Sound impressions
It goes without saying, but even more so than cables, eartips don’t have a sound. They definitely help shape the sound of IEMs, arguably more than some cables, and so are an invaluable tweaking tool for those who use universal IEMs.
While third party tips won’t automatically ‘fix’ an underperforming or harsh-sounding IEM, they can radically alter certain frequencies and therefore change the overall balance and tuning of those IEMs. Matching tips to IEMs is usually a process or trial-and-error; regardless of what you read here or elsewhere, the only way to know if you like the change is to try them yourself.
Thankfully tips are significantly cheaper than cables, and also cheaper to import if you can’t find them locally, so it’s not unusual for enthusiasts to accumulate many more tips than IEMs or cables over time.
With all that said, let’s get down to brass tacks with Eletech’s Baroque.
I’ve been using these tips for the past six months, so am well familiar with the effect they have with most of my IEMs. The very first time I put them on I can remember thinking “wow, who turned the volume up on the vocals?”. There’s a definite emphasis on the mids-to-upper mids that brings vocals ever so slightly forward, but also helps to clarify what you’re hearing.
If you have music that’s been recorded with very flat or slightly recessed vocals, like most tracks on Amber Rubarth’s brilliant binaural recording, Sessions from the 17th Ward, using Baroque will liven it up. They won’t just be amplified, they’ll also be clarified, which makes it easier for me to follow the lyrics.
Often when mids are amplified, this can have the converse effect of making already-elevated vocals shouty or worse, sibilant. For some reason, this doesn’t happen with Baroque. Yes, some tracks, like Missy Higgins’ soulful but occasionally peaky Shark Fin Blues, can straddle the sibilance line, but it never crosses. Likewise, Madi Diaz and her backing vocalist can border on shouty in the latter stages of Same Risk, but again Baroque keeps those higher octaves from clipping.
Not only are mids clearer with these tips, they’re not artificially thinned out. If anything they sound more organic and less grainy. It’s a smoothing effect that doesn’t sacrifice resolution, which is something I’ve only heard once or twice before with other tips (see the select comparisons section below).
I mentioned earlier that for all its midrange positives (and treble) positives, Baroque doesn’t neuter the bass quite as much as some other wide bore tips I’ve used. That’s not to say there’s no impact at all, though. I do hear slightly less bass quantity, particularly midbass quantity, even though I hear a cleaner midbass overall. Sub-bass extends lower than some narrow bore IEMs, but rumble isn’t quite as physical as it can be with ‘bass specialist’ tips.
Listening to Reb Fountain’s Psyche, the opening track of her standout 2021 LP Iris, the guttural bassline is fractionally more tame with Baroque, but still has more than enough volume to satisfy. What isn’t affected is the texture of the bass, which is just as important, especially for those who prefer quality over quantity.
At the other end of the spectrum, Baroque digs out even more of the treble from your IEMs, which normally I’d say is not ideal (unless you’re using very dark IEMs). However, there’s not that significant a bump in treble quantity, but rather more extension into the upper treble, giving the overall sound more air, sparkle, and better separation.
I can usually cut my ears on Nils Lofgren’s steel guitar solo in Keith Don’t Go, but with Baroque I get to enjoy the speed, texture and sharpness of the strings without wincing at every second pluck. There’s a silky effect to Baroque’s treble rendering that’s very pleasing, and as such I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for those using IEMs with peaky or errant treble, even though the overall signature is on the brighter side with these.
With all that extra air you’d expect stage size to be improved, and you’d be right. I hear more lateral stage expansion in classic tracks like the Eagle’s Hotel California, and even closely-micced tracks like Eva Cassidy’s Songbird gain some extra space in the room.
While I consider most of Baroque’s tonal and technical tweaks positive, keep in mind that I have a preference for bassier, sometimes darker, and almost never overtly bright IEMs. Think Legend X, Z1R, U12t and IE900. None of them are treble shy, but all of them have more than enough bass headroom not to be bothered by Baroque’s occasional frugality down low.
I’m not sure I’d be as enthusiastic if my IEMs were on the brighter, thinner side, or had an overload of treble or upper mids to start with. That’s purely speculation, though, because I tend avoid this type of IEM like the plague.
Aside from sound, other factors to consider are comfort and isolation. These are easily the softest tips I’ve used, softer even than JVC’s Spiral Dots and Sony EP-EX11 which, until Baroque, were my benchmarks for soft silicone tips.
But softness doesn’t always equate to comfort. Yes, Baroque are comfortable – very comfortable – on the vast majority of IEMs I’ve tried them with. With some IEMs, like FatFreq’s Maestro SE that require a very deep fit, shoving the bulb-shaped Baroques too deep is not ideal, and I find bullet-shaped tips much easier to manage in these cases.
That said, on IEMs where I can get a moderately deep fit with Baroque, like Gaudio Labs’ Tödi and the FIR Frontier flagships, Xe6 and Rn6, they are right up there with the most comfortable tips I know.
The softness and thinness of the silicone that contributes to this comfort does have one potential downside: less isolation. I can generally hear more external noise with Baroques than with other tips, especially bullet-shaped tips. It’s not that the seal is poor, rather than the thinner material (and possibly the angular Flexion fringe) lets more sound in.
Once the music starts playing, though, the seal sounds as solid as it is with any other good tip, and I don’t have any issues with sound leaking in or out.
Overall, the combination of Baroque’s refined sound and ultimate comfort makes it one of the most luxurious tips currently available. I’ll even say that despite their premium price, they’re easily one of the better-value tips around, just as long as you find a suitable pairing.
Continue to select comparisons…
