Comparisons
Sennheiser IE800s ($999)
Despite that the IE800s and Eden are both neutrally tuned dynamic drivers, the differences throughout their presentation push them apart, even though they will ultimately appeal to a similar crowd. They both a share a neutral bass, high in definition and quick in decay. Similarly, despite that the bottom-end extension is good enough, the lack of sub-bass quantity does not result in a sense of viscerality in terms of impact. Even so, the IE800s has a touch more mid-bass emphasis, as well a slightly warmer tone.
It’s in the midrange where they start to diverge. The IE800s has leaner note size, along with a smaller and laid-back vocal presentation. As a result, the IE800’s stage feels wider, while the feeling of air and separation is pronounced. By contrast, the Eden has a slightly more forward and bodied vocal presentation, with more weight to its midrange notes. But most of all, it scores more points for its timbre. The IE800s doesn’t stray far from neutral, but Eden conveys more realism to acoustic instruments. The IE800s’ treble in turn is a bit smoother, and more extended. As a result, the definition of its midrange is a bit higher. Taken together, the IE800s impresses with the refinement of its separation and resolution, while the Eden has the more uncolored sound, and engaging midrange
DITA Fealty/Fidelity ($1299)
The Dita Twins are equally two new contestants for a dynamic driver with a neutral tuning. As with Eden, they provide a neutral quantity of bass with a moderate sense of impact. A bass in support of the midrange, that never overpowers it. In that regard, it shares a similar approach to Eden. However, Eden has a more linear balance throughout its bass, and slightly better bottom-end extension. Where they differ mostly, is their overall tone. The Dita Twins are both tuned with a bump in their upper treble which improves their clarity, but leans toward the brighter side, where Eden is closer to neutral.
In terms of midrange, Eden’s presentation is somewhat between the two; its vocals are not quite as forward as the Fealty, but a little bit more compared to Fidelity. The note weight however is similar to Fidelity. The lower treble of the twins in turn is a bit more articulate, where Eden is generally more forgiving. In terms of quality of top-end extension they are pretty similar, although as mentioned the Twins incorporate a little spike around 12 KHz, while the Eden’s treble is overall more linear. Finally, the Eden’s stage is slightly wider, while that of the Twins is a bit deeper.
Rhapsodio Galaxy ($1349)
As touched on, Rhapsodio’s former top-of-the-line dynamic driver shares some general characteristics, while ultimately being quite different. The most pronounced differences lie by their bass and treble. The Galaxy’s bass is a highlight, offering a very linear, high quality bass in terms of speed and impact. It hovers around neutral in overall quantity, but provides an engaging sense of impact, while remaining quick enough to retain an airy feel. By contrast, Eden’s bass is equally linear, but more attenuated overall. It’s a bass that remains in the background, and fails to provide a similar sense of impact in the lowest registers.
But Eden overtakes the Galaxy in the midrange, offering a slightly more forward and denser vocal presentation, where that of the Galaxy can sound distant and diffused. Furthermore, Eden’s midrange has more body, while being more accurate in timbre. This of course is especially due to the smoother treble, which contrasts the Galaxy’s pronounced lower treble peak. As a result, the Galaxy sounds more articulate and overt in its detail retrieval, while being significantly brighter. Eden in turn has a more linear tuning, although the Galaxy edges it out in terms of top-end extension. Their stages are similar in overall dimensions, although the Galaxy’s separation is a bit better due to its leaner note size.
Concluding thoughts
The Eden has proven a remarkable case for me. It’s because it’s the first time I’m rather hyped about a product, even though it isn’t necessarily my own type of sound, or something I’d listen to that often for that matter. And yes, I am aware that sounds like an inherent conflict. Perhaps the best way of seeing it, is a case of having a great deal of respect for someone, even though you have a different opinion. The primary reason is that on the one hand I can appreciate that the Eden truly excels at what it does, which is providing an eerily realistic representation of acoustic instruments – whether woodwork, brass, or string instruments. I’m willing to go as far as probably the best I have heard so far, and a new personal benchmark.
The more practical issue however, is that classical music isn’t my main weapon of choice; I’m expecting to mature into it with growing wisdom over the years. Eden performs well enough for other genres, especially vocal-based acoustic music, specifically female vocals. But for band-based genres with roaring electric guitars, or electronica where you want to feel the bass, my own preference would lean towards other iems. The strangest thing is that when I listen to Eden I’m instantly drawn towards classical music, and appreciate it more than I did before. The realism of violins and especially pianos is mesmerizing, and it seems to reveal the unfolding beauty of the music in a new light. Eden might just make a mature listener of me yet.
Rhapsodio Eden
Design: single dynamic driver
MRSP: $1999
Manufacturer website
www.rhapsodiostore.com
