Craft Ears Craft Six Review

Driveability & Sources

Looking at the numbers, the Craft Six should be an easy to drive monitor and it reality it also is. As stated above the Craft Six is quite transparent and it will show the DAPs characteristics in it’s final sound. Let’s have a look at how this monitor performs with some of the popular DAPs of the moment.

Cayin N6ii-R01

The Cayin N6ii with the latest 2R2 motherboard (review soon) is super clear and precise and it does really well with the Craft Six. Body-wise this is one of the fuller combos.

Bass with this combination is fully present and even the sub bass is rendering nicely. Bass never overpowers though and you get really good quality. The mids have a lovely timbre and the note extension and decay from top to bottom is extremely impressive. The treble section is natural, yet energetic. With its clear and fast delivery the higher notes are a pleasure to listen to. It’s a combo with great control and quality. I like it.

Lotoo Paw 6000

With this combo you get a smoother and warmer delivery, and the level of clarity is a little lower. The bass isn’t the tightest and it doesn’t show the quality bass the Craft Six can put out. Sure it’s full and warm, but it’s not overly impressive from a technical point of view.

The mid timbre is nice but it’s very soft. Voices here are softer and overall the energy level is lacking a bit. Same goes for the treble section.

For me the combo sounds a bit dark and it’s missing clarity and precision. It however is very full, warm and bold. So if that’s your thing, you might like it. IT’s not for me however.

Luxury & Precision LP6 Pro

From a “sound” point of view, Luxury & Precision offers extremely good quality and the LP6 Pro is one of the very best L&P players in this regard.

The Craft Ears Craft Six with this source is excellent. The LP6 Pro is perfectly in control, shows excellent speed and great precision. The presentation is naturally smooth and very musical. The detail retrieval also is excellent. It’s a softer, more relaxed presentation compared to the more clear and energetic N6ii-R01, but it’s more or less the same for what body and bass presence is concerned. Maybe it’s a bit lighter in the bass department with a not so tight rendering, but it’s still a please to the ear.

The treble in this combo is soft, very soft even. But it’s also musical, smooth and very easy to listen to. It’s pleasing to the ears but not the most clear or extended. Treble lovers will find this too soft and maybe even a bit boring.

HiBy R8

Together with the SP2000, the HiBy R8 is one of the DAPs I use most myself. Android, streaming and a good sound quality, what’s not ton like?

With the R8 the Craft six performs better than with the P6 Pro. It has the same amount of bass and body but it’s more energetic everywhere. It’s also more precise, more clear and faster. It’s simply a better match with this monitor, and it really brings out its best.

Bass has good impact, sub bass is powerful. You get a good and natural amount of body from top to bottom. Detail rendering overall is simply excellent. The mid timbre is impressive and the treble section – even if more energetic – is soft of the ear.

It’s an overall presentation which is easy to like. Looking at a pure technical level the R8 to me is the best one with the Craft Six so far, with the Cayin as a second. The Cayin and Craft Six combo is more digital sounding, where the R8 & Craft Six combo has a more natural, analogue type of sound.

Astell&Kern SP2000

When it comes to speed, precision, clarity and technicalities, the very best to me still is the SP2000. The Craft six for my ears seems like it was made for this DAP.

If you’re looking for the highest level of detail and precision, with a clear and fast yet musical presentation, look no further. The Craft six here sounds fast, tight, energetic and very clear. The amount of body from top to bottom as well as the bass impact is more to the lighter and neutral kind. It’s quality above quantity here, and at the highest level.

The mids are natural & detailed and they have excellent precision and clarity as well all musicality and energy. Great note extension, excellent layering, super impressive vocals. Just incredible mids, that’s all I can say. . The treble section in this combo of course is clear and energetic. It’s very precise and lively but never sharp, and it actually extends quite well. For me personally the SP2000 is the perfect portable source for the Craft Six. IF you want something fuller, more easy on the ears but still with a high level of technicalities, the R8 is the recommended DAP.

It’s impossible to describe the Craft Six’s sound with every possible source in our possession, but if you’re looking for something specific, let us know in the comments section.

Comparisons

There are plenty of 6 driver monitors on the market and around this price point, so let’s check out a couple of them as comparison. The source for this chapter is the SP2000, as it simply has the best technical performance.

UE 18+Pro

The Ultimate Ears U18+ Pro ($1499) despite what its name says is a six BA driver custom IEM and it’s quite comparable to the Craft Six. The latter however is more extended and spacious sounding, where the UE18/Pro is more intimate.

The UE’s presentation also is more direct where that of the Craft Six is more naturally smooth with better decay and extension in both notes as well as sound stage. Both monitors have great clarity and energy levels.

The UE18/PRO gives you a more compact feeling, but in regards to vocal presentation, bass presence and overall body, I find these to be quite close to each other. It will come down to personal preference, though for me the Craft Six has the technical upper level.

Earsonics EM64

The French Earsonics EM64 (€1140) is a 6 BA monitor with a very different driver. Where the Craft Six is coherent and balanced, the EM64 is not. With the Earsonics IEM you get a more V-shaped presentation, with bigger bass and vocal forwardness. The EM64 is extremer and not as technically strong in regards to extension, decay and fine detail retrieval. It’s more of a stage monitor than it is a precise, refined monitor.

The bass is big and impressive but it’s not always in control, yet it has its stage purpose. The EM64 isn’t as refined, precise and clear sounding and the mids compared to the Craft Six are very light and to the back. Upper mids and vocals are forwardly tuned so you’re getting a more w-shaped signature here. The treble is also very different as it in the Craft six is more extended, refined and refined.

Lime Ears Aether R

The Aether R is different in the sense that it uses a switch for the sub-bass. You can find out all about in our dedicated article here. Besides that, it also uses 6 BA drivers and it sells for about €1200 Euro.

With the bass switch in the off position, the Aether R sounds neutral, linear and flat with a light amount of body, lighter bass and somewhat more forward vocals. It’s detailed, precise and clear and has great energy just like the Craft Six. To get closer to the presentation of the Craft Six, you have to flick the bass switch however.

By doing that you get an amount of bass which is closer to that of the Craft Six, but it’s still lighter. Same goes for the amount of body in the mids which is also lighter. The Craft six is smoother in its delivery and it’s note extension and decay as well as the sound stage width surpasses that of the Aether R.

The Aether R, even with the switch on, is more neutrally tuned, with lighter body and presence. The treble section is not as extended and engaging imo. These monitors are just very differently tuned, the R has a more pro tuning, where the Craft Six to me has a more audiophile tuning with more extension, spaciousness and precision.

Conclusion

Just like with their Craft Four, Craft Ears has managed to deliver an overall very well performing monitor. You get a good mix between musicality and technical performance, which is something almost everyone likes.

The Craft Six keywords for me are: clarity, precision, note extension and balance (coherence).

With the Craft Six you simply get a high quality sound with a musical delivery. The Craft Six is getting the very most out of its drivers with a technically strong performance and a smooth musical tuning as a result.

Great sound, a good price and an overall excellent performer. That’s what the Craft Six is offering, and it easily deserves a spot in our Buying Guide, where it is now featured on our list of Recommended Buy Custom IEMs.

Page 1: Intro, Craft Ears, Craft Six, Technical Specs, Package & Accessories

Page 2: Build quality, Ergonomics, Customization, Sound, Intro, General, Classics

Page 3: Driveability & Sources, Comparisons, Conclusion