The Will to Rule – A Review of the 64Audio tia Fourté

The 64Audio tia Fourté is heaven on earth. To say these are airy doesn’t cover it by half. The emphasis on upper treble, combined with the sheer audacity of its extension, blows the roof wide open, letting in unimaginable air and height. Reference seems the aim here, with a rather flat line of superb tuning. This is not usually to my tastes, as I’m more of a warmth fiend. Fourté, however, won me the f**k over. In spite of an abundance of clarity and treble, Fourté renders a remarkably smooth signature. It doesn’t hit you with harsh spikes; it progresses upward with a linear stroll that seems to go on for hours with nothing but a gentle hump at the higher frequencies for that little extra magic.

That’s right, tia Fourté is magical. Not to mention, energetic. They give the impression of a perpetual explosion of sorcerous power somehow contained by older and wiser spellwork. Every note releases like a solar flare from the sun’s fusion furnaces and vanishes just as quick. If that containment field were to weaken, we’d all die instantly. Details are presented with excitement and a level of resolution that will slake anyone’s hunger for technical brilliance. Yet there is a restraint at play which keeps things from getting too aggressive or violent. It’s an artful balance.

64Audio’s tia High technology is one of those things you know you’re hearing from the first few notes of whatever song you play. It doesn’t sound like anything else. The closest contemporary it has is Campfire Audio’s TAEC system, and even that fails to match the grandeur of Fourté’s treble. TAEC sounds big, but also queerly sweet and thick. It can come off rather unnatural. tia, however, is airy, thin, and ethereal, and shimmers in a most free and effortless manner. Of course, to be considered truly natural, I believe treble ought to possess a good measure of warmth. Fourté’s upper range does not contain any real warmth. I wouldn’t call it cold, however. There’s far too much life in there for such a cadaverous description. No, it’s just bright. The overall signature is not bright, but the treble certainly is. No way around it. While this is not, strictly speaking, a natural tone, it is where most of Fourté’s magic comes from. The tia High driver brings every instrument into vivid relief, and produces more of those overtones than we usually get to hear in IEMs… or even headphones, for that matter.

tia’s improbable extension also fills the stage with class-leading air and atmosphere. This adds an organic touch to the proceedings which invokes a naturalness the tuning alone fails to capture. It’s a give and take which culminates in a thoroughly engaging, hyper-real experience. “Hyper-real” meaning “more than real.” tia Fourté is a fantasy. It aims for reference, yet overshoots, landing in Narnia. Its ability to reveal and expose goes beyond great. We’re approaching HD800 territory here, with nearly the same penchant for resolving an image. Beware, though! If you’re shy of treble, these may put you off.

Clarity and transparency of the highest order are the defining traits of Fourté’s mid-range. It is a cliché to talk about how a new headphone makes it sound like the artist is in the same room with you… but sweet Jesus these do sound like that. These are the best IEM’s I’ve come across at removing the veils between you and the music. It just sounds so… naked. Fourté comes dangerously close to HD800’s level of transparency. It’s so good at this some may come away from an audition feeling the mids were thin. I think that’s the wrong term. While vocals may not seem thick or particularly warm, they are not really thin. Freakishly clear, yes, but not thin.

Perhaps part of the reason they avoid weakness is the sheer power and dynamism on display. They transcend the normal pitfalls of super clear tuning. Fourté’s vocals possess weight and authority without the orthodoxy of thickness and warmth. Could this be a characteristic of the tia-Mid Driver? Don’t know. What I can say is I don’t crave the lusher tuning of my old favorites.

tia Fourté’s mids are crazy neutral. I would not say there is any inherent warmth in them, nor any coldness. Both male and female voices sound vivacious and alive. Melissa Menago sings her songs with a warm, sweet, and airy tonality. Warmth exists because she brings it. Patricia Barber, however, sounds thinner, airier, with a very natural brightness. When David Draiman sings The Sound of Silence, you get all the depth and richness of his lower key opening, and when the song shifts upward, he sounds smooth and angelic. Fourté recreates it all truthfully. No range suffers or sounds anything less than… real.

