Sound –
Tonality –
The Xelento is a warm, mildly V-shaped earphone. It has an emphasized low-end and an organic, full-bodied midrange. Highs are lifted, however, the Xelento’s treble emphasis is executed in such as fashion that detail is brought forward but instruments aren’t thinned out nor is the earphone especially bright or crisp. Like its fit, the Xelento’s sonic characteristics seem well-suited towards easy listening with a smoother texture and inviting warmth that also retains plenty of clarity. However, most importantly, it executes this style of tuning with the superb technical ability one would expect from a 4-digit earphone.
Bass –
Lows are warm and clearly enlarged, but also perfectly extended with terrific control. Sub-bass extends into the lowest of lows, providing satisfying, physical slam at the very bottom. Bass is lifted throughout with a particular focus on mid-bass. As such, bass notes are full in addition to being quite organic. Tone is warm and notes can sound slightly rounded, however, for the most part, they are simply enlarged. Bass can also sound a touch tubby due to its warmth, however, the level of bloat doesn’t strike as problematic and bass never becomes congested or muddy either.
This can be attributed to its truly terrific control, and these earphones definitely don’t relinquish any fine detail in their pursuit of a warm and inviting listen. Each note remains very well-defined with abundant texture. Though separation isn’t enhanced, it remains impressive despite increased bass fullness due to accurate, if not slightly swift decay. The Xelento’s low-end is a touch aggressive but also organic, upholding great detail retrieval. It therefore constructs a high-resolution image with great dynamics without a hint of artificial sharpening.
Mids –
Though the end product isn’t similar, the Xelento employs a similar bass/midrange transition to the Campfire Audio Atlas to achieve separation and prevent bass spill. Chiefly, lower-mids are attenuated by a few dB, effectively bringing midrange tone closer to neutral. A notable climb into the upper-midrange reinforces this effect, imbuing additional clarity, especially to vocals. Still, as upper-bass remains a prime source of fullness, the Xelento maintains a warm, full-bodied voicing. A small 4KHz dip contributes towards this impression, increasing density and ensuring the earphones are without an iota of thinness or brightness despite sounding quite clear. I would consider the Xelento to excel in this regard; its midrange sounds grounded and notes are complete and highly resolved.
In return, the centre midrange does sit slightly behind, so vocals are a touch laid-back compared to instruments. However, as aforementioned, vocal clarity is high so they aren’t overshadowed or unengaging. Another interesting aspect of the Xelento’s tuning includes a sharp 6KHz attenuation, a source of treble crispness but also a fairly sensitive region for many. By lowering this frequency range, vocal articulation is spot-on despite lower-treble emphasis elsewhere, and sibilance is a complete non-issue. Though it is V-shaped, tending to draw attention to flanking frequencies, the midrange of the Xelento is a strength, suiting those wanting a lush, natural voicing without sacrificing clarity.
Highs –
Though lifted, I doubt the Xelento will strike any listener as a bright earphone. This is so due to a less orthodox 5KHz emphasis followed by a 6KHz dip. As such, that bright, crisp quality achieved by most lower-treble forward earphones is subdued in favour of a slightly smoother, more organic treble instrument reconstruction. However, as this frequency range remains emphasized, details are very present, they just lack that hard-edged attack. As such, one can hardly call the Xelento detail-deficient, rather, its detail retrieval is very high while simultaneously avoiding fatigue. Moreover, instruments don’t sound truncated and treble is most definitely not lacking extension despite that dip. I would attribute this character to the Xelento’s lightly emphasized middle-treble that provides enhanced air. As a result, cymbals shimmer more appropriately and strings are granted a greater sense of openness.
This works wonders in conjunction with the Xelento’s well-bodied nature, helping to maintain pleasing instrument timbre. Upper-treble is linear and well-extended. As this region lacks emphasis, the Xelento’s well-extended treble isn’t as immediately apparent as competitors from Campfire Audio and 64Audio for example. However, extension and resolution are both undeniably strong and this is reflected by the Xelento’s strong micro-detail retrieval in the absence of emphasis. Many listeners are quite lower-treble averse and over-enhancing these frequencies can easily become fatiguing, especially at higher volumes during commute for instance. The Xelento impresses with one of the most tasteful emphases I’ve encountered, successfully enhancing detail presence without a hint of thinness, sibilance or fatigue.
Soundstage –
With strong extension and enhanced air, the Xelento provides a very spacious soundstage. Width is a prime strength, expanding well beyond the head. Depth is also quite strong and the earphone’s laid-back vocals exacerbate its sense of depth but not to the extent that vocals sound small or distant. The earphone’s presentation is generally more ovoid in nature but it never sounds too intimate with regards to depth. Imaging is quite strong on the Xelento, its full, complete notes occupying their rightful place. And despite its warmth, separation is very respectable too. Bass is controlled and defined, the Xelento’s presentation is layered and each layer is well-delineated, especially due to its strong width. Such a spacious, well-organised stage really elevates the Xelento above lower-end earphones with similarly warm tunings, lacking any congestion and better immersing the listener.
Drivability –
The Xelento is very easy to drive with a low 16ohm impedance and 110dB sensitivity. It reaches dangerous volumes from portable sources but is also more hiss prone than most. But despite its superb efficiency, the Xelento scales immensely well with higher-end sources, especially with regards to bass control and soundstage expansion. Select pairings below:
Shanling M0 ($90): Slightly less controlled bass, smoother texture and less defined. A touch warmer in tone through the bass and midrange but vocals are well-positioned and remain clear. Well-detailed, slightly aggressive. Nice extension and resolution, darker background, slightly less sparkle. Above average soundstage expansion with coherent imaging. Zero hiss.
Fiio M7 ($200): Generally well-controlled bass, enlarged notes so slightly less defined and separated, slightly warmer. Nicely transparent midrange nonetheless with pleasing extension. Well-detailed, not too aggressive. Slightly enhanced air and pleasing resolution and sparkle. Very good soundstage expansion with defined layers and great separation. Slight hiss, mostly imperceptible.
Hiby R6 ($570): Well controlled bass, enhanced sub-bass creates great slam without warming tone. Still well-defined and separated. Mids are mostly transparent, upper-mids are laid-back by a hair but are well-extended and clear. Very well detailed and well-bodied treble, slightly darker background but extension is strong as is resolution. Very strong soundstage expansion, great delineation between foreground and background layers. Zero hiss.
iBasso DX200 w/AMP5 ($900): Very controlled low-end with great definition and a slightly more aggressive texture than other sources. Mids are pleasantly transparent with a slight upper-midrange lift aiding extension. Treble is very well detailed and well-bodied, extension and resolution are both strong with slightly enhanced air and sparkle. Great soundstage expansion, well-layered and separated.
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One Response
Excellent review. I had two custom ciems in a similar price range. I have never liked the customs as much as I do the Xelento. It is an incredible In-ear that begs for good sources and works with a lot of different music. I absolutely love them with the mandarin tips.