#radsone

[woton]

#music #radsone #earstudioes100 #fiiofh1 一个比飞傲btr3更强大的蓝牙耳放earstudio es100，AKM4375A双DAC，2.5真平衡输出，配套的APP更是屌爆，解析和声场比btr3提升了一个档次，堪称神器。（在 高新区） https://www.instagram.com/p/BsA_WgSAY5b/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ejltjl4dakdc

[zitseng]

New Post has been published on https://zitseng.com/archives/17539

Radsone EarStudio ES100 Review

For some of us who prefer to use our wired headphones, the disappearance of 3.5 mm audio jacks from many new smartphones has been a problem. I’ve searched far and wide for a solution, and finally found something that works exceptionally well. This is the Radsone EarStudio ES100 Bluetooth audio receiver.

Most people who get one of the newer smartphones which come without a 3.5 mm audio jack will do what the manufacturers want them to do — get new Bluetooth headphones. If a USB Type-C to 3.5 mm audio adapter is included, a few users will make do with that. Then, some fortunate people will find USB Type-C wired headphones included with their new smartphones, and they are happy to use that.

The USB Type-C adapter is inconvenient to use, and if I wanted to continue using my existing wired headphones, it seems I have to get myself a Bluetooth audio receiver. It sounds simple, but unfortunately, I’ve gone through a bunch of them and come away mostly disappointed. That is, until the Radsone EarStudio ES100.

Radsone EarStudio ES100 retail box

I hadn’t previously known about this brand, so I was apprehensive about their EarStudio ES100. The EarStudio ES100 costs more than other Bluetooth audio receivers I had been testing, though not as much of some other very premium products. I wasn’t sure if that is a good thing or bad thing.

On paper, the EarStudio ES100 has an impressive feature list and specification sheet. This Bluetooth audio receiver supports 24-bit audio with LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, SBC, and AAC codecs. It can also work as a USB DAC. A built-in microphone allows you to use it to take calls. I thought it should be worth checking out.

The EarStudio ES100’s plastic body measures 52 x 31 x 12 mm and weighs 20 grams. It’s considered small, though certainly not amongst the smallest, and I do prefer that it was flatter. Those body dimensions exclude the clip on the back. The clip itself seems to be made of metal. You can easily attach the EarStudio ES100 to your clothing.

Left side: 3.5 mm audio jack, volume rocker, and microphone

Quite unusually, you’ll both a 3.5 mm audio jack and 2.5 mm audio jack on the EarStudio ES100. They are both for audio output. The difference is that the latter is used for unbalanced signal, the regular kind you would probably be needing for your headphones. The latter is for a balanced signal, and perhaps a hint that the ES100 is quite a “pro” device. If you don’t know what or how the balanced signal is used, you probably don’t need it.

The regular 3.5 mm audio jack is on the left side of the EarStudio ES100, along with the volume rocker and built-in microphone. This volume rocker is an analog volume control. This is different from the digital volume level which you control at the source. Most other Bluetooth audio receivers has only one volume control, the one on the gadget itself controls the same digital audio volume.

The separate volume control setup on the EarStudio ES100 means that you can have the digital volume pushed up, then adjust the analog volume level for optimal audio performance.

The balanced 2.5 mm audio jack on the left side of the EarStudio ES100 is accompanied by the track backward/forward controls and a play/pause button.

Right side: track backward/forward control, play/pause, and 2.5 mm audio jack

It’s important to have physical controls, but I don’t like how they are designed on the EarStudio ES100. The buttons on the ES100 are small, plastickly, and hard to feel and tell apart without looking at them. There’s also little tactile feedback to know when you’ve activated them. On the other hand, it’s good that these buttons are not easy to accidentally activate, a problem which I had with one other Bluetooth audio receiver.

A LED ring on the front of the EarStudio ES100 provides various status indications. It is multi-coloured, with blue, red, green, and white. In normal use with a Bluetooth connection, you’ll just see the LED briefly flash in blue every couple of seconds.

In Bluetooth mode, the EarStudio ES100 supports 24-bit audio with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC codecs. I’m happy to see several modern codecs like aptX, aptX HD and LDAC supported, but a little disappointed that aptX Low Latency wasn’t specifically listed. Fortunately, when testing using LDAC with my Pixel 3 XL, I found no discernible latency. It’s good to know that the enjoyment of movies won’t be impaired by audio-sync issues.

