Advanced AcousticWerkez has announced the AAW W500 -AHMorph, the world’s first hybrid with a continuously adjustable sound signature that changes from a combination of a dynamic driver + balanced armature to operating using only the balanced armature drivers.
The metal dial is used to adjust the sound by redistributing power between the dynamic driver and the balanced armature bass/mid drivers, not affecting the high range drivers. When the dial is turned completely counter-clockwise, the dynamic driver operates at full power and BA bass/mid drivers operate at partial power for a slight U-shaped sound signature. As the dial is turned clockwise, the dynamic driver power is gradually reduced, being redirected to the BA drivers.
At the halfway point of the dial, the W500 is at its default sound signature. As the dial continues to turn clockwise, the dynamic driver continues to have power redirected to the BA drivers, and when turned completely clockwise, all power is going to the BA drivers and none to the dynamic driver resulting in a mid-centric sound signature. The sound signature changes are not linear, and moving the dial clockwise from the halfway point will have a bigger impact on the sound signature than counter-clockwise.
This should be interesting and a good comparison for the several other adjustable/tunable options available. The image provided by Null Audio below gives some info and includes pictures of the unit made for THL that will be arriving shortly!
9 Responses
I will be giving it some ear time soon…
How do you find the AAW W300?
Coming soon as I am working toward finishing a review first…
But, with that said, so far so good!
Any news? 🙂
Ah. “Continuously adjustable” makes more sense now.
Looking forward to your impressions. It must be a so much more painstaking to comprehensively review and compare these new tunable CIEMs.
I should be getting universal samples of several of their other models within the week…stay tuned!
I have updated the article with more information that should answer at least some of your questions and they should arrive within the week.
I would imagine coherence would be good for multiple reasons ranging from the time they took in development to the fact that Null Audio is involved, and they understand the importance of coherence, as I am sure AAW does as well.
I hope the lower priced offerings you said they were sending to you arrive soon, too (if they haven’t already)! Those are what I’m more interested in.
From their crude line diagram, the hybrid is V shaped and Pure armature is bass lean? When are they coming in, Joe?
Could be a coherence nightmare. At 1200$ with snazzy sounding name like “TruXcross” I hope it is well implemented.