Select comparisons
I have dozens of third-party tips spread across three compartmentalised boxes. That’s no exaggeration either; I have a tip fetish second to none, even though half of my IEMs are customs.
Naturally I’m not going to compare Baroque to all of these tips, not even most of them. Instead, I’ve picked out a few that are either quite similar or markedly different, just so you get an idea of where they fit on the totem pole, so to speak.
JVC Spiral Dot. For the longest time these were my favourite tips. Soft, relatively short, and wide bore, these great tips are both effortlessly comfortable and very even-sounding. Like Baroque, they use pits inside the tip surface to diffuse and shape the sound, smoothing over treble peaks and enhancing midrange clarity.
Compared to Baroque, I find Spiral Dots a touch more diffuse; their centre image is more hazy by comparison, and highs become slightly ethereal compared to Baroque’s smooth but solid treble. Spiral Dots also have a very smooth stem, which slips them off any IEM without a tip lip, while Baroque’s stem is grippier and usually stays in place.
Final Audio Type-E. Another super-soft tip, these are very different to both Spiral Dot and Baroque in that they have a much narrower bore. This greatly focuses and elevates the bass, while attenuating treble quantity. As such they’re much better suited to bass-light IEMs compared to Baroque, and are also useful for really brining on the bass boom for bassheads with IEMs like Legend X.
Ironically though, they also tend to emphasise certain treble peaks, so can come off as sibilant compared to Baroque. They also muddy the midrange with some IEMs, or at best, recess the mids just enough to dull their impact. This is fine for mid-forward IEMs, but if you prefer a neutral or forward midrange, Final’s Type-E are probably not the solution.
SpinFit CP 145. These are medium-bore tips that, to my ears, are the epitome of neutral in an eartip. With some IEMs I find them just as comfortable, if not more so, than Baroque, especially with SpinFit’s clever tip-bending design that saved many a long-nozzle IEM from the rubbish heap for me. Sound-wise they’re not as rich and saturated in the mids compared to Baroque, nor as effortlessly extended up top and down low, but are overall more balanced with more IEMs in my opinion.
Divinus Velvet. There are many similarities between Baroque and these relatively new tips from South Korea. Both are barrel-shaped, wider on top than the bottom. Both also claim to have a special material blend that feels as soft as velvet (or satin). That’s where the similarities end for me, though.
For one, Velvets are soft on the outside but rather stiff overall. That makes them harder in-ear, and since my narrow ear canals inherently struggle with most barrel IEMs (other than Baroque), they don’t fit me nearly as well. Sound-wise, Velvets don’t have the same refinement as Baroque, and can actually sound too intense with some IEMs. Not my cup of tea.
Azla Crystal. A favourite of many, these are my second-favourite Azlas, after the excellent but specialist Senda EarFit MAX ASMR. The reason for citing Crystal is their similarly wide bore but much harder stem and longer nozzle, which makes them less comfortable (for me) but also more contrasty and punchy.
These sound great with most IEMs, especially if you love hard-hitting and super-rumbly bass, clear vocals and sharpish treble. I find Crystals turn the dials up across the board, making the overall presentation more lively and vivid, but subsequently less finessed than Baroque.
Acoustune AET 07. Another perennial favourite, this is the third-party tip I recommend most newbies buy. Like CP 145, I find these very balanced, but there’s extra finesse to their vocals, and a tighter, cleaner bass than the SpinFits too.
Compared to Baroque, I find their vocal rendering isn’t quite as organic, and in fact slightly drier. Bass is also attenuated compared to Baroque, even though they’re not wide bore, and treble, while silky, is thinner than Baroque too. Still, their combination of excellent comfort, balanced sound and low price makes these must-have tips in any collection.
Closing thoughts
In a crowded and competitive market, and a market where you’re literally competing with free stock tips, Eletech still saw a gap, and boy did they fill it. Baroque is quintessentially Eletech – impeccably well made, stylishly designed, full of new technology, and very different sounding to most of their competitors.
As with their cables, Eletech love their midrange purity and clarity. You’re not going to find s veiled Eletech cable, and Baroque follows suit, doubling down on midrange quality and clarity in equal measure.
As for the rest – bass, treble and techs – that’s up to you to dial in to taste with your chosen IEMs. I don’t feel Baroque detracts from any of these metrics, but they don’t specialise in them either, other than maybe stage expansion. They do offer maximum extension at both ends of the scale though, which many IEMs don’t.
If you find the right pairing, and the shape suits your ear anatomy, I can’t think of many tips that top Baroque at this point in time. They’re not the cheapest by any means, but let’s face it, in this hobby, even pricey tips are not an expensive luxury. Baroque is very much a luxury most enthusiast should easily be able to afford, and in my opinion, would be poorer not for trying. Highly recommended.
Get your own set of Baroque tips for wired, TWS or Apple AirPods direct from Eletech here.
