Akoustyx LLC is an audiophile earphone company based off San Jose, California with their assembly team in Nashville, Tennessee. Their team is composed of individuals from various disciplines in the audio community which decided to finally take a leap of faith and put out what their distinct version of we all know a UIEM should be. While the Akoustyx team were taking a leap of faith, their R1 and R2 series of audiophile earphones are also sneakily creeping within the audiophile community and the usual lack of information about them is intriguing enough.
Addressing that lack is why Akoustyx sent in 2 of their products in exchange for an honest realview, no monetary factors are involved as well. What we would be checking out is their R-115 and R-220 UIEMs. You can check out Akoustyx on their official site which is where purchase can be made as well as they currently are still in the search of official partner distributors.
The R-115 UIEM features a single BA driver by Knowles with a 15Hz to 20kHz Frequency Response, 22 Ohm Impedance and 113dB Sensitivity which is priced at $169 but currently on sale for $120. The R-220 UIEM is Akoustyx TOTL UIEM as of the moment and features dual BA drivers by Knowles with a 15Hz to 22kHz Frequency Response, 29 Ohm Impedance and 109dB Sensitivity which retails at $250 but also on sale for $200.
I can’t wait to get intimate with the R-220 and having the R-115 on the side just feels great, let’s see where this excitement gets us.
Packaging and Accessory set
The Akoustyx brand is identifiable with their signature blue and silver/gray guise with the packaging of the R1 and R2 series highlighting this. Both models sports similar vertically oriented boxes with the specific models snapshot upfront and product specifications all over the box. Opening this particular box will reveal a black cardboard cutout covering the foam cutouts were the R-115 and R-220 rests, underneath this are the accessory set which are almost identical except from some minor differences, here’s a complete list of what accessories are included in both models.
R-115: 4 set Freebit ear interface, Silicone ear tips (S, M, L and Bi-flange), Carry case and T-100 Comply foams.
R-220: 3 set EarLock retention interface, Silicone ear tips (S, M, L and Bi-flange), Carry case and T-100 Comply foams.
R-115 Build Quality
Akoustyx eliminated your chances of having headaches from choosing what color you’d be getting for their products as they only come in 1 signature colorway and the R-115’s distinct colorway is a clear white aesthetic. The R-115 is shaped like a bean and fits well on most ear contours and the included Freebit silicone interfaces allows for a more personalized and secure fit. There were no obvious glues and the internal wirings are done well. A nozzle lip is present which made the already great stock ear tips much more valuable. A subtle Akoustyx logo is placed on the clear faceplate which is barely noticeable even when meticulously checked.
The included stock cable on the R-115 is just the perfect blend of good and bad. The OFC copper cable utilizes a twist braid and that’s where the 1st bad arises, this very orientation enabled the cable to retain fold easily which made it hard to somewhat store on the go, the mere twists of the cable makes the whole to also twist making it tangle on its own. It does look great though and will surely attract some on-lookers but a round braid would have been better or something else. The next thing that was a bit off on the stock cable was the inclusion of the mic controls, I personally have no hate for mic controls but for a “stage reference” marketed set, it just doesn’t sit well. The mic controls do work great when used though especially with its tactile feedback feel when pressed and the mic has great clarity to it. The chin slider works great and compliments the stock cables look as well as the right-angled gold-plated 3.5mm jack which has just enough strain relief. The pre-folded memory wire over ear guides warrants a thumbs up as well as the tight and reliable MMCX connectors which came in clear plastic again to match the IEM itself. There is a slight tinge of microphonic noise observed even when worn over the ear for the R-115’s cable and if the mic controls are there to stay, at least make it in clear plastic housing too, right? Nonetheless, the R-115’s cable shows the willingness of Akoustyx to cater to as much consumer needs as possible but as the saying goes, you can’t please everyone hence they eventually have to give up some and I put my vote on removing the mic controls and the twist braid technique on the next iteration of the R-1 series.
R-220 Build Quality
I won’t lie here, the R-220 gave me excitement the moment I saw that bullet type silhouette which is designed for over ear use, it is one of the many personal biases that I have towards comfort-based aspects so when the R-115 and R-220 came to my doorsteps, you can surely guess which one I picked to open first.
The R-220’s L-shaped bullet type design language is a completely contrasting design from the R-115, when the R-115 aims to conform to the individuals ears, the R-220 deviates from that and aims to create its own path to rest on your ears, except when you pop in the EarLock retention interfaces and it becomes a pseudo-UIEM. The same great build quality is also present in the R-220 as expected, the nozzle has a well-pronounced lip to make ear tip rolling a walk in the park. Its body allows for a subtle sneak peek into internals as half of it is in smoked gray plastic and the other in solid black with either L or R markings along with the Akoustyx logo in white. The same sentiments from the R-115’s stock cable can be made on the stock cable of the R-220 as they are virtually identical in build and specifications.
