Today we check out the $729,99 USD Softears RSV IEM from China.
Disclaimer: Softears directly provided the Softears RSV sample free of charge. I covered the customs taxes for the package. This review reflects my honest opinion about the product.
About Softears
Softears may sound like a new name in the audiophile market, but it’s actually quite popular in China and it was established in 2017. Nowadays they’re trying to expand their business to the western markets, so that’s why they’ve reached to us. We were glad to know about them and we accepted to put their products to the test.
Their debut was with two IEMs; the “RS10” and the “Cerberus”. I have received both of those too, and I will check them out with a separate review, but one thing is for sure; Softears takes this IEM business quite seriously. After those two, Softears launched the “Turii”, which is a high-end single dynamic driver IEM, just like our latest bomb; the Sennheiser IE900.
Softears RSV
About RSV
The Softears RSV is the latest IEM release from the brand and it has 5 Balanced Armature drivers per side. The shell forms with a medical resin material and the IEM utilizes a 3-way crossover design. So it’s quite straightforward and nothing is very interesting here.
Softears decided to create this IEM after the RS10, which is an IEM that is a bit hard to drive because of its crossover design. So they thought that it would be nice to make an IEM that is less power-hungry, with a lower cost. Hence, you have the RSV.
Unboxing Experience
The Softears RSV arrives with a rectangular box that is quite premium with its black color. On the front you have the explanation of the model name; “Reference Sound Five”. There’s also a large “V” number which looks very cool. Inside the box, you have the round carrying case with an embedded Softears logo.
You get six pairs of ear tips which are both foams and silicones. There’s a cleaning cloth and a cleaning tool, with a couple of paperwork and a warranty card. So overall it’s very simple but the box is elegant and with a serious design language. However, the ear tips could’ve been better since we see some companies working with Final Audio or SpinFit for covering that part.
Softears RSV
Build Quality and Design
The design of the RSV is serious-looking with a full-black inner shell and a nice faceplate that has golden flakes for a little excitement and flavor. The golden details look very nice under sunlight or LED light. The Softears logo is on the right earpiece, and the RSV logo, which actually looks like a sports car logo, is on the left. The IEM looks really nice and I quite liked it.
Build quality is very good as well, as the earpieces are unibody including the nozzles. The sound bores are cut nicely too, and the faceplate closing is perfect. However, the recessed 2-pin sockets could’ve designed better with a deeper fit. It’s a recessed design but it’s actually not fully recessed so the cable connectors move slightly. It’s not a big deal, but I think they can improve that with a fully recessed design all the way down.
The cable is also fully black and it has nice braiding with strong insulation. The memory wire area behind the ear is also very flexible and it’s very comfortable as well. I will criticize the cables of the RS10 and Cerberus flagships with the upcoming review, but the cable in the RSV is excellent and I have no problems there.
Softears RSV
Fit
The fit of the Softears RSV is excellent. It’s a very comfortable semi-custom fit with a reasonably low-profile design. It feels great in the ear and it also blocks lots of outside noise, since it has no ports or anything like that for a dynamic driver. This is actually the advantage of a full BA setup.
The tips, as I remarked above, could’ve been better with a possible collaboration. I tried the Final Audio tips and SpinFit tips, also with a couple more tips in my possession. The result is very good with all of the tips that suit my ear size, so I don’t think anyone would have any problems with the fit of the RSV overall.
Page 3: Technical Performance, Comparisons and Conclusion
Hugues
Thank you for this test. I think i finaly founded the iem i need thanks to you !! I listen classical music, vocal, orchestra, jazz, saoul, and reggae. I think shoosing those iem would be a good choice under 1000$ iem.
Kamil
RSV or Thieaudio Monarch MKII? Which ones are better ??
Jonathan
My quesion is now that i own softears rsv which i like a lot, but i Need a cheaper in ear to pair with my shanling m0 on the go and Maybe also as a sidegrade to my rsv.
So i am searching an iem around/maximal 250 euros new or used with a comparable signature to rsv. One concern is that i like a bit smoother midrange becaus i am quiet sibilance sensitive.
I also own moondrop kato but thier do not fit so well and i like the Tuning of rsv more.
I could get campfire Audio holocene for a Good Price but i should Sound more reference-like detailed. What IEMs would you recommend.