The Substance of the Gods – A Review of the Periodic Audio Be

You will be hard pressed to find a DAP or amp which does not mingle well with the Beryllium IEM. It’s tuning is such, that if you fancy it, there’s little a source can do to ruin it. It’s neither too bright nor too warm. Your DAP will only accent the Be this way or that, while the impeccable balance will remain more or less intact. Furthermore, this earphone is easy to drive, and none of my players struggled in anyway.

The Opus#2 ($999, Review HERE) unleashes Periodic’s full potential. With life-like resolution and dimensionality, and natural weight and timbre, you will be amazed at what a $300 IEM can achieve. The bass hits with hellish impact, yet it never has a chance to cloud the image, for the soundstage is so grand and clean.

Cayin’s N5ii ($369, Review HERE) renders such a clear, detailed sound. Its dynamics attack hard, its resolution is high. There’s an excellent sense of depth and layering. The Beryllium truly comes alive with this player. For a rather reasonable price, this setup is good enough to qualify as any sane person’s end-game. It is SOOOOOO good!

If you want to go full Budget-Fi, the Cayin N3 ($149, Review HERE) will cast a warmer pall over the Be. Smoothness, rich bass, and rolled off highs, no one will cry fatigue with this pairing. There’s very little depth, and the clarity could be better, yet it’s hard not to bask in the sheer musicality of it all.

Well there you are. The Periodic Beryllium is outstanding. It’s one of the most pleasant things I’ve ever listened to. The tuning just speaks to me, caressing my spirit with its warmth and texture. It is a dynamic in the very best of ways, with monumental scope and richness, performing well beyond personal hopes or expectations. This is the second Beryllium encrusted driver I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing, and both instances impressed me. While I can’t say empirically it’s due to the element being used, I shall, nonetheless, keep my eye on this sort of product from here on out. I highly recommend you give the Be a shot.

-~::Pinky_Powers::~-

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ABOUT AUTHOR

Pinky Powers

Pinky Powers

Pinky is an artsy twat. Illustration, graphic design, writing. Yet music escapes him, and always has. He builds his own cables, and likes to explore the craftsmanship of others. He's a stabby one, also. At the first hint of annoyance, out comes the blade. I say he's compensating for something... in a big bad way. If we all try really hard as a collective, maybe we can have him put down.

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10 Responses

  1. I believe it to be fixed. Yes. It sure doesn’t look like it wants to come out. 🙂

  2. Nice review. Just got a pair too, and Be sounds great with iBasso DX80. Plan to try Opus #1S as well.

  3. I seem to disagree with most people these days, as I’ve spent about 30 more years listening analytically to stereos and headphones than most of the kids who review them these days, and I understand more as a result. High resolution and low distortion will at least temporarily cover up a host of problems–including poor balance. The Periodic Audio people are very proud of their “flat” response, and they include a graph with their product. But IEMs are different than over-ear headphones, and their response HAS to be different. Recently I listened to the “Coward” track from the Interstellar sound track. I like to listen at enjoyably loud volumes, but not so loud as to hurt my hearing. If I want to approximate the kind of bass that should be on that track, and use the right volume for that, then by the end of the track, which is heavy in midrange and treble arpeggios, the sound becomes terribly raucous and shrill. If I EQ down the mids and upper mids, centering around 2 kHz, then I get good sound all the way through: great bass in the opening, and clear, open sound at the end, all at a loud volume. Conclusion: The Periodic Audio Be is balanced too forward in the upper mids. Even at low volumes it can sound a little nasal because of that. The NuForce Ne-650M, while lacking the ultimate clarity and resolution of the Be, doesn’t require EQ for me to listen to that track. To many people it will have a V-shaped response, but it sounds natural for all genres without EQ. Too bad the Be doesn’t.

    I should say that with EQ the Period Audio Be sounds wonderful.

  4. Yeah, I think we must agree to disagree. Since both IT01 and Be have at least a slight V-shape to my ears, we are clearing hearing things VERY differently. lol

  5. Though both pairs, to me, are too mid-range forward for completely comfortable listening. Some people may say that I simply prefer a V-shaped response; no, I simply think that what looks V-shaped on paper is what will sound natural for IEMs. Otherwise the predominance of mids and upper mids becomes raucous at loud volumes. If I EQ down the mids and upper mids of the Be I get great sound. Otherwise not.

  6. Thank you. After 50 or so pairs of IEMs, I’m fairly well aware of the need for a good seal. I’m just not hearing things the way you are. The IT01 seems to me to have a rather loose and hazy midrange, whereas the Be seems more clear and well-defined. Etc. I’ll keep listening, but we may have to agree to disagree. Happy at any rate that you like the Be. Best regards…

  7. That’s curious. Makes me think you aren’t getting a proper seal with the IT01. I recommend JVC Spiral Dots. I use them for most IEMs, and they usually give me the best results.

    My experience is there is great sub-bass, with deep, deep extension. Not a ton of mid or upper bass. That’s where the cleaner presentation comes from.

    With a poor seal, though, all that will leak away.

  8. p.s. The right channel nozzle is red, the left is black.

    I found the bass slightly congested and unclear with the stock Periodic Audio tips; it opened up better when I switched to the old white UE silicon tips.

    Best regards

  9. Pinky, I’ve enjoyed your writing over a number of reviews lately. Keep up the good work and your wonderful handling of the English language (which I must say is somewhat lacking on certain other audio-oriented sites). But I must take exception with you about the IT01 — it is nowhere near as good as the Be. The BE’s low bass (sub-bass) is stronger and better defined (through both my Fiio X7mkii and Opus #2). The IT01 has no low bass to speak of; even using EQ it won’t come out and remains simply a dull thudding presence at the bottom. It’s midrange is also too prominent and requires EQ-ing, whereas the Be is simply better balanced overall. I have to admit to being pretty puzzled by the positive response to the IT01. But not to the Be.

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