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No Excuses, No Apologies – A Review of the Rhapsodio Zombie

::Disclaimer::
Rhapsodio provided Zombie on loan for an extended period for the purpose of my honest review, for good or ill.

Zombie sells for $1,800
www.Rhapsodio.com

~Rhapsodio RDB MK 8 Zombie~
Frequency Response: 20-20,000Hz
Sensitivity: 126dB/mV
Impedance: 6Ω
4X BAs for Highs
4X BAs for Mids
1X full-range DD

_________________________________________________

The Rhapsodio Solar was my first custom in-ear monitor and the most expensive piece of gear I’d bought up to that point. During the process of ordering and designing my Solar, I got to know Chun Yin Mak Mak (AKA Sammy, Rhapsodio’s owner and founder) quite well. He’s a fun, silly guy with crazy obsessions and body-shame issues. He’s like a Pug dog. Impossible not to like!

So when Nic secured some of Sammy’s new IEMs and was arranging a kind of tour for them, I jumped on the opportunity. “Sammy’s a friend,” I told him. “I’m glad to help.”

The Rhapsodio Zombie was sent my way. I’ve had it for a while now, getting to know its idiosyncrasies. And I must say it’s an unusual animal.

Sammy built large with Zombie. No surprise there, with eight BAs and a dynamic for good measure. The finish is top notch, though. They look like precious stones. Very handsomely wrought. Fit, however, is not the greatest. They like to stick out some, and the general size and shape doesn’t lend itself to good deep insertion. Add to that their weight, and you have an IEM that doesn’t like to keep a seal well, in Universal form. They remind me a lot of Noble Audio in that regard, though I’d say Zombie has more in common with Unique Melody’s Uni designs.

As I’ve mentioned, Zombie utilizes eight Balanced Armatures, splitting them evenly between high frequencies and mids. Then it does something rather unusual with its Dynamic Driver: instead of dedicating it to bass response, as most hybrids do, Rhapsodio gives it full range, coving treble, mids, and bass. Essentially using the BAs to merely enhance what the DD is already doing.

That’s weird, wild stuff. Follow me to the next page to learn what that means, in practical terms, for the sound.

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ABOUT AUTHOR

Pinky Powers

Pinky Powers

Pinky is an artsy twat. Illustration, graphic design, writing. Yet music escapes him, and always has. He builds his own cables, and likes to explore the craftsmanship of others. He's a stabby one, also. At the first hint of annoyance, out comes the blade. I say he's compensating for something... in a big bad way. If we all try really hard as a collective, maybe we can have him put down.

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