Review: LEAR LCM-Turbo | Double Act

LEAR LCM-Turbo

FIT

I didn’t face fitting problems with my review sample here therefore there wasn’t any need for a refit process. But if you ever face something like that, LEAR provides a refit period of 1 year as I mentioned on the first page. Again, that doesn’t cover a totally new shell. Yet if you need some fine adjustments like trimming or sanding etc., you have a 1 year period to do that.

The LEAR LCM-Turbo is a quite comfortable custom monitor. It doesn’t fit very deep so it’s more comfortable then my PEARS SH-3 for instance. However the isolation of the SH-3 is of course better. So there’s a trade off in this case, between comfort and isolation. It’s still much better than universal monitors for certain though. The vents for the dynamic drivers also affects the isolation here but not that much. It’s still like a classic CIEM, maybe with just slightly lower isolation.

It sticks out from your ears a little bit, probably due to those large drivers when compared to BA ones. Nothing serious but they still aren’t the perfect companion for sleeping in that regard.

PRICE

The LEAR LCM-Turbo goes for around 220$ and that’s like extremely cheap in the CIEM world today. It is the cheapest CIEM in the market as far as I know. But you can always comment here if you know a cheaper option among manufacturers. That’s the information from my market knowledge.

In my opinion this could be the perfect entrance to the CIEM field if you’re somehow interested in having a custom model. 220$ is the base price of course but my point is still valid, this would be a great first step for the people who would like to try a CIEM before committing to a higher level one.

SOUND

The whole thing begs the question; okay it’s low cost but how does it sound? This is where the rubber meets the road for sure so let me say this: It sounds beautiful, easy to listen to, forgiving, fun, smooth and organic with a strong bass response. Listening to a full dynamic setup usually feels very different compared to BA ones.

So if you’re a fan of BA drivers this could sound strange to you at first. Hybrid configurations are a different story than this also; since the dynamic drivers here cover the whole spectrum. So it obviously is a different experiment but I’ll say it again; it’s hard to find a cheaper CIEM in the market, if there’s one at all. It utilizes 6mm & 9mm drivers inside with a 2-way crossover. LEAR claims using of a Hi-Fi grade German solder and OFC interconnection wires as well.

BASS

Bass is very punchy, full and it has great rumble. This is the delicious part of every dynamic setup if the tuning is handled properly. The lows of LEAR LCM-Turbo are impressive from every way for its price range. Good resolution and layering, very nice deepness and emphasis as a whole. Sub bass part is stronger than mid bass and because of that you can feel its strong rumble and punch when the recording requires.

It has a high amount of body in this part of the spectrum and I can say it’s a little more than neutral levels for quantity. But it’s surprisingly good for the quality side as well, apart from speed. The lows are not the most rapid I’ve heard, and that’s probably because of sub bass quantity. So in very complex and fast tracks it could form some trouble, but it depends on your favorite genres in the end. Other factors such as separation from mids, punch, deepness, accentuation and extension are excellent for this price.

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MIDS

Middle frequencies sound thick and dark-ish compared to reference sounding monitors. The transparency is of course not on a high level at this price range, but overall resolution of mids is good. They’re slightly behind but they play from a realistic distance but feels like behind a thin veil. The result is thick, full and dark sounding mids overall. There’s no harshness in there and it’s actually very forgiving because of its character. So you can throw anything to it, you’ll have that smooth and dark sound all the time

It certainly sounds highly musical & natural so I can say that it’s very organic in this part. I would’ve like to have crisper mid response with more transparency, but then again wouldn’t it be a little unfair for this beauty? Female vocals sound especially soft and caressing. I don’t have a problem with the quantity either. I already mentioned that it’s a very different experiment compared to BA models and yes, it certainly is. The dynamic setup doesn’t give perfectly clear or crisp response, yet it’s very very musical and natural. So one can clearly understand that this CIEM is made for musical enjoyment.

TREBLES

Highs have good energy and articulation. They have a very realistic position in the stage and there’s good space between them and the other two parts of the spectrum. They have good emphasis as well but they’re not in your face. That means trebles have some distance, and they I think are tuned to be very smooth and without any peaks. LEAR LCM-Turbo is relaxed, easy to listen to in this regard. This is not a sharp treble response, instead it’s kind and forgiving like the mids.

