Sometimes company chooses the name of brand according to the approach they plan to use. Auglamour is a good example of such approach and today we will review their RT-3 model.
I will go back to the appearance in dedicated part of the review and now let us dig deeper into the construction of those IEMs. The company has decided not to experiment and has done everything the classic way. RT-3 are the typical hybrids, created using the most wide-spread scheme: dynamic transducer with titan coated diaphragm and double BA Knowles 30017 that are responsible for mids and highs. Such solutions are good because the outcome is quite predictable and if you don’t try to spoil something on purpose, the sound is just okay.
Together with such sound RT-3 have got a good price – you can buy them for 120 USD as of writing this review.
Specifications
- Transducers: dynamic + Knowles 30017
- Frequency range: 15 Hz – 40 kHz
- Sensitivity: 105 dB/mWt @ 1 kHz
- Impedance: 19Ω
- Channel imbalance: <1.5 dB
- Nominal rating power: 10 mWt
- Cable: detachable with 2-pin 0.78 mm connectors, copper and silver-plated copper
- Jack: 3.5 mm TRS
Packaging and accessories
The box is very vivid, there is a traditional dust-wrapper covering a cardboard box. It has stylish polygraphy and vivid colors that hint on the design of earphones themselves. There are RT-3 inside, stock cable and accessories:
- plastic case, resembling Pelican (very good for this price)
- clip for cable
- three sets of three pairs of tips that offer a little different presentation
We can say that the presentation and accessories are good for this price, Auglamour have decided to give the maximum and succeeded in it.
Design and comfort
The RT-3 appearance is both striking and not too vibrant. The bodies are made of aluminum-magnesium alloy using milling. The build quality is very good. There is a stylish spotted ornament of several colors above the main color. There are several variants of RT-3 main coloring and spot colors so the buyers will have a lot of variants to choose from.
The shape of headphones is convenient, they fit most ears, don’t have sharp edges so they are really comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The nozzles have average length and have perfect angles, so the sound isolation is above average.
The cable is detachable – there are 2-pin connectors. The stock cable is good in terms of ergonomics and aesthetics, it is transparent, rather soft and prone to stiffening during cold weather and tangles. The microphone effect is very small and stock ear hooks help that a lot.
Sound
I have used the following equipment for listening purposes:
- Yulong DA10 and Resonessence Labs Concero HP as DAC and AMP
- Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2016 as source
- Audirvana+ as a player
- Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, theBit OPUS#2, Astell&Kern A&ultima SP1000 and others as portable players
- Hi-Res recordings in lossless formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others)
The IEMs have had a burn-in period for 12 hours with the changes within te first two hours.
RT-3 have rather classical presentation and resemble such hybrid pioneers as T-PEOS and the first Dunu models but with more correct highs.
The bass is dynamic, it is not super-speedy but has normal resolution. The lows amount is exactly what’s needed (according to my taste). There are good textures, weight and slam. The lows have good depth but the lowest bass slightly lacks control, however if we remember the price it is not that important.
The mids have good resolution and accent on micro details, but sometimes they lack weight. It can be explained by usage of armature transducer. The joint in the lower mids is quite noticeable but if you try to hear it on purpose. If the quality of mastering and recording is good the IEMs are rather emotional and transmit the character of instruments well. The sound stage is of average width and slightly less than average in depth but they can sound as airy as you can expect non-expensive IEMs to sound.
The highs are just what you expect from Knowles 30017: good length, though not maximal, great resolution and natural presentation, slightly accelerated attacks and decays. The highs are a little bit accentuated to compensate the bass, but the accent is not abundant and is not sharp at all.
Comparisons
FiiO F9 Pro FiiO IEMs are brighter in highs and push mids a little bit more forward. They are also more weighty in lows, but have less resolution.
HiFiBoy OS V3 More neutrally-tuned hybrids with more accentuated mids and drier bass.
ikko OH1 Ikko model is brighter and more detailed with enhanced accent on micro details.
Compatibility
The sensitivity and impedance of this model are appropriate so they can be used also with smartphones, but keep in mind that a good player will drive them to their maximum due to better resolution.
The headphones are universal in terms of genres. They are moderately sensitive to recording quality – 7 out of 10.
Example tracks
Tina Guo — Circle of Life It’s natural that this version is not on par with original soundtrack but if we consider it not a successor but a cover, we should admit that Tina has coped with her task well, making the composition more modern and having added ethnic motifs. TR-3 play this track well, coping with percussion and cello that plays the main theme.
Mak Grgić — Stairway to the Balkans If we have started speaking about ethnic music and covers, here is a great variant of classical masterpiece from Slovenian virtuoso. Of course, Slovenia is on the border of Balkans, but this is what pushes Grgić forward – he masterfully mixes ethnic melodies of his motherland with rhythms of all Europe, from flamenco to reel. Of course in order to get the maximum from this track you should better use something more expensive, but due to the quality armature transducer RT-3 cope with this track on quite a level.
The Seldom Scene — Dancy Farrow Speaking about the world music, we cannot keep silence about the new The Seldom Scene release. Bluegrass bands that are approximately 50 years old are not abundant. There is everything that bluegrass is famous for in this new release of veterans. Auglamour cope with it well and underline the unusual banjo sound and piercing violin that are the basis of this composition.
Conclusions
I can say that the IEMs live up to their name in terms of design, but also offer rather quality sound for those who love more classical hybrid tuning. Together with good accessory set and affordable price, they can be really competitive in their segment.
Translated by: Vadim Kolchev
