iBasso IT00 IEM Review

iBasso IT00 IEM Review
Introduction:
iBasso is Chinese company that is specialized in the Portable Audio products such like Digital Audio Players (DAP), Portable Amplifiers, USB DAC/AMP’s and In-Ear Monitors. iBasso
Webpage: http://www.ibasso.com/index.php
The IT00 is the new entry level IEM of the company that features a 10mm Diameter Dynamic Driver with 5µm thin multilayer Grapheme Diaphragm and Dual Helmholz Resonator. It comes also with Detachable cable with MMCX connector and is made of High Purity OFC wire cable.
Disclaimer:
I would like to thank iBasso for providing me the IT00 as review sample. I am not affiliated with iBasso beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.
Price:
The iBasso IT00 is available for 69.00 USD and can be purchased under the following link;
- Purchase Link: iBasso IT00
Package and Accessories:
The iBasso IT00 came in a small box that is wrapped with a white cardboard that has some brandings and the product illustration on the top.
This box includes the following contents;
- 1 pair x iBasso IT00 In-Ear Monitors
- 1 piece x Detachable Cable with MMCX connector
- 10 pairs x Silicone Ear Tips (1 pair came preinstalled)
- 2 pairs x Spare Screens
- 1 piece x Zipper Case1 piece x Warranty Card & Manual
Design, Fit & Isolation:
The iBasso IT00 shares a similar design that we have seen on previous models like the IT01 and IT01s.
The housing of the monitor shell is made of lightweight plastic material in white color and has a small shell that fits perfectly in to the ear concha.
According to iBasso, the plastic that is used for the housing is a special type of “Acoustical Plastic” material and not just a “run of the mill” plastic.
On the front of the monitor shell is the faceplate with the iBasso IT00 branding. The back inner part of the monitor shell features the sound nozzle and two vents.
The sound nozzle is made of metal and features a removable screen which makes the cleaning of the monitor nozzle easier.
On the top of the monitor are the Left (L) & Right (R) markings and the MMCX (Micro Miniature Coaxial) female connectors.
The isolation of the iBasso IT00 shows an average performance which is enough for the use in fairly noisy environments like a metro, bus or train trip.
There is a low amount of driver flex in the moment when you put the monitors in your ears, while I don’t find it annoying.
The Cable:
The IT00 comes with a detachable cable with MMCX connectors and is made of High Purity OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) material.
The cable has a braided design and has a TPU insulation in black color.
The MMCX male connectors are protected with a metal housing that do have Left & Right markings and ring indicators.
The cable sports also a metal Y splitter and a chin slider in black color.
The cable has an L profiled headphone jack housing with a 3.5mm TRS (single ended) headphone plug.
Please note that there’s a trick to easily disconnect the connector. You need to put your fingernail under the MMCX conncetor and slide it around next to the connection. It easily lifts the MMCX connection right up/separates it.
Technical Specifications:
- Driver Type : 10mm Diameter Dynamic Driver with Grapheme Diaphragm
- Freq. Res. : 10Hz-35 kHz
- Sensitivity : 106±2dB
- Impedance : 16 ohm
- Noise Atten. :-26dB
- Rated Power : 10mW
- THD : <1% (@ 1k Hz/1mW)
- Plug Size : 3.5mm TRS gold-plated
- Core length : 1.2m
- Weight : 8g without cable
Albums & tracks used for this review:
- Barry White – Just The Way You Are (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Isaac Hayes – Walk On By (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sting – Englishman in New York – (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Dave Gahan – Kingdom (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- B.B. King – Riding With The King (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
- First Aid Kit – My Silver Lining (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Sertap Erener – Aşk (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- London Grammar – Interlud (Live) (Flac 24bit/44kHz)
- Laura Pergolizzi – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live) (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Otto Liebert& Luna Negra – The River (Spotify)
- Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- No Doubt – Hella Gut (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Lorde – Royal (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
- Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
- Twerl – Lishu (Spotify)
- U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Portishead – The Hidden Camera (MP3 320kpbs)
- Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
- Opeth – Windowpane (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
- Slayer – Angel of Death (Spotify)
- Tom Player – Resonace Theory “Album” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
- Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
Sources used for this review:
- IEM : iBasso IT00, Shozy Hibiki, TFZ T2 Galaxy
- Sources : iBasso DX160, iBasso CF01, HiBy R3 Pro Saber, HiBy W5
The Sound:
The iBasso IT00 has a musical and full bodied midrange, deep and fast bass presentation and a treble range that is smooth and controlled. The general tonality of the IT00 is warm and smooth with a fairly bold subbass character.
Bass:
The iBasso IT00 offers a bass reproduction with a warm and soft character that has a sufficient depth performance.
The bass is pretty balanced in terms of quantity and intensity and shows a good subbass depth and extension thanks to the 10mm diameter dynamic driver. The bass shows a good level of depth from instruments like the contrabass up to synthetic bass notes.
The midbass of the IT00 is strong and pronounced, while the tonality is musical and soft. The slam effect of the midbass is on a good level followed with an additional rumble that comes from the subbass area.
Instruments like cross drums are pronounced, trumpets do sound bassy and fast, while bass guitars are warm and full bodied. The bass of the IT00 shows in general an average level of speed and control, while it doesn’t shows any remarkable negative situations like a midbass hump. The speed, intensity and tightness of the bass were successful for example with instruments like drums in songs of Opeth and Megadeth.