So don’t expect great detail like the TOTL IEMs give you. It’s not muffled or too veiled, but you need to focus a little to hear the details. Otherwise they won’t come to you and show themselves easily. I don’t have a problem with that for this price, as I think this is a great CIEM for the money. But if you like a sharper and brighter sound than it’s not your perfect match.

The things I loved and surprised to hear though is the separation of trebles, and the overall articulation. Yes, trebles don’t have a lot of presence, but they don’t stick to each other, they can show themselves one at a time, and they’re well separated from mids and they have great positioning.

Continue to technical comments, comparisons and conclusion on PAGE 3

4.8/5 - (21 votes)
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A keen audiophile and hobby photographer, Berkhan is after absolute perfection. Whether it is a full-frame camera or a custom in-ear, his standpoint persists. He tries to keep his photography enthusiasm at the same level as audio. Sometimes photography wins, sometimes his love for music takes over and he puts that camera aside. Simplistic expressions of sound in his reviews are the way to go for him. He enjoys a fine single malt along with his favourite Jazz recordings.

18 Comments

  • Reply May 10, 2018

    Franklin

    Thanks for the great review! I noticed that you said the R6 was not an optimal match. Have you tried it with something like the IEMatch? Curious as I just got the R6 and these look promising.

    • Reply May 10, 2018

      Berkhan

      Thanks.

      R6 is not a good match from the SE output, but it’s pretty good with 2.5mm BAL output. If you can find a 2.5mm silver cable, you can get a great result.

  • Reply May 10, 2018

    Rhyan

    Can you try it with portable amps like the Vorzuge and Picollo?

    • Reply May 14, 2018

      Berkhan

      No I’m afraid, but an amp would get these to a very competitive performance level than it already is at.

  • Reply June 27, 2018

    Jordan

    What are your thoughts on this iem in universal format? Would it also be considered a good choice for someone looking for this type of sound signature, or are there better options? I am coming from an iBasso IT01 (Which unfortunately broke).

    • Reply June 29, 2018

      Berkhan

      With the universal shell sound could be a little different. I recommend getting the custom. But yeah, if you like this type of dark and meaty sound then you can get the universal model. It’s costs lower then CIEM.

      This in my opinion is a better IEM than the IT01. But they sound quite different. Turbo sound quite dark and heavy. I like warm signatures so I like it.

  • Reply December 21, 2018

    s

    where can you buy the Lear?

    • Reply January 17, 2019

      Berkhan

      • Reply June 3, 2019

        Danny

        I have the IT01 and would prefer a bit more tighter and strong bass performance. Would the Turbo fit that description when compared to IT01?

        Are iem with a similar bass responses as the Turbo?

        Thanks

        • Reply June 3, 2019

          Berkhan

          Yes, you will hear a better bass with the Turbo.

          The new Skyline model is also good for that.

          • Reply June 7, 2019

            Danny

            Thanks Berkhan. The Skyline looks interesting. Will Headfonia review it in the future?

            • Reply June 7, 2019

              Berkhan

              Yes. Actually we had a shipping problem about that, otherwise I would’ve had it. We will review the Skyline around August I assume.

              • Reply August 28, 2019

                Danny

                Did you guys get a chance to review the Skyline?

                • Reply August 28, 2019

                  Berkhan

                  Check out Headfonia tomorrow 😉

  • Reply January 16, 2019

    Zach

    Have you compared these to any other Lear IEMs, like the Kaleido? I’d be really curious how the sound signatures compare.

    • Reply January 17, 2019

      Berkhan

      Hello Zach,

      The Kaledio’s mid range is recessed and dark, making it quite v-shaped and I personally think the Turbo is the more coherent and consistent monitor.

  • Reply April 12, 2020

    Sean

    Actually recently , there’s a brand that’s been around for awhile and their 2 BA CIEM is going for $238 Singapore dollars or about $168USD , the brand is called 1customs and it’s sold at jaben ! The price comes with impressions and design customisation !

    • Reply April 22, 2020

      Berkhan

      I think I know the brand you’re talking about. Thank you for the information 🙂

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