DISCLAIMER: The Macbeth was provided by Forté Ears in return for my honest opinion. I am not personally affiliated with the company in any way, nor do I receive any rewards – monetary or otherwise – for a positive evaluation. I’d like to thank Forté Ears for their kindness and support. The article is as follows.
Forté Ears is a new name in the in-ear monitoring scene, but they’re by no means newcomers. While that term used to entail adventurous DIY-ers and their garage-born projects, it now means industry veterans seeking to tread new ground. Enter: Riccardo Yeh. The former HIFIMAN sales exec, musicologist and musician began Forté spurred by the experiences he’s accrued in the industry. And, within just a year, he’s shaken the market with the monitor we’re looking at today: Macbeth; inspired by Giuseppe Verdi’s operatic interpretation of Shakespeare’s play and equipped with a balanced-armature, bone conduction and e-stat setup for pristine playback.
Forté Ears Macbeth
- Driver count: Five balanced-armature, two bone-conduction and four electrostatic drivers
- Impedance: 7.3Ω @ 1kHz
- Sensitivity: 104.2dB @ 1kHz
- Key feature(s) (if any): Diablo, Forté Circuitry Relay, Acoustic Resonance Chamber
- Available form factor(s): Universal acrylic IEMs
- Price: $3999
- Website: www.forteears.com
Packaging and Accessories
The Macbeth arrives in appropriately-theatrical packaging, not unlike a poster you’d see for the eponymous opera. Across all four sides of the box’s outer sleeve are illustrations – interiors – of a lavish castle, and on the front is the king’s crown at center-stage. Above that is the Forté Ears logo in red-and-white, and beneath is Macbeth in a striking crimson.
Beyond the drama of the look, what I appreciate most here is the sheer amount of finishes Forté have employed to create contrast. The majority of the box has a color-shifting, iridescent finish that I’ve seen nowhere else in the industry (apart from, Forté’s partners, Eletech’s Baroque tips). The logo has a flatter finish that’s less reactive by comparison. And, the Macbeth text uses an embossed foil that’s the most reflective of them all. This play on color, texture, reflections and refractions make the box endlessly interesting to look at, and it’s refreshing to see packaging in this market that doesn’t look like it’s itching to hit the trash anytime soon.
Removing that outermost sleeve, you’re greeted with three faux drawers, which unfortunately lack the contrasts and light play I was just praising. I can understand not spending loads beautifying the inside of your box, but some weathering or texturing here would’ve been nice. Lifting those drawers open, you’re greeted by more artwork on the insides of the flaps; an excerpt from the play on the left, and a blood-stained card on the right. And, beneath are two of the Macbeth’s accessories: A cleaning cloth and an owner’s plaque.
The former is made of an unbelievably soft fabric lined with a red-and-black, Macbeth-themed print (seen top-left in the image below). And, the latter is made of a translucent acrylic, modeled to look like a ticket you’d receive for attending the opera. It even has your Macbeth’s unit number on it, so every one is unique. Both are novel additions to the IEM’s accessory suite; equal parts functional and ornamental.
Removing those two accessories, on the top half of the box, you’ll find the earphones and their cable securely inset in foam. And, below, is the Macbeth’s sizable leather case. Unlike the pucks brands these days include with their IEMs, Forté’s offering measures 15 cm in length by 10.5 cm in width. It’s just big enough to fit the IEMs and a small DAP. Rather than a latch, it uses a zipper system like Eletech’s cases do. And, there’s a slim pocket on the top half of the case to safely store small adapters and tips.
If I were to suggest improvements here, I would’ve preferred a darker shade of brown to match the rest of the aesthetic; the box, the cable, etc. And, I would add something to protect the IEMs inside. Because the case is quite spacious, there’s lots of room for the IEMs to bounce around and collide against each other. So, I’d either add a foam insert with cutouts for each earpiece, or I’d add a pair of those pouches Eletech include with their Luxe cases. That aside, though, this is a premium accessory that I appreciate Forté Ears for including.
