Today we check out the $930 USD Softears Twilight Universal IEM from China. It’s a single dynamic driver IEM.
Disclaimer: Softears directly provided the Softears Twilight sample free of charge. I covered the customs taxes for the package. This review reflects my honest opinion about the product.
Softears
Softears may sound like a new name in the audiophile market, but it’s popular in China and it was established in 2017. It has ties with the Moondrop brand but Softears mostly focuses on High-End IEMs and premium quality. Nowadays they’re trying to expand their business to the western market, so that’s why they’ve reached out to us in 2021. We were glad to know about them and we accepted to put their products to the test.
Their debut was with two IEMs; the “RS10” and the “Cerberus”. I reviewed them in 2021, and they were two of the best products of 2021.
Their Cerberus Custom IEM is also one of the recommended custom IEMs on our site, and the RSV model is one of the best options below 1000$. You might also want to check out the entry-level Softears Volume.
Softears Twilight
Softears Twilight is the latest IEM release from the brand and it has a single dynamic driver inside. This driver has a 10mm diameter, utilizing a DLC Dome and with FreeEdge PU suspension. There’s also a 0.035mm Daikoku high-tension voice coil.
The shell of the Twilight is made from aircraft aluminium alloy. The shell undergoes a 5-axis CNC process, then a post-treatment including anodic oxidation. These engineering choices result in much lighter shells, %60 lighter than the Turii to be exact. Each shell weighs only 6 grams.
Softears also provides a 6N oxygen-free copper cable for the IEM. Overall, this looks like the continuation of the Turii model, with the same design in a lighter form.
Unboxing Experience
The presentation of the Softears Twilight is quite satisfying. It comes similar to the RSV model, with a rectangular box, with the earpieces on top of a foam piece. Under that, you get everything from the ear tips to the cable and a 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter, a cleaning tool, a protective pouch, and an ID card.
Overall a very nice package which is minimal but quite full at the same time. The ear tips Softears provides are pretty nice as well, including the new U.C. tips, which look like SpinFit or Azla Xelastec.
Build Quality and Design
The design of Twilight is identical to the previous single dynamic Turii. The odd shape of the IEM brings it a distinctive and authentic look. The black stock cable completes the design nicely. It’s an elegant yet simple design, with nothing spectacular but it still looks cool.
Build quality is excellent. Despite the lighter shells, the Twilight feels premium in the hand and on the ears. The aluminium material feels fantastic, with perfect processing over it with CNC and anodization. The nozzles are quite sturdy as well. The IEM has a tank-like build which should get you a long product life.
The recessed 2-pin sockets add even more durability and long-term stability. The cable has nice braiding with strong insulation. The memory wire area behind the ear is also very flexible and it’s comfortable as well.
Fit
The fit of the Softears Twilight heavily depends on the tips you use. Since the shape of the IEM is quite different from most IEMs, it looks a bit scary when you first look at it. However, it surprisingly fits well with the right ear tips for your ears. So for me, the comfort has been quite good, but isolation is not the best among other universal IEMs because of the big air vents. So if you’re going to purchase a new IEM for noisy environments, Twilight isn’t a good option.
The tips that Softears provided received criticism from me in the past. Yet this time they worked on that and improved it. The new tips are much better with good quality. The new U.C. (ultra-clear) tips are a nice addition. They provide excellent comfort, though it’s a trade-off in terms of isolation, at least in my case.
I improved my experience with foam tips, especially in terms of overall isolation, but that affected the sound for the worse. The thing with the Twilight is its air vents inside of the shells. You shouldn’t block them with your fit (e.g a deep fit) so be aware of that.
Page 2: Sound Quality
Page 3: Technical Performance, Cables, Comparisons and Conclusion