The hyper-realism is helped along to greater heights by Fourté’s stellar resolution. Again I’m reminded of the HD800 here. You can hear the subtlest of breaths, and the wetness of a singer’s tongue. The precise location of each guitar string… hell, even the individual vibrations of the string off the frets. Okay, I might exaggerate some, but not by much. tia Fourté is the best I’ve found at rendering these things.

My review so far probably reads like rotten hype. So let’s talk about Fourté’s weakest feature: Bass. And really, the “weakness” I speak of is just about personal preference. You see, I like a demon in my sonic basement. I want to feel a little overwhelmed by that darkenss. Fourté fails to accomplish this. Which is a damn shame, as it’s packing the perfect weapon for the job; a Dynamic Driver can kill a man with awesome. And in fact, I can Equalize Fourté to do just that. Which goes to show how under-utilized it currently is.

Fourté’s low-end is not really tuned light. From a certain perspective, it’s quite appropriate. Very neutral. I’m sure a great many purists want it just the way it is. Sub-bass is raised over mid-bass, making for a clean, tight presentation. That sub-bass delves to some exquisite lows, too, rumbling where you feel it more than hear it. Kicks land with decisive impact, visceral and honest. The amount of detail and texture Fourté conveys is right up there with the best of them.

Bass notes sound organic, but a little dry. By its nature, bass is a warm tone, yet Fourté fights to keep that under control. Undoubtedly this aids Fourté’s technical brilliance, but it also robs you of a little musicality. A major benefit of this profile, and the splendid treble extension, is how much air imbues even the lows. They are more a part of the stage than is often the case, existing beside the other instruments, instead of merely permeating the atmosphere. Again, we see that give and take. The result manages to give me a cohesive, satisfying experience, in spite of  how my bias leans towards that bassier sound.

Speaking of cohesive… that’s a great way to describe the soundstage. It’s massive, but in every direction. tia Fourté creates a cube to live in, but a very big cube whose boundaries lie beyond the head. The elements on this stage are fairly large as well. Voices are front and center and in your face. Instruments are placed all around the singer in a spacious manner, though not exaggeratedly stretched-out. The musicians are arrayed naturally, not forced to opposite ends of a super wide stage. It feels so… cohesive. Imaging is utterly without fault, both horizontally and in terms of depth. Fourté is the king of holographic earphones, illustrating the space between layers better than anyone else. It’s so bloody good, this might just be its most impressive skill.

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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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21 Responses

  1. Check out my review of Legend X. That is currently my favorite IEM.

    https://theheadphonelist.com/weapons-of-power-and-myth-a-review-of-the-empire-ears-legend-x/

    As for your other question, unless a piece of audio gear has some terrible flaw, I don’t subscribe to the notion they are genre specific. If the tuning pleases you, then it will likely please you for most every type of music. That’s been my experience. Though I am aware some disagree.

  2. To pinky powers, I read your whole review of the tia fourte very well written there, but apart from the tia fourte what other iems would you say have impressed you over your audiophile days and also what would be the greatest postive about the tia fourte and also a negative of the tia fourte. and lastly what genres would suit the tia fourte the best , would vocals, rnb, pop, hippop be a good match and also have had a chance to listen to trio the younger brother of the fourte, thanks (sorry for the long question)

  3. as an audiophile, “Nirvana” is multi faceted and ever evolving. lol always looking for the NEXT mind blower and breakthrough in audiology. Coming from amateur status running Shure 535SE and then onto 2 pairs of the 845 (due to losing the first set :() Believe it or not, I still miss the 845s and feel they were a good 4 driver….thanx to those i was off into dreamland when reading of 14+ BA set ups, but when i got my hands on the Zeus XR, I was left missing the Sub Bass/Bass and soon realized this game was not ONLY about having the most drivers but also the acoustics and the drivers themselves….hence the decision to pick up the Fourte. I listen to just about all genres out there with an emphasis on Electronic and Hip Hop. Hoping to eventually post reviews for others’ benefit. Always trying to recruit as well. lol will be nice to have a set of Universal IEMs so i can show others’ what they’ve been missing. The over ears are good but i love an AWESOME IEM.

