Creating N8
If you didn’t know this already, 64 Audio started out making IEMs for stage performers, and by and large this is still the biggest and most active part of their business. The introduction of ‘audiophile’ IEMs – and custom IEMs in particular – only came later, when audiophiles ‘discovered’ the benefits of in-ears as recreational devices.
When it comes to customs, then, few other IEM makers have the history, experience and resources of 64 Audio.
N8 is, to my knowledge, the company’s first ‘Signature Series’ custom IEM, created in partnership with a working artist. But that’s not the only ‘first’.
- It’s the first 64 Audio IEM to eschew the normal custom IEM naming conventions; by rights it should be called A9t, ‘A’ being the prefix for custom IEMs, followed by driver count, and ‘t’ the designation for IEMs with one or more ‘Tia’ drivers.
- It was also the first 64 Audio custom IEM with a dynamic driver, able to deliver more bass with one 9mm dynamic driver than with six to eight balanced armatures. Dynamic bass drivers physically move much more air, with far higher excursion, than BA drivers, which means N8 not only generates higher levels of bass, but does so with a quality unique to dynamic driver bass: physical, enveloping, and full of oomph.
N8’s bass driver design is different to most custom IEMs in that it fires directly into the acoustic chamber and therefore doesn’t rely on a sound tube to funnel its output through the nozzle to the ear. I asked Filipp how they manage to get each set to sound consistent given the differences of this inner volume in each individual set, which brought up a funny anecdotal story of a celebrity set of N8s:
“That’s a good question, because with too much space comes lower bass amplitude, but unless the internal volume is incredibly bigger than average, we don’t run into many issues,” he explains. “That said, we famously had to almost fill John Mayer’s entire shell with acrylic to reduce the volume because of how it was negatively affecting the bass response in his N8…”
But don’t mistake N8 for a bass-only IEM. Despite being tuned with a deeper, richer, more saturated tone, it was also designed to be versatile enough for a wide range of artists and listeners. As such, it features all four of 64 Audio’s patented technologies:
- Apex – Air Pressure Exchange modules that alleviate inner-ear canal pressure for fatigue-free listening, while also expanding the perceived soundstage. N8 is the only 64 Audio custom IEM tuned with the m15 module as stock, given its already-elevated bass levels. That said, as with all Apex customs, you can still increase or decrease bass levels to taste by swapping out different modules.
- Tia – Tubeless In-Ear Audio is a three-part system comprising an open balanced armature driver, a single bore, and acoustic ‘sound shaping’ chambers. N8 features the open Tia treble driver and single bore design, resulting in a more natural sound and extended high frequency response.
- LiD – a proprietary circuit that corrects for impedance shifts from different sources, resulting in a more consistent sound regardless of what the IEM is plugged in to.
- 3DFit – combining digital scanning, rendering and 3D printing, this patented system precisely calculates the internal volumes required for every custom IEM regardless of ear shape, resulting in consistent sound with minimal distortion and resonance.
This being my first experience of 64 Audio’s custom IEM process, I wanted to share that experience here for newcomers to custom IEMs, and for anyone interested in how 64 Audio does it. Filipp was kind enough to answer my questions about what happens behind the scenes, so I’ve also included his responses below.
As with any custom IEM, it all starts by creating a set of ear impressions, either physical moulds of your inner ears, or a 3D scan. 64 Audio has a list of authorised audiologists in the US they recommend for taking ear impressions, but they also publish an easy-to-follow guide of what they require for customers like myself living outside the US.
“The process internally starts with trimming and scanning your impressions. They are kept digitally on file so customers can place future orders without needing new impressions, for at least a few years (our ears naturally grow out over time, requiring new sets of impressions every so often). In this digital space we deploy our patented 3DFit process, which integrates acoustical tuning features, impossible with traditional methods.
“The shells are then 3D-printed, fitted with the pre-assembled driver packs, and capped off with the appropriate faceplate (which the customer chooses using the online configurator). A final pre-buff and lacquering step gives 64 Audio CIEMs their signature lustre. All of these steps include quality control sound measurements between every step, along with a more rigorous final QC check.”
My own journey took a few twists and turns, as the initial fit of my customs was a touch too big in the nozzle, likely a result of slightly imperfect moulds on my end. Thankfully 64 Audio offers a no-questions-asked 30-day fit guarantee, so I simply sent back my customs, indicating where I has issues with fit, and they sent me back altered (and perfectly-fitted) replacements less than two weeks later.
Additionally, I wanted a sleeker look for my personal set, and was able to have my customs made with recessed 2-pin ports, meaning attached cables sat flush with the shell, less prone to accidentally disconnecting during use. At all times the 64 Audio team was receptive to my questions and suggestions, making what could have otherwise been a daunting process straightforward and stress-free.
Continue to design and fit…
