I really like the design of the RAD-O: the driver housing, the grill, the headband, the cable connectors, etc., everything looks top notch. I was very happy as well to see the RAD-O going back to the original Audeze style connectors, where the plug goes inside the driver casing at the bottom. Audeze changed it because their wood cracked too much, but with the materials used here, this won’t be the case.
The RAD-O doesn’t come cheap and to take one of these unique looking and high end sounding headphones home with you, you’ll have to pay around $2,600USD
Tech Specs
STYLE: OVER-EAR, OPEN-BACK
EARPADS – HEADBAND : SUSTAINABLE
CABLE : CONNECTORS – 3.5MM : LENGTH – 2 METERS
TRANSDUCER TYPE : PLANAR MAGNETIC
TRANSDUCER SIZE : 66 MM
FREQUENCY RESPONSE : 20HZ – BEYOND AUDIBLE RANGE
THD : <0.1%
IMPEDANCE : 29 OHMS
Impressions
The RAD-O comes delivered in an impressive yellow (hard) travel-case with a perfect foam cut-out for the headphones and the cable. The only thing my RAD-O came with was a single ended cable and some stickers, but I can’t say if the “normal” version comes with more accessories as I took it home directly after a show. But it doesn’t look like it from what I see on the web.
The first thing you’ll notice when picking up the carrying case or when taking out the RAD-O headphone, is the fact that this is a heavy, no a very heavy headphone. On the kitchen scale an impressive 677 grams pops up on the dial, making it the heaviest headphone in my collection. And that’s without cable. Wasn’t it supposed to be light?
While heavy, the headband system does a really good job at distributing the weight but you don’t just make almost 700g disappear. The (sideways) clamping force is also quite high (I like that)but the ear pads are really comfy and soft. After long listening sessions however, the top of my head starts feeling a bit sore. No this isn’t the most comfortable headphone on the market but still I end up using it for hours and hours without interruption while home working. “No pain, no gain” Didn’t we hear that somewhere else as well?
Sound
I first listened to the RAD-O at London’s Canjam show and I was immediately hooked. I can’t remember what they were driving it with there but I at home have it hooked up to my Auris Audio Nirvana headphone amplifier, so I can switch back and forth between single ended and balanced.
Because of the link with Audeze, you expect to hear an Audeze style sound when you put it on for the first time, but to me it’s better. Great dynamics and fullness are things we already know, but the natural presentation, air and spaciousness of the RAD-O is something else. The sound stage is wider and deeper as well and as a result you get everything you expected and a lot more.
Full sounding bass with great impact, with the typical planar characteristics. The mids are rich and layered with a natural presentation and especially the treble is lively, energetic, precise and for a planar, quite extended. It’s not a neutral and analytic presentation, but a musical and dynamic one. The musicality and engagement factor is high, and you’ll be head shaking, singing and foot-tapping in no time.
The RAD-O is a high end headphone for the music-lover and so far we love every bit of it.
The full review will be published on Headfonia soon-ish.
