If you want something done right, do it yourself. There’s a sense of accomplishment in doing things your own way which also paves the way for a deeper appreciation on the journey and the experiences attached to it. Sure there would be challenges and obstacles but once those are hurdled then the result only gets sweeter. Periodic Audio as a company prides itself in handling about their business in such approach which makes for a good foundation if they are to stay and last in the audiophile game.

Their latest creation, the Periodic Audio Carbon IEM is an interesting take on DIY and we’ll find out why. They sent in the review unit in exchange for an honest realview and no monetary factors are involved. I have realviewed their other IEMs, the Magnesium and Beryllium as well as their dedicated amplifier, the Nickel and they all exhibit what Periodic Audio is about, form and function and sometimes exceeding it. The Periodic Audio Carbon is priced at $399 and you can check it out from the official Periodic Audio website.

The Periodic Audio Carbon features their very own lab-grown 8 micron layer diamond which was used the single dynamic driver. It is spec’d out with a 12 Hz to 38 kHz Frequency Response, 32 Ohm Impedance and a 98dB SPL at 1mW in ear Sensitivity. The mere usage of minute diamond components on the Carbon’s drivers gives an interesting and intriguing appeal. But is it just for show or does it make the Carbon anything more than just some fancy IEM? Let’s drill and burrow further.

Packaging and Build Quality

Staying true to their form, the Periodic Audio Carbon’s packaging doesn’t provide the usual treatment other brands accord to their flagship models but instead treats it as an equal to all their other IEM offerings. It comes with their signature white box with cardboard cutouts for the round metal case which stores the accessories and an acrylic receptacle that holds the Carbon IEMs in place. Here’s a list of the complete accessories that comes with the Periodic Audio Carbon;

• Round tin case
• 1/4in adapter
• Airline adapter
• Black Periodic Audio foam eartips (S,M and L)
• Black Periodic Audio Bi-flange eartips (S,M and L)
• Black Periodic Audio Silicone eartips (S,M and L)

The Periodic Audio Carbon employs a variety of technology that contributes to its rigid build. Its sleek black metal faceplate with the Periodic Audio logo utilizes the Metal Injection Molding process which is an industry standard used in firearms and it shows, the faceplate almost looks hard plastic with its intricate detail on the logo and its circular border. Its body is made of polycarbonate material and it indeed feels premium and even shows a semi matte look. A single vent is present on the top portion of the Carbons’ body and another unique characteristic of Periodic Audio IEMs is its metal mesh on its nozzle which is red for the right ear piece and plain black for the left ear piece. It works great when you’re in a well lit room but sometimes when I use the Carbon for some quick late night gaming then the left/right identifier would be a struggle.

It’s growing old now but the Periodic Audio IEMs has always been made with attached cables and the Carbon, despite being Periodic Audio’s latest release is still utilizing this practice. There’s nothing wrong with the stock cable as it works great and has enough strain relief on its joints and it doesn’t tangle too. You can check out my Periodic Audio Beryllium and Magnesium realviews for a more detailed look on it. It would just be a breath of fresh air if Periodic Audio finally adapts the detachable cable game and I’m excited how they interpret it.

Tonality and Isolation

The Periodic Audio Carbon takes the flagship status away from the Beryllium and it does it in a respectable manner by offering a balanced sound signature but with a much more accurate resolution and exceptional detail retrieval. I observed the “recommended” 250 hour burn in period for the Carbon and used the included small-sized Periodic Audio Bi-flange silicone eartips. I used the Zishan DSD Pro along with the Periodic Audio Nickel amplifier (Portable) and the Sony CAS-1 system off an MSI GF62 8RE laptop using Foobar2000 v1.4 (Desktop) for the duration of the realview outputting FLAC files which would be mentioned along the realview.

Lows

Lady Gaga’s Brown Eyes in 24/44 FLAC graced the low-end test of the Carbon. The sub bass was rendered in a nimble and punchy feel with a tad lack of rumble while the mid bass was handled in a tight and weighty delivery. It is already showing just with those 2 aspects on the low-end that the Carbon is about doing the lows quick and clean, Kenshin Himura style. Should bassheads get this based on the lows alone? That would be a maybe. Should bassheads go ahead and check out what the midrange and highs has to offer? Heck yeah.

Midrange

The Periodic Audio Carbon doesn’t shy away from presenting its ace up its sleeve and that’s with how it tackles the midrange. Michael Bublé came in for the midrange audition of the Periodic Audio Carbon with his Lady Is a Tramp track in 16/44 FLAC and it gave out a full sounding lower midrange with a lush and rich male vocal output. There is great control to be observed on the upper midrange which is sounded slightly-boosted but doesn’t reach an edgy outcome. The Periodic Audio Carbon can make you blend and harmonize with your vocal obsessions without being left out, just avoid singing with the song if you can when you’re out in your fave café.

Highs

By working on what made the Beryllium such a lovable and easy to recommend treble-centric IEM made the Carbon achieve a similar and to some extent snappier high frequency performance. Lady Gaga is back and this time with her The Fame track in 24/44 FLAC and the Carbon choice of attack is rendering the treble in crisp and sharp hits that doesn’t struggle with loads of high frequency. Treble extension is indeed present on the Carbon but is devoid of harsh peaks and sibilance. Sparkle as well is easy to distinguish. Should trebleheads get this based on the highs alone? That would be a yes.

Soundstage and Imaging

The Periodic Audio Carbon’s soundstage has one step out the door with its bullet-type design and choosing the best seal and fit with their provided selection of ear tips is key. This is one of the instances where a wide range of ear tip choices comes into play and not only does it allow the user to get the best seal and fit but also occasionally change the ear tips depending on the degree of seal and fit that is demanded on certain situations. The Periodic Audio Carbon showed great separation ability and distinguishing left to right harmonics was easy as 1,2,3 which aided in the aspect of identifying where the sound comes from. The soundstage is indeed done in a spacious manner with imaging taking the driver’s seat and gives the Carbon exceptional clarity and layering.

Conclusion

The Periodic Audio Carbon is simplicity and diligence taking a physical form. Its singular components are scrutinized with detail that gives its outstanding yet covert build quality and feel. The accessory set is more than enough but when putting into perspective that Periodic Audios’ base model, the Magnesium has the same accessory set shows that there’s room for improvement which leads us to the thing we certainly agree on hoping to come to the next generation of Periodic Audio IEMs, detachable cables. But if that won’t come, the Periodic Audio Carbons’ balanced sound signature and stellar clarity and detail retrieval alone will earn it a recommendation. Now off you go, I need to get back listening to the Carbon.