The MicroUSB port at the bottom of the EarStudio ES100 is used for charging, as well as turning it into a USB DAC, functioning as a USB Audio Class 1.0 interface when you connect it to a computer. It is plug-and-play, no drivers needed, and the ES100 supports 48 kHz 16-bit audio. 24-bit audio is supported in macOS only.

Bottom: Micro-USB port

I really like the fact that the EarStudio ES100 can be both a Bluetooth audio receiver and a USB DAC. This means I can easily transition from a wireless smartphone connection to a wired desktop connection, without having to reconnect my headphones, and be able to recharge the ES100 at the same time. Furthermore, I will hear the same sound signature, since the hardware producing the analog audio signal is the same.

I’m really pleased with the sound quality on the EarStudio ES100. The ES100 sounds wonderful, and I have absolutely no complaints. I tested only the 3.5 mm unbalanced audio output using my JH16 custom in-ear monitors. This is the best Bluetooth audio receiver I’ve heard. Most importantly, there is no discernible background noise or hiss at any volume level and in any mode, a common problem I had with other Bluetooth audio receivers.

Under the hood, the EarStudio ES100 has two AK4375a DAC/AMP chips from Asahi Kasei providing plenty of driving power. Radsone provides the output specifications as follows:

Output RMS power: 3.5 mm unbalanced at 1.1 V, 2.5 mm balanced at 2.2. V

SNR (1 kHz, 20 kHz AES17): 3.5 mm unbalanced 109 db (+2.8 dBu), 2.5 mm balanced 110 dB (+8.8 dBu)

THD+N (1 kHz, 20 kHz AES17): 3.5 mm unbalanced 0.0022%, 2.5 mm balanced 0.0014%

Output impedance: 0.5 – 1 ohm

The built-in battery is rated for 14 hours.

A feature of the EarStudio ES100 surprisingly not highlighted by Radsone is Ambient Sound mode. The microphones on the ES100 pick up environmental sounds and mixes that into the audio fed into the headphones, enabling you to hear your environment even if your headphones are somewhat sound isolating. This is very useful when you need to hear sounds around you, or be able to speak with a colleague without having to take off your headphones.

EarStudio companion app in Android

The EarStudio companion app on Android and iOS is packed with plenty of features, and it also shows you more of what the ES100 is capable that isn’t obvious from looking at the physical hardware itself.

Apart from the usual equaliser settings, the app allows you to configure output impedance, jitter reduction, filters, and oversampling rate. There are firmware updates for the EarStudio ES100 too, and I had an update applied during my testing.

There is so much more to cover in the companion app that it deserves a separate post on its own. I’ll have this follow-up post written up in the next fortnight.

EarStudio ES100 retail package contents

The EarStudio ES100 retail packaging includes just one short Micro-USB cable, and a brief instruction sheet to get you started.

I don’t consider myself an audiophile, but I can be quite discerning and picky with what I hear. The Radsone EarStudio ES100 is the best Bluetooth audio receiver I’ve tested to date, and I’m happy to recommend it to any discerning listener who’s looking to Bluetooth-enable their wired headphones.

The Radsone EarStudio ES100 retails at US$99, and is available from Amazon (affiliate link). Amazon (US) ships this item to Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand. EU residents can also order from Amazon UK.

A quick word on Radsone: They are a relatively young company, founded in 2011, and based in South Korea. They describe themselves as a full stack audio company. They’ve developed a number of technologies which are used in several big name products, including those from Qualcomm, Audio-Technica, LG, and Astell & Kern. The EarStudio ES100 is their first consumer hardware product.

Conclusion

The Radsone EarStudio ES100’s sound quality, features, and capabilities make it easy to recommend to any discerning listener who needs to Bluetooth-enable their wired headphones.