Midrange:
The Midrange of the iBasso IT00 is in general warmish, soft, slightly colored and shows an average level of airiness and clarity, while the detail retrieval and transparency can do compete with IEM’s around the 100 USD mark.
The lower midrange of the iBasso IT00 is slightly behind the bass and shows a good body and depth that gives the male vocals a moderate level of body. Male vocals do sound in general fairly musical and clear. Female vocals on the other hand are intimate, soft and transparent. The upper midrange tuning gives female voices a good level of detail and extension, without to make them too sharp or sibilant.
The instrument separation and clarity of the iBasso IT00 is on an average level, while the general tonality is musical and fairly natural. Instruments don’t show too much coloration which is a remarkable plus point for an IEM and this price range. Acoustic guitars do sound slightly warm, bassy and soft, while violins have a mildly warm, bold and emotional tonality.
Upper Midrange & Treble:
The iBasso IT00 has a mildly pronounced upper midrange tuning that is not very highlighted, while the general tonality is warmish and musical. The transitions in the upper midrange region are pretty soft and don’t show any remarkable negative conditions like over sharpness or over brightness. Instruments like violins are mildly bright and do shows a sufficient level of extension, while pianos are warmish, soft and controlled.
The treble range of the iBasso IT00 is less highlighted compared to the upper midrange area and has in general a pretty smooth and musical character. The treble extension is a bit short and doesn’t show any uncomfortable harshness. The level of airiness and sparkle that is produced by the 10mm dynamic driver is on an average level.
The lower treble range of the IT00 is more pronounced compared to the upper treble region which means that it shows a treble roll-off in this area. All in all, the treble range shows a moderate level of speed, quantity and detail retrieval.
Soundstage:
The iBasso IT00 has a soundstage that is suitable for a fairly precise placement of instruments and vocals. The stage is not too narrow or wide, while the level of airiness and space between instruments is average. The soundstage shows a slightly better performance in terms of wideness compared to its depth, which is quite sufficient for an IEM below the 100 USD price range.
Comparisons:
iBasso IT00 versus Shozy Hibiki:
The Shozy Hibiki is an In-Ear Monitor with a strong tuned V shaped sound signature. The iBasso IT00 has in general a fuller presentation that shows also a higher level of warmth.
The iBasso IT00 has the upper hand in terms of subbass depth and extension, compared to the Shozy Hibiki which has less quantity and depth in this area. The IT00 is superior in terms of bass intensity and depth, while I do find the Shozy Hibiki more successful when it comes to speed and tightness.
The midrange of the Shozy Hibiki sound a bit dry and too neutral/thin compared to the iBasso IT00 which offers a more musical and full bodied presentation in this area.
The upper midrange character makes the Hibiki more suitable for female vocals, while I do prefer the IT00 for male voices due to its better lower midrange depth and body.
The upper midrange of the IT00 has a softer and more controlled nature, compared to the Hibiki which is a bit sharp and prone to sibilance. The upper midrange of the Hibiki is slightly more detailed and shows better extension, while the IT00 offers a smoother and more fatigue free presentation.
The Treble range of the Shozy Hibiki is more highlighted, vivid and bright compared to the treble tuning of the iBasso IT00. The treble range of the Hibiki is also a bit too bright and sharp, which makes the IT00 more ideal for longer listening periods.
When it comes to the soundstage performance, I can say that the iBasso IT00 is more successful in terms of depth, while the Shozy Hibiki has a slightly advantage in point of soundstage wideness.
iBasso IT00 versus TFZ T2 Galaxy:
The TFZ T2 Galaxy is an In-Ear Monitor with a V shaped sound signature with a bass that is pretty fast and soft, a midrange that sounds quite lush and full bodied and a treble range that shows a fatigue free / relaxing presentation.
The subbass region of both In-Ear Monitors shows a sufficient level of depth. The iBasso IT00 has the upper hand in terms of subbass depth and extension. The midbass region of the TFZ T2 Galaxy has a softer tonality with moderate depth and intensity, while the iBasso IT00 offer more quantity, impact and depth.
The midrange of the iBasso IT00 is lightly more forward in its presentation and offers a more intimate and emotional presentation. The midrange tonality of both IEM’s is warm and smooth and do show an upper midrange tuning that is mildly highlighted. The lower midrange of the iBasso IT00 has more intensity and shows also a higher level of depth.
The treble range of the TFZ T2 Galaxy is slightly less pronounced compared to the iBasso IT00, while both In-Ear Monitors do share a soft and fatigue free treble character. The treble range of the iBasso IT00 shows in general more brightness, sparkle and airiness and offers also a slightly higher level of extension.
When it comes to the soundstage performance, I can say that both In-Ear Monitors do show an average level of wideness, while the soundstage depth of the iBasso IT00 is slightly better.
Conclusion:
The iBasso IT00 is a real Bang for the Buck with its highly entertaining and musical sound character and very comfortable fit which makes it to an ideal In-Ear Monitor for long listening periods. It comes also with a wide variety of ear tips, additional spare screen and a cute carry pouch.
Pros & Cons:
- + Good Sound Performance for the Price
- + Smooth & Fatigue Free Presentation
- + Comfortable Fit
- + Price to Performance Ratio
- + Wide Varity of Ear Tips
- – Soundstage wideness