Last are the Macbeth’s included tips, which are Eletech’s Baroque. They come in four sizes (S, M, L and XL), stored in an acrylic, Macbeth-themed card. Having tried the Baroque’s in the past, they’ve become my tips of choice because of both comfort and sound. The flanges are made of a thinner, more malleable material than, say, Final Audio’s Type E (which were my previous favorite), so they compress more and exert less outward pressure when they’re in my ears. And, they have a wide, open bore that blocks none of the IEM’s nozzle, so you’re getting the least colorations possible, and you’re guaranteed the sound Riccardo intended.
Aesthetics, Build and Wearing Comfort
There’s no pussyfooting it: The Macbeth is a bold-looking earpiece. Amongst its monochromatic peers, the glimmering-red faceplates, chrome armaments and prismatic jewels stand out like a Renaissance painting in an Apple store. It’s a divisive aesthetic that I’ve seen an equal number of people love and hate. What’s undeniable, though, is the craftsmanship very clearly on display.
The Macbeth’s striking faceplates are made of cast copper, which is responsible for the molten, undulating texture you see on the bottommost layer. This is then painted a scarlet red to invoke that crimson, bloody aesthetic the in-ear’s namesake demands. Then, layered on top is a clear coat, which protects it, whilst allowing that rippled texture to still come through. It’s a ravishing look, and it’s my favorite bit of the faceplate. I’d love to see Forté preserve this technique for future models, perhaps in different colors.
The jewels on the Macbeth’s crowns were made with cold enamel, similar to how jewelry – cufflinks, for example – are made. Then, the chrome elements are a rhodium plating on top of that cast copper base. Initially, Riccardo wanted sterling silver faceplates, so the chrome bits would be pure silver peering through. However, because the Macbeth uses its shell (and, therefore, faceplates) as an acoustic chamber, those sorts of decisions also have an effect on sound. Ultimately, he found sterling silver pushed against his sonic intentions, so he opted for rhodium-plated copper instead. Finally, the icing on the cake is the Forté Ears logo and Macbeth text engraved with expert precision on either earpiece.
Again, it’s an aesthetic that’s lavish and out-there, and one could argue it’s quite niche in demographic. But, I give Forté credit for the ambition, and I give them praise especially for the thought they put in bringing the design to life.
The Macbeth’s shells are 3D-printed in black resin, which ensures several things. First is even wall thickness. It shouldn’t have any corners or edges that are particularly thin or fragile. Then, any necessary holes like the sound bores, the 2-pin socket compartments and the driver vents are printed with the shells (rather than drilled into them), so there shouldn’t be any flaws or weaknesses introduced by machining. Finally, any acoustic structures (like ARC) are printed inside the shells with full unit-to-unit consistency.
It’s unfortunate that the Macbeth doesn’t have a stronger – say, metal – chassis, especially in the day and age where such processes have become far more accessible, and especially considering its high MSRP. However, if you take Forté’s word that resin plays a major role in the Macbeth’s sound, and sonics matter more to you than build, this might be an okay compromise. Ultimately, it’s down to the individual.
I can, however, praise Forté for how much they’ve maximized their material of choice. Because of their 3D process, the Macbeth is of reasonable heft and distributes its weight well. Again, all of its vents and sockets sit flush and pristine. And, the non-acrylic components like the faceplates and wax guards have been integrated seamlessly too. The latter is thankfully a perforated metal plate, instead of a grille, which is more robust for at-home cleaning. Finally, the 2-pin sockets are especially strong. I assume they’re the spring-loaded variant that pinch down on pins. So, rather than having them slip in and out with increasing ease over time, there’s a consistent, mechanical snugness when cable-rolling the Macbeth, which fills me with heaps more confidence over lesser sockets.
All this is topped with a smooth, even coat of lacquer, which I assume was buffed extensively too. It’s a finer, softer finish than usual; slightly slippery to the touch, versus the colder, glassier norm. I’m for it, though, as it bonds more seamlessly to the skin in wear, and it seems less prone to micro-scratches. The faceplates have similarly been finished to preserve the shine of the chrome, whilst sealing and protecting the red, copper base below. Forté’s attention to detail here is stellar; without seam or blemish from top to bottom.
