Review: Akoustyx R-210 & R-220 – Discovery!

The R-210 sounds airy and very clean and for a 1 driver it is very energetic and dynamic. The level of detail is impressive, as well as the speed and control. I also love the decay in the mid and treble section. Body and impact wise these aren’t the biggest but Akoustyx has managed to make the R-210 precise and at he same time musical. The RE210 is not smooth, warm or dark. It’s clear, fast and precise.

The bass on the R-210 is light in both body and impact. It’s perfectly neutral bass, mostly present in the mid and upper bass. The R-210 doesn’t go down very low and the sub bass is a bit lacking. Bass definition isn’t the strongest either and it’s probably the weakest point of the R-210. Bass is tight, punchy and fast but again, all in a neutral way. IF you’re in to big bass, these really aren’t he IEMs for you, this is quality over quantity.

The real magic happens in the mids and especially the treble. The mid section extends well, is spacious and has perfect separation. The presentation is detailed, clear and airy. The vocals sound very natural making this a very pleasant and musical, yet precise mid section to listen to. The mids are neutral, yet musical and above all, very impressive!

The treble is really impressive with excellent clarity, detail and precision. It’s dynamic, very energetic and it extends well in both width and depth. Treble is presented in an energetic but natural and clean way, and the beauty is it never becomes harsh or sharp. If you like a neutral presentation/tuning and like excellent treble, then this R-210 will for sure please you.

What the R-210 pulls of with one driver at $119.99USD is impressive. What a discovery! Of both models, it’s actually this one I ended up using most of the time.

The R-220

For me the R-220 is the kind of the same but very different at the same time. Let me explain:

You still get the neutral signature, with excellent clarity and precision. The extension, dynamics and energy is also at the same great levels but there logically is a difference.

For me that lies in the upper mids, the vocals and the sharper treble. I don’t really feel a difference in the bass. Let’s dig in deeper.

The bass section to me is almost identical to that of the R-210 but because of the difference in upper mids and treble, the bass section seems to get drummed a bit more in the back ground, making it feel lighter even though it probably isn’t. Bass is light, fast, precise and clear, but less present.

The mid section especially is different with more forward sounding upper mids. As a result the voices sound more focused and to the front and for me the difference with the bass and lower mids is a little too big. Treble here also sounds somewhat sharper, even though it extends even further and has the better depth/layering..

To me the R-210 is the most coherent and linear sounding IEM of both. Bass is (seems) biggest, and the overall tuning just flows perfectly from bottom to top. The R-220 probably is the best one pure from a technical point of view as it has better decay, more timbre, a deeper stage and improved layering.

For my personal taste I prefer the R-210 but that for you can be the other way round. In any way, in order to love the R-220 you have to like a neutral signature and be a fan of more forward vocals and sharper treble.

Portable Player and Source Matching

The R-210 and R-220 are really easy to drive and they both perform great without amplification, straight from your phone. That being said, they both sound even better from a whole series of sources such as the AudioQuest DragonFly, the Herus, Mojo, Hugo2, etc etc.

If you like a neutral tuning and presentation (and you probably are if you’re looking into these) then I advice you to go for a clean and neutrally tuned source such as the Chord Mojo used in this test.

DAPs I recommend in this case are the SP1000, the Fiio X7ii with the reference amp module and the SP1000M. If you want to give the R-210 and R-220 more body and get bigger bass together with fuller mids and softer treble, my advise is to use a warmer, fuller source such as the iBasso DAPs, the Cayin N6ii, the Fiio X5iii or even the Sony WM1Z.

However I do recommend to not try to change the sound signature of these IEMs too much, as they really are high performing, neutrally tuned units.

Conclusion

I’m very happy that I got referred to Akoustyx by Knowles as I think they have created something really good at the price point they’re selling it for. The one Knowles BA-driver R-210 is my personal favorite and if you’re into great sounding, neutrally tuned IEMs, then you really should add this R-210 IEM to your collection. For only $119,99 this is a no-brainer and as a result I am putting the Akoustyx R-210 on our Best universal IEM list with all our Best IEM buys. It’s the discovery of the year so far for me.

The R-220, even though technically better, isn’t my personal favorite but it might be exactly what you are looking for. With its two Knowles BA drivers it’s a bit more expensive at $199,99, but it’s still not anywhere near bank breaking levels, and you get improved technicalities in return.