that is eye-catching and it seems to be fused with the body itself making mesh replacement possibly hard or impossible.There are 2 vents present on these sets where a pressure relief vents near the nozzle and a big vent on the upper side that has a similar unique design like the nozzle mesh. No driver flex is present which indicates a well vented design that doesn’t feel stuffy due to pressure buildup.
They come with a solid PU leather circular case in black and with the wording Silver Angel stamped on the top. Very solid yet well made case with soft velvet innards and solid zippers.
The EarAcoustics SPA Pro Max has a standard flush 0.78mm connection that has a slightly tight connection and they do have a very slight recessed pin but still possible to be used with flush pins.
The cable here is a silver plated oxygen free copper with metal parts and sadly only available in 3.5 mm single ended. The cable quality here is top notch and it matches the overall looks of the product. The sound of the cable here is clean, clear with a touch of warmth and they are actually quite similar with the TRI Grace Pro cable.
Gears Used for Comparisons
Fiio Q7
Qudelix T71
Hiby FC6
FiiO BTR7
Nostalgia Audio Camelot
Intime Sho DD
Letshuoer S15
Letshuoer EJ09
MIM Dark Magician
Hiby Lasya
Moji Monica Alpha
Moondrop A8
Dunu Luna
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the EarAcoustics SPA Pro Max is a neutral bright presentation that has a mild U shaped sound as they do have a slight boost in the lower and higher frequencies. Midrange doesn’t have the scooped out mids instead having some warmth with an adequate body. The tuning of the dynamic driver here is actually great as they sounded crystal clear and full with a wide dynamic range with the whole spectrum sounded complete without missing a beat. Technicalities here are superb for the price range as they are clean, detailed with an accurate, clinical sound that doesn’t skip on musicalities. The tuning here is energetic and bold, very enjoyable and unique in its own ways.
Soundstage
The soundstage possessed an impressive, expansive soundstage along with a good height worthy in their price range. The soundstage here has a great 3D holographic that is accurate and spacious with sound placements easily distinguished. Both ends of the frequencies have great extension, especially on the high region which gives them an airy presentation that is enjoyable as it gives a rather big headroom with no boxy feel. Part of the airiness does come from the rather large back vents but it also causes less isolation.
Separation and Timbre
Separation is also one of the main strengths of a single dynamic driver and the Spa Pro Max is included with their well separated sound from left to right. Dynamic range is wide and cohesion here is superb and they are able to give out a full sound with only a single dynamic driver. Timbre here is breathy, piercy in a good way and they do have a rather clinical sound mixed in with some organic timbre that doesn’t sound too dry or boring. The overall timbre has a mild metallic sheen but somehow still able to sound natural especially when being paired with a warmer source which is rather surprising.
Drivability
The SPA Pro Max is rated at 30 ohms at 111 dB sensitivity and they are a little sensitive, able to pick up noise and they are a revealing set of IEMs. They don’t need much driving power to sound adequately loud but they do scale up well with better sources by giving a more polished highs and a more textured lows. Source pairing is important here due to their bright sound signature and a warm or balanced source will match them better than bright gears such as Sabre based source that will show a metallic sheen on the timbre. Due to the revealing nature of these sets, they are able to pick out minor flaws in recordings so a good mastered track or high bit rate files will definitely sound better. For monitoring, they aren’t a perfectly balanced set for those purposes and they treble, bass boost profile isn’t the last word in accuracy albeit still accurate.
The Bass (Low)
The bass present here is a mild boosted bass that is still neutral and they do have a good mid bass lift that gives out an pacy energetic presentation. Details and clarity here is superb without being bloated and no bass bleed is present. They have a tight bass slam with great texture and they have the authority when called upon suiting EDM, Hip-hop and Jazz. They aren’t enough to be called a basshead IEM but suffice for most users for a fun, thumpy experience. Purists might find it suitable as it is accurate in amount albeit a little north of neutral but for casual listeners like me, they are great. Bass here does lack transparency by a little but they are vividly resolving that gives users an immersive sound. Sub-bass here dives deep but the mid-bass does have the more evident presence. Rumble on the sub-bass is adequate with a deep yet clean rumble.
The Mids
Midrange is neutral that is slightly flat with a touch of warmth with a bright tone that focuses towards the high range. There is a peak ascend in the upper mids that gives a piercing and that actually will give some fatigue on certain bright sources but in return, the peak here does add a lively brilliance into the overall sound that gives vocals lushness. Clarity here as usual is superb as well as amazing detail retrieving capabilities displayed be it macro or micro, they are a performer in this aspect. The midrange here isn’t thick but they aren’t too thin either and they have almost no coloration present which makes them a rather transparent pair of IEM which plays music as it is. Resolution here is vivid and clear but the richness is rather average at best. The midrange here perform superbly well for vocals and probably the best in this price range as they are lively, accurate, clean and having a lush brilliance perfect for female vocals while sufficient depth for male vocals. Instruments are good but for some lower pitch instruments like cello, oboe, bass guitar do lack depth and body.
The Highs
High range is where it is a hit or miss depending on your preference as the SPA Pro Max possess a boosted high range that is strong and piercing but it is done so well that it manages to sound exciting without any major sibilance. Those who are seeking for a smooth, relaxed sound presentation might want to look elsewhere as the high range here will get hot and fatigue will set in pretty quick with loud volume. High range extends well with a slow roll off and they are indeed very airy. Details and clarity here is top notch with every high nuance presented in a clean manner. The high decay is very crisp and sparkle is lively with a voluminous amount of energy. Treble here is slightly north of being balanced and they have a mild intensity that also contributes to their overall clarity. Timbre here does have a mild metallic sheen but only on certain bright sources from the likes of Sabre and they do exacerbate the infamous Sabre glare even further that might impact the natural state of the music.
