Binery Acoustic is one of the newer IEM makers with a decent reputation behind them. Hailing from the land of Pandas they rose to fame with their Choppin and DynaQuattro. I was very interested in the Dynamics Quattro because of it’s quad DD setup. Then I got another IEM with one more driver and my interest kind of faded. Few months ago they launched the 321 with MEMS driver, most probably the first of its kind. What I have here with me is their latest hybrid IEM, 1900. There is an interesting back story behind this name. Apparently this 1 DD, 1 passive radiator 4 BA driver IEM has an analogue, calm, clean and organic presentation that makes new gen music sound like it’s from the 1900s. Now.. there is huge problem here. Music back them were badly mastered and the equipment were incapable of capturing the depth of emotions. Does this sound like that? Or it’s got the technical chops while having a 1900s like overtone? Priced at $239, available in only one color Black, this is definitely not a cheap IEM. I will be comparing this with the EPZ P50 and Dunu Koto ITO. Let’s roll!!
Get One from here:
UNBOXING AND ACCESSORIES:
Hmm, this is.. not very exciting. It comes in a big box. Open it and we have the IEMs stuffed in foam. Under that is the cable. Below that is the case. A couple of sets of ear tips can be found out of the box and that’s it. There is nothing fancy at all.
There are a few things I noticed. The box is big but it could have been a lot smaller of they had put in the cable and tips in the box and this cable isn’t modular. At $200+, that’s kind of disappointing.
BUILD AND ERGONOMICS:
Build quality is definitely impressive. Its resin inner shell offers very good comfort. I have no issues with sturdiness or feel of this IEM. We get a 316L stainless steel back plate with interesting patterns on it. I have had no issues with ergonomics either but it’s not a very small IEM either so if you have a small ear this might feel slightly larger inside or else it has the curves at the right places with a mildly semi custom like wing structure for better grip and stability inside the ears. Nozzles too are long enough to provide better balance.
CABLE:
This is basic dual core silver plated ofc cable with no modularity. It’s a well behaved one and that’s a relief. There is no microphonics or bouncing. It’s lightweight and supple too. Cable guides too are relaxed and the parts used are of good quality. 4.4mm jack and T splitter are low profile and the cable slider does the job without much issues.
PAIRING WITH SOURCES:
Pairing isn’t vital for this IEM but I will suggest a warmer sounding source to maintain the organic and analogue tonality. I used the Tanchjim Space Pro and this brings in a big more precision and accuracy which might hurt it’s base tuning principal but definitely extracts better definition. Pairing it with something like the Cayin RU3 or Shanling UA7 is definitely more organic. The good this is, this responds nicely to sources without sounding out of place so use whatever you have.
SOUND QUALITY:
This is an analogue sounding IEM but doesn’t try to be bassy or cushy. We get a nice W shaped signature with high quality texture across the spectrum. Texture is the main driving force here. It has a warmish overtone and a kind of brightish undertone that keeps things comfortable but doesn’t sound like its lacking resolution or definition. It’s fantastic with the organic presentation and makes everything sound very engaging. Let’s get real!!
BASS:
BASS is good. Interestingly, even when this is a warm sounding IEM with dual drivers behind the lows, it can be barely labeled bassy. What it is thumpy and viby. I love it’s high quality back and foreground notes separation . It nicely puts the background instruments with slower decay, offering fantastic contrast while maintaining very good dynamics too. Yes, it’s not the cleanest nor is the most technically capable with accuracy and precision but definitely has good layered notes. Area of impact is a bit on the bigger side but the decay is a bit on the faster side, it does let the notes to precipitate but doesn’t let them get overly heavy. Directional firing is very good but guess what, notes fire inward and move up but aren’t able to fire out. Nothing fancy.
We get very good sub-bass extension and rumbles. Mid bass is slightly more prominent with very good weight and body. This is more of a mid bassy IEM but there is no issues with upper bass clarity either. It’s clean clear and tight. I definitely would have liked a bit more energy with upper bass though. It can sound accurate but notes mostly are not tall enough.
MIDS:
This is the part of the spectrum that is the driving force of this IEM and it’s interesting. We definitely have at least two BA drivers responsible for this and it has a new kind of balance of things. It’s got a warmer overtone and bright undertone. It sounds like there were rocks bur someone has put in some soil to make things more comfortable. And since our ears aren’t as sensitive as our foot, things that aren’t sharp don’t feel uncomfortable. This definitely elevates the overall texture. We get exceptional tonality and very organic and analogue type timbre.