With the smallest-sized Baroque tips installed, the Macbeth is a joy to wear. While my devotion to CIEMs remain true, this is one of the most custom-like universals I’ve used in quite a while. It doesn’t have any egregious bulges or corners to create pressure points with. In fact, it has just enough material in the concha (across the top of the ear) and bowl to grip and spread pressure evenly. Now, keep in mind, this only applies to my specific anatomy. It may not fit as perfectly in yours. But, I reckon it’ll score at least a 7 or 8 out of 10 on most ears with ease. As long as you’re not specifically looking for a super-shallow fit, it’ll sit right in.
The Macbeth comes with an Eletech-supplied, 26 AWG OCC copper Litz cable. It’s near-indistinguishable from Eletech’s entry- to mid-tier fare, aside from a Forté Ears logo on the Y-split and a slightly different geometry CNC’ed into the hardware. As we’ve come to expect from the Singaporean brand, the cable is perfectly-wound with even braids throughout, it’s comfortable to wear, and it introduces no microphonics whatsoever. But, keep in mind that it comes with a 4.4mm connector by default. As far as stock cables go, this is the standard we’ve come to expect from high-end, $3000+ IEMs, and I’m glad to see Forté Ears clear that bar.
Technologies
FCR (Forté Circuitry Relay) System
The Macbeth boasts a proprietary circuit called FCR. Usually, I’d assume this is just a fancy name Forté have given their crossover; a circuit designed to tell drivers what frequencies to play (and when, and how loudly, etc.) But, Forté’s website says the crossover is contained within the FCR. So, it’s apparently doing something outside of that. I asked Riccardo, and he couldn’t share anything without divulging secrets. So, unfortunately, that’s as far as we can go. But, I can reveal the FCR contains a vintage capacitor from the 90’s that is currently discontinued. So, even if we don’t fully know how it works, it at least has novelty up its sleeve. And, as we’ll learn in the next page, it does its job really, really well.
Diablo
Diablo is what Riccardo has named the Macbeth’s custom bass driver. Manufactured exclusively for Forté Ears by Sonion, the Diablo is a balanced-armature woofer designed to extend down to 10Hz, whilst skirting the extra decay (or ‘smoke’) dynamic drivers tend to create. It’s responsible for the bass response we’ll talk about at length in the next page.
ARC (Acoustic Resonance Chamber)
With 3D-printing becoming more accessible, the concept of printing complex acoustic chambers inside the shells has become the norm. This is exactly what Forté have done to create the ARC. The Macbeth’s acoustic chamber comes fine-tuned to maximize the effect of its bone conduction drivers, which in turn target the mids and high-mids for maximum vocal impact. We’ll, again, discuss what effect this has on sonics in the next page.
2 Responses
One other comment – I’m not sure how I feel about the scoring system. While the natural tendency is to like scores, using them to rate products seems pretty superficial.
Spider charts seem like they would be more useful, especially since you do relative comparisons of products. To add your own twist, you could add a point on the outer end of each “spoke” that represents and identifies the current product deemed best in that characteristic. Each spider chart in a review would show the product under review relative to other products in that price range.
The weakness of a scoring system it either needs to score similarly priced products relative only unto themselves or score them relative to the best TOTLs. With the former scoring methodology, the best in its price class might score something like a 9.2. But how does that 9.2 compare to a $300 IEM with a 9.2?? With the latter approach, a great $100 IEM would probably only score a 7.5 relative to a ToTL, thereby giving the impression that the 7.5 is a piece of crap. Good $100 IEMs would tend to cluster in a tighter range that provides little differentiation.
In addition to a dot on each spoke of the absolute best, you could also add a dot for reference to the performance of the best in the price range of the product under review. Each “best of dot” could have an identifying letter, and a legend could then identify the one or more IEMs considered to be top performers for that characteristic.
I hope you will consider these ideas as it seems like it would be more useful information for readers to make understand the comparative properties of IEMs. If a reader doesn’t value a particular characteristic/spoke much, they can ignore that spoke.
Very nicely done, Deezel. Your descriptions provide a clear and well defined image of what to expect from these IEMs. It is also good to finally see a review that isn’t all flowers and puppy dogs, glossing over weaknesses with such vague descriptions that even intense reading between the lines provides little clarity.
This is what a review should be. I wish more reviewers would have the guts to be honest about the weaknesses and the brains to be able to write such clear and concise descriptions.
Thank you and “can I have another, please?”