Comparisons
VS Tigerism Dark Magician Revised Version
The Tigerism is a rebrand of MIM and they are famed for their well tuned products with the Dark Magician being their most sought after single dynamic driver IEM. They are without a doubt one of my favourite single dynamic IEM for their well balanced dynamic sound that has a superb tonal balance and a wide dynamic range. They do cost more than half the asking price of the EarAcoustics SPA Pro Max and without the fancy, full accessories of the SPA Pro Max.
High range
Highs on the SPA Pro Max without a doubt have the edge of being stronger, crisper, more detailed, energetic and have better extension but they are more prone to sibilance. Dark Magician on the other end has a more correct amount while still having a good sparkle and less fatiguing.
Midrange
The midrange on the dark magician is thicker and sounded fuller but clarity is better on the SPA Pro Max alongside greater details in the micro region. Dark Magician does have a better resolving sound but transparency does lean toward the SPA Pro Max marginally.
Bass
Bass amounts on both are similar with SPA Pro Max sounding tighter ang slightly cleaner but the dark magician bass has better accuracy alongside a more organic bass. Sub-bass on the Dark Magician reaches deeper with better rumble while the SPA Pro Max has a cleaner sub-bass.
Soundstage
The soundstage on the Dark Magician does sound wider and deeper but only marginally. The SPA Pro Max does sound airier with better extension on both ends of the frequencies.
My pick: Dark Magician for a more natural sound, SPA Pro Max for a more energetic feel. Both are special in their ways.
VS Intime Miyabi
The Intime Miyabi is a Japan made earphone that has a single dynamic driver with a ceramic piezo tweeter and they are priced similarly with the SPA Pro Max. Built on the SPA Pro Max does feel more premium and they look more robust. The tiny bullet type of the Miyabi does fit easier but ergonomics on the SPA Pro Max is better. Miyabi has a well balanced sound signature that has great neutrality but the package is bare bone when compared with the SPA Pro Max
High region
The high range here does go to the SPA Pro Max for the boosted highs that are agile, sweet and highly resolving with more details and clarity. The Miyabi does sound more transparent with a more accurate amount while still being present. The crispness and sparkle on the SPA Pro Max is livelier with a more extended, airy presentation.
Midrange
Midrange on the Miyabi has a slightly thicker and more forward presentation compared to the neutral flat midrange of the SPA Pro Max . Both have a spacious midrange but the SPA Pro Max does sound more spacious. Resolution on the Miyabi is better while transparency on the SPA Pro Max is slightly better alongside brighter brilliance.
Bass
The amount of bass on the Miyabi has a mild edge and they have a tighter slam with more resolution. Details and clarity does sound better on the SPA Pro Max. Sub-bass on both are similar but the SPA Pro Max does have better extension.
Soundstage
Soundstage does go to the SPA Pro Max alongside an airier overall sound versus the rather intimate Miyabi.
My pick : EarAcoustics SPA Pro Max
Synergy
Good pairing
- Hidizs S8PRO, Hiby FC6, FiiO BTR7, Qudelix T71, Moondrop MIAD01, EPZ TP35, Questyle M15
Not so good pairing
- FiiO Q7, FiiO KA3, Dunu DTC100, Hidizs S9PRO
Who Is It For?
The EarAcoustics SPA Pro Max does has a evidently bright sound signature and they do match vocals and genres such as classicals, acoustics, pop, rock, EDM, hip-hop and many other vocal based genres but not so much for metal, hard rock, Jpop as they might incur fatigue in the long run for their borderline sibilant sound. They aren’t a pair for gaming although still usable and quite okay for movies for their clarity. For monitoring works they do have a brighter signature but have accuracy. This unique tuning is also very well suited for critical and casual usage for their revealing yet musical sound presentation.
Final words
The EarAcoustics SPA Pro Max honestly does get me by surprise upon receiving it as the unboxing of them is worthy of a flagship product and not to forget the immaculate build and design showcase their industrious capabilities alongside great enthusiasm. Yes the naming of their products is confusing but the sound of this set is unique with their neutral bright sound with a mild U shaped presentation that is packed with details all around. This tuning might deter certain treble sensitive users but there is no denying they are a competent crystal clear sounding IEM and might be a crystal clear winner as well in terms of their performance in this price range. A mighty successful rebrand indeed and I truly hope nothing but the best for EarAcoustics in their future endeavors.
I would rate this product 4 and a half stars over 5 stars
Pros
- Flagship build quality with great ergonomics
- High quality accessories
- Well tuned neutral bright sound
- Wide frequency range with superb cohesion and separation
- Slightly warm, breathy timbre
- Superb clarity and details
- Quick, agile and clean bass with a decent sub-bass depth
- Detailed, clear midrange
- Highly transparent and resolving
- Strong, energetic, extended high range
- Good treble intensity with a crisp sparkle
- Wide soundstage width and height with an airy presentation
Cons
- Not for treble sensitive folks and bassheads
- Slightly heavy (nitpick)
- Midrange lack body
- Upper midrange may be to piercing on bright sources
- Shell on the big and thick side
- Average isolation
- Smudge magnets
- Cable only have 3.5mm option