Tonality and Isolation
The R-115’s choices of Freebit ear interfaces made the isolation test to take some getting used to and while all provides great isolation experiences, I’ve decided to go with the small-sized interfaced for the duration of the realview. The R-220’s EarLock retention interfaces were an entirely different, it surely not made for isolation but for a comfortable and secure fit which ironically didn’t personally resonate with me, there was nothing bad about it, I just prefer to wear and use it bare and naked and experience a full-on over ear bullet-type IEM. I also used the included bi-flange ear tips as well as the Sony A46HN music player and the Sony CAS-1 off my MSI GF62-8RE laptop using Foobar2000 v1.4.6 outputting various FLAC files which would be mentioned along the realview.
R-115: Gently sneaking in into your ears and acclimating is what the R-115’s about. It embodies a great warm sound that handles the low-end and high frequencies in a mellow manner. The midrange tones aren’t highlighted too much as well and it doesn’t push one specific frequency over the top making it a good all-rounder set of IEMs.
R-220: The R-220 is touted to be a “studio reference IEM” and the use of “reference” there is apt with how the R-200’s sound signature turned out to be. It is a balanced sounding set with a personally preferred upper frequency emphasis which gives it 2 biases for me personally, first is its bullet-type silhouette and then this high frequency emphasis.
Lows
R-115: The R-115 is overall leaning in the warm sound signature and that is evident with the sub bass delivery that it throws in a nimble and fast manner while still being punchy enough. Jamiroquai’s Nights Out in the Jungle in 16/44 FLAC gives out a solid mid bass performance that has great weight to it and impacts with authority, bass drops are full-bodied and robust. The lack of a lingering aspect of the R-115s lows is one of its key attributes that is worth noting.
R-220: The R-220’s low-end performance isn’t its bread and butter. Sub bass delivery gives it a thick feel but still nimble enough to dissipate and not leak out towards the succeeding frequency. Its mid bass is rendered tight and sturdy, not punchy but still drops with a soft thud. Bass drops are full and has smooth texture overall giving it a great foundation for the midrange.
Midrange
R-115: Coming off as warm sounding, the R-115 makes this into a strength rather than weakness in tackling the midrange, its lower midrange tones hits the bank just right with its deep and full sound. Norah Jones with Shoot the Moon in 16/44 FLAC packs relaxing vocals and the R-115 gives out a smooth midrange without being too tame. The upper midrange is open and well-controlled and allows the listener to savor the moment.
R-220: Engaging and lush, the R-220’s midrange is plenty enough to disassociate the R-220 from the other dull sounding signatures. Its lower midrange is full and doesn’t sound distant. The midrange vocals are rendered with air and emotions are easily felt within its delivery, especially female vocals. The upper midrange is slightly-boosted but well-controlled and gives a smile on ones face.
Highs
R-115: The high frequency presentation of the R-115 emulates its appearance. Its overall behavior on this frequency is clean and mellow. There is no sudden sharp peaks that would get highlighted in some tracks. There is no treble extension on this one and while some may not prefer it, the R-115 makes sure that what it lacks won’t take away from its overall sound. It still makes for an enjoyable experience when handling treble-heavy tracks and as since it doesn’t do “sharp”, it sure doesn’t do “cut”.
R-220: The R-220’s ability to handle the highs is what drives its reputation forward in a good way. Treble hits are crisp and clean in a precise manner. There is extension to be observed that lifts the already engaging and lively experience to a more upbeat and refreshing feel. Sibilance is absent and harsh peaks are fortunately away for the holidays.
Soundstage and Imaging
R-115: Soundstage on the R-115 is much more about being intimate in your daily musical endeavors than giving you a concert-like width experience, and while depth has good focus to it, the width takes a step back and is limited in its reach. Imaging is great though and the layering is easily perceivable. Distinct instrumental tones are easy to spot in the already intimate ambience created by the R-115.
R-220: While the R-220 is still intimate with its soundstage, it is still able to recreate a well-defined holographic feel which benefits from the accurate timbre that it gives. Imaging is good as well with above average layering. Subtle nuances are perceivable and has good clarity which overall gives it a good resolution.
Conclusion
The Akoustyx duo of the R-115 and R-220 shows glimpses of both the good and the bad that is present in all brands. Both falls victim to the faults of its stock cable despite it doing its job sound wise and looking great. What the bad wasn’t able to do though was the ability of the R-115 and R-220 to sound great, with the R-115s’ well-defined warm signature and the R-220s engaging balanced sound. Comfort and isolation on both are top-notch, thanks to both Freebit and EarLock features, its build quality and accessory set is also evident of reliable materials. For its asking price and sound, I’d personally lean towards the R-220.
