Disclaimer: I would like to formally thank Zephon Wing from Rossi & Wing for providing us with a unit in exchange for an impartial and honest review. On behalf of the team at the Headphone List, we thank him for his generosity and trust in THL.
Summary:
The Synchronicity is the polar opposite in presentation to its younger sister (Serendipity) in the L.U.A series. However, it still bears its relative’s hallmark daring and brazenness, focusing on outright detail retrieval, with a sonorous upper-treble and ‘bright’ leaning tuning that reveals all.
Transients have an edgier decay, with an assertive attack. Notes are fully defined, with exceptional micro-detail retrieval. However, its tame lower-midrange and conservative bass response can result in a thin and weightless sound, with a coarse timbre.
Pros:
+ Original and captivating ‘impressionistic’ theme with exceptional finishing
+ Sonorous upper-treble with airy highs and ethereal extension
+ Class-leading microdetail retrieval
Cons
– Upper-treble elevation gives it an artificial metallic sheen
– Inescapable treble glare and peaks
– Weightless sound with a conservative mid-bass response
Introduction
In today’s review, we’re spending quality time with Rossi & Wing’s second IEM in their latest L.U.A series, an exemplification of Rossi & Wing’s founder, Zephon Wing’s, unwavering passion for the avant-garde. This is unmistakably a company with a human-centric approach to developing products instead of a surgical ‘measurement chasing’ approach.
I’ll let the company’s words speak for themself:
”Lumen/Umbra Aeterna by R&W (LUA) is an art-inspired IEM brand, using earphones and tuning to explore the messages and philosophies within artistic expression. In collaboration with Taiwanese artist Cypress Tsai, who drew inspiration from LUA’s designs, each earphone model serves as a canvas, with sound as the brush, capturing the journey of soulmates from first encounter to transcendent union.”
The Synchronicity is the second sister of a trilogy of related IEMs, each bearing a distinct sonic profile that encapsulates a complementary, rather than competitive signature. In Zephon Wing’s own words:
“Synchronicity, fateful coincidences, is the second chapter of the story that describes how the two soul mates somehow cross paths again decades later. The sound of the Synchronicity (and the fragrance) reflects their growth through hardship in life, emphasizing a “spiritual connection” via elevated highs and the ethereal soundstage.”
At the top of my head, there is a faint resemblance in his penmanship to the early existentialist philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard: ‘Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forwards’. But I digress. As I inch closer to my wedding day with my fiancé, this is a moving aphorism that I wouldn’t have expected from an IEM designer.
The Synchronicity, like the Serendipity, features the same novel ‘MR10 Magna Resonus’ driver technology in a hybrid array series of undisclosed drivers. Priced at $790, the Synchronicity can be purchased from Rossi and Wings’ official website.
Technology
‘Fateful coincidences’
The LUA Synchronicity arrives as the mid-range expression in LUA’s collection, embodying a soundscape imbued by R&W’s Magna Resonus technology. While Serendipity sweeps listeners into grand, immersive spaces, Synchronicity unfolds with a mature subtlety, each note steeped in refined elegance. Its focus on smooth, resonant mids and highs invites a listening journey marked by clarity and poise, ideal for prolonged enjoyment. Like a fated reunion, Synchronicity offers a harmonious, familiar beauty that lingers, revealing itself more intimately with every listen.
Magna Resonus MR10 Tech
Featuring an innovative, state-of-the-art 10mm ‘Magna Resonus dynamic driver, the Serendipity promises an ethereal performance that transcends reality. Note that there are drivers involved in its sonic performance that remain undisclosed at the time of writing.
Hokki No.4 Perfume
HOKKI’s NO.4 perfume, paired with Synchronicity’s brilliance, touches upon ‘Yuzu, Bergamot, Tarragon, Mint and Green Leaves’ top notes.
Unboxing
Note: Unfortunately, the Synchronicity’s retail packaging wasn’t ready for mass production when I first received it as a sample unit. However, I must commend Zephon Wing’s commitment to humanising what is seen as a cold and calculated industry, driven by a rapacious hunger for new releases.
The sample that was shipped came wrapped in a ‘Synchronicity’ themed ‘Furashiki’ wrapping cloth — a thoughtful and much-needed human touch in a hobby that’s driven by industrial capacity instead.
Inside the sample package, I was greeted by the following inclusions:
- Synchronicity IEMs
- 4.4mm Pentaconn cloth-braid cable with 2-pin connectors
- HOKKI No.3 sample perfume
- Synchronicity brochure
- Synchronicity-themed ‘Furashiki’ wrapping cloth
Design and Build
The Synchronicity features the same elongated and sizeable chassis as the Serendipity, weighing a measly four grams. If I had to guess, their large shells are deliberately oversized to accommodate some proprietary chambering and venting hidden beneath them.
The Synchronicity, doing away with the Milky Way style aesthetic of the Serendipity, embodies a tranquil and arcadian green colourway, with a terrazzo-like print with specks of amber. It’s an eye-catching and gorgeous piece of handiwork with undistorted clarity: a testament to the high-quality 3D printing. Visually, it is reminiscent of a ‘liquid wood’ finish with an organic sheen or luster.
There are no visible seams between the faceplate and the shells themselves, with a healthy and even application of lacquer across its surfaces. There are no visible or detectable pits or scratches.
Overall, this is a wonderfully original and creative interpretation of IEM with a meaningful backstory and personalised touch.
Comfort and Ergonomics
This is going to be a rehash of Serendipity’s review.
The Synchronicity has an elongated spout/nozzle that certainly sits deeper than most Chi-Fi IEMs. I have a natural proclivity for extended spouts; I find that they sit more snugly in my ears.
While the nozzle depth itself isn’t a sticky problem, the provided ear tips lack rigidity or structure. Consequently, attempts to achieve to seal fail due to its susceptibility to crinkling under the slightest pressure. I managed to resolve this issue with SpinFits EarTips.
The sizeable chamber design results in the shells sitting outwardly from the ear. Visually, there is a lack of balance, but it does little to affect the actual comfort or long-term fit. A violent head-shake test failed to displace either L-R channel from my ears.
Don’t let the Synchronicity’s size fool you, either. At the end of the day, the Synchronicity is still fabricated from hypoallergenic resin, a material with a proven pedigree for its featherlight properties. As discussed earlier, it barely weighs four grams; an impressive feat.
Overall, the Serendipity may appear bulky, but that doesn’t detract from the actual wearing and listening experience.
Cable Quality
This is another variation of a recurring theme. Given that the Synchronicity comes readily equipped with the same stock cable, there’s nothing much to critique here, save for the same proof points.
The included cable is a quad-braid, cloth-sheathed cable decorated with brushed, Pentaconn hardware — a 4.4mm fixed termination and 2-pin connectors.
Surprisingly, the cables themselves are fairly microphonics-resistant despite their fabric sheathing. It’s slightly susceptible to memory but retains a strong degree of bendability without automatically spooling into a tangled mess.
The concentric-brushed hardware looks and feels high-quality, but its industrial and machined appearance doesn’t quite gel with the artistic approach to Synchronicity’s design. Do take note that later iterations to be shipped out will come with a themed cable that better matches its colorway.
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