Things are often sweeter the 2nd time around but that is if the initial experience was on a positive note. What we have now for a realview is from a brand which is starting to be a regular on Audio Realviews, Malaysia’s very own, Hill Audio. They started way back 2016 and although they are still relatively new, their lineup is going strong in offering the Malaysian audiophile community with goodies from brands such as Knowledge Zenith, TRN, TENHZ, BQEYZ and many more.
The IEM that Hill Audio sent over for a review is their Altair RA (Refined Acoustic) priced at $37 or 149RM , which only comes in one color, transparent clear which appeared tinted with yellow and gold due to being dominated by gold-plated internal components. There are 2 other variations for the Altair line, the regular Altair (comes in clear resin shell with red and blue faceplates) and the Altair RA lite which comes with in a jade-colored faceplate and different stock cable and accessory set. There are no monetary factors involved in this collaboration and however it would be of great help if you would check their official Hill Audio Shopee storefront for the whole Altair lineup and their official Hill Audio Facebook page.
The Hill Audio Altair RA is spec’d out with a single 10mm custom-made dynamic driver with a 20Hz to 20kHz Frequency Response, 18 Ohm Impedance and a 103 dB Sensitivity. Marketed to have been tuned to provide a “balanced sound with strong bass, clear vocals and crisp treble and feel the music alive”, the Hill Audio Altair RA better not stump me dead with a dull and mundane sound signature.
Packaging and Build Quality
The Altair RA stays in line with Hill Audio’s idea of being environment friendly as well as a cost saving move of foregoing any external packaging and just have it packed as it would be for shipping, in bubble wrap and a cardboard box. The totality of the Hill Audio Altair RA package starts off with their plainly branded matte black storage zipper case which carries all the accessories inside, here is the complete list:
- 3 pairs (S, M and L) wide bore translucent white silicone ear tips
- 1 pair of Hill Audio C400 foam ear tips
- 4-core mixed-plated stock cable
- 6-core OFC cable with mic controls (not included in review unit but comes in retail units)
The Altair RA features a CIEM-inspired design which is built well with no noticeable cosmetic imperfections and the overall aesthetic look suggests that it punches well above its asking price. The Altair RA’s faceplate displays the embedded Hill Audio logo in gold and since the whole IEM is transparent, the internal wirings are easily visible which allowed for audiophiles to easily spot the red/blue connection cables. A single vent tube is also present for that dynamic driver. The Altair RA’s nozzle is gold-plated metal apart from its mesh, an aggressive nozzle lip is also present for a more secure ear tip attachment and ease of tip rolling.
The stock cable of the Altair RA is a 4-core twisted cable with gold and silver plating sheathed in clear TPU plastic. It also utilizes gold-plated MMCX connectors with the male connectors on the stock cable housed in a two-tone clear plastic and chrome look with subtle L and R markings. There is no over-ear memory guide which I personally believed is a must for an IEM designed to be solely worn in 1 way, over-ear. The Y-split is a barrel shaped hard plastic with a chrome-plated enclosure, a strain relief on both ends of the Y-split is absent. Microphonic noise from the cable was almost unnoticeable be it used when mobile or stationary.
Tonality and Isolation
The Hill Audio Altair RA being an IEM solely driven by a 10mm dynamic driver underwent the recommended 250-hour burn-in period, for the believers sake. The Altair RA showcased an overall warm sound signature with emphasis on the lower midrange frequency and soft approach on the upper frequencies. The Zishan DSD Pro (default settings) as well as the Sony CAS-1 via the MSI GF62-8RE laptop with Foobar2000 v1.4 churning out 16/44 Flac files was used for the duration of the realview which would be mentioned along the realview.
Lows
Depeche Mode’s Scum in 16/44 FLAC was on call for the Altair RA’s low-end test. The sub bass has a soft impact to it as well as power rendering a lingering feel. The successive bass drops created a stronger presence with its meatier delivery but still not much to make bassheads rock and thump to the beat. What was good on the Altair RA’s low-end was its ability to relinquish its presence when the ensuing frequencies comes into play making coherence a much more noticeable aspect.
Midrange
A midrange that is clear and lush is the Altair RA’s trump card. DNCE’s Toothbrush in 16/44 FLAC was rendered at its best with how the lower midrange was able to give what the bass department lacks, a much needed kick. The vocals are distinct while still being enjoyable to the ears especially at the 2:44 mark where the accompanying secondary vocals was not only intelligible but also engaging. DNCE’s fun sound was a great compliment to the Altair RA’s midrange emphasis enabling this to handle similar sounding tracks.
Highs
There’s no need to always standout from the crowd in order to contribute and be a useful component for the success of a band and the Altair RA’s highs follows this idea. Scorpion’s When Love Kills Love in 16/44 FLAC created and provided a good mix of constant and sudden bursts of treble which came out gentle and clear. It allows for the instrumental tones to manifest a concrete presence in the ensemble. There is subtle feel of sparkle and treble bite, a gentle approach wanting to go overboard but not enough to keep trebleheads to stay put and call the Altair RA a home.
Soundstage and Imaging
I had high hopes for an expansive soundstage from the Hill Audio Altair RA due to its custom-made dynamic driver. Although the overall result wasn’t a total letdown, the fact that the soundstage of the Altair RA leans on the intimate side was already a sign that maybe the single vent tube or even the CIEM-inspired design was taking its toll but it might really be just how the aspired tuning Hill Audio wanted. There is still great imaging and detail retrieval to be observed and depth creates a well discernable layering effect. Panning is sub-par and width takes a hit, but if you’re after that intimate ambience, Altair RA has the booze on the house.
Conclusion
Conclusions are often drawn out and thank goodness the Altair RA makes this part an easier job, wondering why? It’s because if you’re asking me if I recommend it, then it’s a yes. The aesthetics and build in itself already speaks for itself and while I would have preferred a more secured over-ear memory guide on the stock 4-core cable, the overall design language just screams “worth it!” The easy sounding highs and lush midrange sound it presents is geared toward enthusiasts that won’t find much to hate on and at the $37 price it is being offered, what’s there to lose? I even bought another pair for a friend who just won’t take no to keeping the Altair RA’s.