There is a bit of less energy with the lower mids but they don’t sound lean or dry and that’s a relief. This phase too isn’t lacking energy but I definitely would have liked a bit taller notes. This transition phase is decent for an analogue sounding IEM that puts a layer of warmth here on. Vocals sound excellent. Both male and female vocals enjoy very good texture and definition. Male vocals have the girth and throat emphasis with good height too. Female vocals are aptly tall with nice energy. Both sound organic and the decay is very reverby with class leading coherency. No issues with finishing definition either. Instruments too enjoy very good clarity and resolution with nice finishing energy. Yes, the micro details aren’t as resolving as the Dunu DN 142 but aren’t as vague as the Letshuoer S12 Ultra. Back and foreground separation of instruments is very good. It has very good amount of air. Upper mids are reasonably relaxed with good clarity and definition. No unwanted aggression to worry about.
HIGHS:
Highs are done well. I don’t see any obvious issues here but keep one thing in mind, highs are not the strongest point of this IEM. We get very good agility, decent sparkle and energy. It has no issues with extension and the upper treble region too is aptly relevant with good amount of energy and clarity. Notes are tall with good finishing definition and energy up top without any peaky or sharp feeling. I really like the overall resolution and definition here. It has no issues with putting clean air between instruments and the positional accuracy is very good too. I definitely would have liked a bit more Z-axis depth with layering but the X-axis separation is class leading. It doesn’t have issues with cleanliness and the energy with micro details is good too. It’s not a transparency oriented IEM and this is already very good. 1900 maintains realistic air and shimmer with the instruments, making the whole experience even more enjoyable.
STAGE AND IMAGING:
Stage here is big. Bigger than the very much admired Letshuoer Astralis. It has a well expanded stage with a nicely rounded imaging. It has very good height, width and decent depth too. Most of the treble instruments find themselves out of the head. While some mid range instruments can be placed outside too. Most of the bass notes though are placed inside the head. I definitely like the fact that its stage boundary is dynamic and can be flexible when needed. Imaging and again clean thanks to the brightish undertone, it pulls the notes out easily, leaving good air and accuracy to admire. Sonics too are very good. I do find the background transient instruments to be slightly on the harder side but they do create a good contrast.
COMPARISONS:
VS EPZ P50:
P50 is cheaper, is a bit more straightforward with its presentation with a more purer intention. It’s a W shaped IEM with a more balanced presentation.
Its lows are tighter, cleaner and less voluminous. It has a bit more layered delivery with a bit more definition. Mids are a pure win for 1900. Especially the vocals. P50 is good but it’s not as tall or natural. Micro details are better with P50 but tonality and timber are better, more organic with 1900. Z-axis depth and layering is slightly better with P50 but the overall presentation of 1900 with better texture and even energy is hard to not admire. Highs are better with P50 again. It’s micro planar drivers are offering better clarity, definition, height and air between instruments. Both have similar stage expansion yet 1900 is slightly better with height. Yes, 1900 is a better generalistic IEM while P50 is the better detail oriented IEM.
VS Dunu Koto ITO:
This is a proper L shaped IEM with a bit more vigorous bass. It has bigger area of impact, a bit more contrasty separation of notes and similarly capable upper bass clarity. Mid rage is a bit less warmer, slightly more precise and a bit more cleaner but doesn’t have the fuller more organic type tonality. Timbre is very much neutral. Z-axis depth is very good though. Vocals are a bit less full but definitely more resolving and cleaner. It has better micro details and a bit more finishing energy too. It has slightly more balanced, more uniform energy too. It has slightly better treble clarity and agility. Notes are a bit more airy and layering and separation are slightly better too. Sonics are slightly better with the 1900. Its stage is slightly less tall, wide and deep. I feel, 1900 is the better IEM here but if you want a bassy yet slightly better resolution, ITO is the one to get.
CONCLUSION:
Hmm, this is a mighty impressive IEM. Not because of it’s technical chops or accuracy but because of its tonality and timbre. It sounds clean, clear yet creamy without sounding strong or hard edged. The best thing is its dynamics. It doesn’t sound boring or overly colored but maintaining high quality definition. It’s like eating and ice cream with crunchy bits in it. These bits add a bit more definition and texture but doesn’t subdue the creamy nature and that’s exactly what this IEM is like.
This an aptly comfortable and relaxed sounding IEM so if you are looking for an inoffensive IEM for a kind of laid-back yet accurate presentation you can definitely go for this.