  4. Just managed to purchase a set of Tia Fourte and am more than excited to give these a whirl. Currently an EE fan and have the Zeus XR w/ Adel for my Reference Purposes while using my Legend X for the bangers. Tend to let the cables do the fine tuning (acting as my EQ for balancing out the sound signatures pending the source and genre of music). Like you i tend to pair GPS cables with brighter IEMs while using the Silver Litz cables for the Warmer sounding IEM and therefore have ended up leaving my Horus 8 for the Zeus XR while primarily leaning on my Leonidas 8 for pairing with the Legend X. I run these combos direct from the SP1000 and like to switch it up with the Janus Basso on the Zeus XR and Janus Dynamic on the Legend X, when running a warmer sounding DAC like my desktop Sony TA or running a non Hi-Res Sourced from the Sony PHA-3. From the reviews i’ve read through on the Fourte thus far, it looks like i will have even greater flexibility….which ultimately is what this audiophile NEEDS….options options and more options. Music is my life and reproducing it the way it is meant to sound is priority so i must have the proper tools to dial in frequencies pre/post EQ if even using an EQ. Only IEM I’ll need to get in my ears next will be the UE Live. overall at this juncture, I have to agree with the OP…Legend X is my new favorite and go to….we’ll have to see what the Fourte holds.

  5. Fourté remains the best IEM I’ve ever heard, in terms of technical prowess. But I sold it a few months back.

    Why? Needed the money. Bad. Yet somehow, I’m not heartbroken. Because while I would call Fourté the superior IEM, the Legend X by Empire Ears suites my personal tastes even better.

    This not to discourage you over tia Fourté. When you hear it, you’ll probably want it. And indeed, you won’t find a clearer, more detailed, or higher-res monitor.

  6. Hello,
    Really enjoyed your review. It was done in a different way than usually. I appreciate it. I had u12 and U18T for a week last week. I agree with you on the u12 100%. I should get a demo Forte this week, can’t wait. I have astell&Kern ak300. I hope it will not be too bright for them. I do believe I like exactly what you like in sound ( reading your words) so I hope I will end my quest for music 🙂

  7. Hey Pinky! Great review! I am considering an upgrade for the FLC8s. I’ve been using the red grey gold combination for the last two years, mainly for J pop and instrumental tracks. Do you think that the tia Fourte would be a reasonable choice?

  8. To my great sadness, I have still never heard Tzar, so I cannot give you a breakdown.

    However! Look up Twister6 reviews. He has a blog. Find his Fourté review. He does an extensive comparison between these two flagships. And I trust his impressions without reservation.

  9. I’m hesitating between the A18 Tzar and tia Fourté. Considering the price, I need to hear from a reviewer that had the opportunity to listen to both flagships extensively to give a comparison.
    This comparison is essential. I can’t believe that no reviewer did it before!

  10. Looks like you’ll be in a better position to know than I will. I would love to get my hands on the U12t, but so far, no word on that.

  11. hmm… I ordered an a12t a week ago… wonder how it stands between the a12 and the fourte. I’ve auditioned both but the a12t is a leap of faith.

  12. very nice review, i have a Fourté myself, pairs up with pw 1960s 4 wires (gives slightly more extension to treble, transparency, full body mid and a little more power to low) ; beat audio billow 8 wires (extension to treble, most importantly musicality and “feeling of the singers”) love this most; I’m waiting for my Mars4 + leonidas 4 bespoke and see how it can shapes my Fourté into!

  13. Thanks, Steve.

    I got out of retail and definitely don’t wish to move into sales. But I appreciate the vote of confidence. 😀

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