Pros:

Bluetooth audio receiver and USB DAC

Both 3.5 mm unbalanced and 2.5 mm balanced output

Advanced codecs like aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC

No hiss, no noise

Both digital and analog volume controls

Cons:

Plastic build

Physical controls hard to use

[hamadawataru]

Radsone Earstudio ES100 #Radsone #Earstudio #audio #music #amp (イヤホン・ヘッドホン専門店eイヤホン)

[02rainbowblog]

Hi-Fi 블루투스 리시버 — Radsone EarStudio (래드손 이어스튜디오)

Radsone(래드손)이라는 회사를 알게 된 것은 앱스토어에서의 기간 한정 무료 앱 행사를 통해서였다. 디지털 노이즈를 줄이고 자연스러운 소리를 만들어 준다는 Radsone의 기술은 음악 듣기를 좋아하던 내게 매력적이었다. 이후 음향 처리 방식의 변화를 거치며 향상된 DCT 기술을 새롭게 공개했고, 나아가 오디오 컨버터인 airDAC를 거쳐 킥스타터와 인디고고에서의 크라우드 펀딩을 통해 고음질 블루투스 리시버 EarStudio(이어스튜디오)를 만들기에 이르렀다. 

EarStudio는 블루투스를 통해 Radsone의 DCT 기술과 EQ를 적용한 소리를 들을 수 있는 Hi-Fi 블루투스 리시버다.

구성품은 단촐하다. 이어스튜디오 본체와 충전 및 USB 입력, 펌웨어 업데이트가 가능한 짧은 마이크로 USB 케이블이다. 기존 안드로이드 기기에 주로 쓰이던 단자와 같은 형태다. 설명서는 EarStudio 웹 사이트를 통해 읽을 수 있다.

왼쪽에는 3.5mm 이어폰 단자와 음량 조절 버튼, 자체 마이크가 있다. 마이크는 Ambient Sound(앰비언트 사운드) 기능에 쓰이는데, 이어폰을 착용한 상태에서도 외부 소리를 함께 들을 수 있는 기능이다.

오른쪽에는 이전/다음 트랙 버튼과 재생/정지 버튼, 2.5mm 이어폰 단자가 있다. 재생/정지 버튼은 전원 버튼으로도 쓰인다.

뒷면에는 금속 스프링으로 고정되는 클립이 있어 옷이나 주머니 등에 끼울 수 있다.

사소한 배려로, 윗부분에는 끈을 끼워 고정할 수 있는 구멍도 있다.

EarStudio를 설정하기 위해서는 iOS나 안드로이드에서 EarStudio 앱을 설치해 연결해야 한다. 앱을 통해 배터리 확인 및 각종 음향 설정이 가능하다. 물론 배터리는 EarStudio가 연결된 OS상에서도 기능을 지원한다면 확인할 수 있다. 소리 재생은 EarStudio 앱이 없더라도 노트북이나 태블릿 PC 등 블루투스 음향 출력이 지원된다면 가능한데, 멀티 페어링이 가능하기 때문에 여러 기기에 연결하더라도 음향이 출력되는 기기로 알아서 전환된다.

음질은 기존의 Radsone DCT 기술에 더해 두 개의 Hi-Fi DAC가 장착된 기기인 만큼 충분히 만족스럽다. 분명하게 말해 두건데, 여기에서의 음질은 가짜 Hi-Res 음원과 같은 과장이 아니다. 체감이 가능한 향상이다. 더불어 블루투스 음향 연결이 가능한 기기라면 어떤 소리라도 원하는 EQ로 들을 수 있다는 점 역시 장점이다.

다만 다른 이어폰은 테스트해보지 못했지만, 애플 기기의 리모컨 컨트롤 방식을 기준으로 만들어진 이어폰의 경우 재생/정지 기능을 포함해 이어폰의 리모컨 버튼을 전혀 사용할 수 없다. 또한 버튼의 클릭감이 가볍고 손쉬운 조작이 힘든 편이다.

한편 무선이다 보니 소리 반응이 중요한 게임에서 사용하기에는 무리가 있다. 지연이 큰 것은 아니지만, 리듬 게임과 같이 빠르게 눌리는 버튼의 반응이 이루어지는 경우 유선 연결보다 굼뜬 속도를 느낄 수 있다.

EarStudio는 이런 사람에게 추천한다.

우수한, 향상된 음질을 원하는 사람

유튜브나 사운드클라우드, 애플 뮤직 등의 스트리밍 서비스를 통해서도 EQ 적용을 원하는 사람

스마트폰과 태블릿 PC, 노트북 등 여러 기기를 넘나들며 음악을 듣는 사람

유선 이어폰으로 무선 음악 감상을 원하는 사람

음악 덕후

가수 덕후

밴드 덕후

성우 덕후

그리고 이런 사람에게는 추천하지 않는다.

음질보다도 이어폰을 통한 Siri 사용이 중요하다고 생각하는 사람