LETSHUOER ASTRALIS REVIEW

>>I am brazilian and I speak portuguese, so forgive my english, I’ll use translation tools to help<<

INTRO:

In-ear earphones with “planar magnetic” drivers have always been seen as having a cold sound, little bass, and being difficult to push… But LETSHUOER has brought new realities when it comes to planar magnetic earphones. The LETSHUOER S08 itself was a harbinger of this new reality. Now, we have another earphone that changes the old conception of planar drivers: the LETSHUOER ASTRALIS.

Price: $189 USD
Color: Silver
Cable: 3.5mm and 4.4mm

Letshuoer reviews: S12, DT02, D13, DZ4, S15, Cadenza 4, DX1, Mystic 8, D02, S08.

LETSHUOER LINKS:

https://amzn.to/4clKQk5 (US)

https://amzn.to/3OyZATt (UK)

https://amzn.to/487jlZc (DE)

https://amzn.to/4mY95IZ (FR)

https://amzn.to/4cF3rGJ (JP)

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3HOzhQD (PC)

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3jBIrul (APP)

SPECIFICATIONS:

Planar Magnetic:

• (1) 15.5mm Ring-Type Planar Magnetic driver per side (5th gen)

– Frequency: 20Hz – 40kHz
– Effective frequency: 20Hz – 20kHz
– Impedance: 20Ω
– Sensitivity: 104dB
– Connectors: 2pin 0.78mm (detachable)
– Modular cable: 3.5mm & 4.4mm Balanced (straight design)
– Cable size: 1.20m
– Cable material: Silver-Plated Copper Monocrystalline
– Shell: CNC aluminum alloy
– IEM weight: 7.3g (one side)(without eartips)
– Cable weight: 22.4g (3.5mm)
– Cable weight: 22.9g (4.4mm)
– Total weight (packaging, iems, etc): 260g
– Packaging size: 15.5cm [H] x 10.5cm [W] x 5cm [D]

UNBOXING:

PHYSICAL ASPECTS:

Construction:

• Shell made of aluminum alloy.
• Modern and minimalist design (I like it).
• Closed back.
• It has 2 vents per side.
• Great build quality. Robust due to being made of metal.
• Great accessory kit.
• Great case. Rigid, spacious, lightweight, and elegant. Made using 3D printing.
• The case lid takes a while to unscrew (they could improve this).

Eartips:

• Two types of eartips: “Balanced” and “Vocals”.
• Sizes S/M/L.
• Standard: if you wear M, then it’s M.
• The eartips are very similar to each other.
• I felt that this IEM could have a more open eartips (like a wide bore).
• Even though I’m not a fan of wide bore eartips, it would be interesting to have them in the kit.
• I tested the HE Sonic Galaxy Edition. They reduce the bass and create more “balance”.
• In terms of quality, the ones in the kit are good, but there could be more variety.
• I chose to do the review with the HE Sonic Galaxy Edition (size M).
• Link to the HE Sonic GE: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3NGH7V1

Cable:

• Excellent cable. Improved compared to the previous IEMs.
• Excellent quality, and very beautiful too.
• It resembles the S12 and S15 cables, but this one is lighter, thinner, and more flexible.
• Modular: 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced plugs.
• The modular system has a very good size (compact).
• Lightweight and thin cable.
• Great malleability.
• Doesn’t tangle.
• Doesn’t develop “memory” (creases).
• The earhooks are good.
• No microphonics.
• The chin slider works perfectly.

Fit and comfort:

• Vertical fit. Great stability.
• Same fit as the S15.
• I think the S15 is better because it’s made of resin.
• Very comfortable.
• 7.3g, not the lightest nor the heaviest.
• The lighter it is, the better for me. 7.3g is still Ok.
• Maybe better for medium or large ears (subjective).
• Good for long hours of use.
• Medium insertion.
• Great isolation.

Earphone kit (accessories):

• Astralis earphones.
• 3 pair of balanced eartips.
• 3pairs of vocal eartips.
• DT01 Pro dongle.
• Modular cable.
• 3.5mm & 4.4mm plugs.
• Carrying case.
• Manual, Warranty, QC pass.

SOUND ASPECTS:

Sound:

• Warm, soft, and relaxed sound.
• L-Shape tuning (modern).
• Emphasis on the bass range.
• Linear mids and treble.
• Unlike most planar drivers I’ve heard.
• Similar to the Letshuoer S08, but with better treble.
• Bass that brings fun to the performance.
• I don’t consider it energetic.
• Technically very competent. Great resolution.
• The definition and speed of the planar driver always impress.
• Recommended for those seeking a more “calm” planar driver, that doesn’t fatigue.
• Honestly, this isn’t my preferred tonality.
• Perhaps it’s important to read the paragraph about the eartips and amplification.

Bass:

– Quantitative:

• Moderate to high bass.
• It might be for bassheads, but I’ve heard IEMs with more bass.
• Mid-bass and sub-bass with considerable presence.
• Sub-bass and mid-bass in linearity.
• Depending on the recording, one region or the other will be more prominent.

– Qualitative:

• These are full, rich, massive, warm, fast bass, with good definition and extension.
• It has great impact, texture, and physicality.
• The bass stands out more than the other frequencies.
• On the verge of invading the mids.
• Good for genres with emphasized bass: EDM, Hip-Hop, Reggae, etc.
• Bass guitar and percussion are well highlighted in this IEM.

Mids:

– Quantitative and qualitative:

• Slightly recessed mids.
• Smooth, polished, soft pinna gain.
• Compared to the S12 and S15, the Astralis’ mids are lower.
• Technically, even with the recess, it has great definition.
• Tonically speaking, it feels very smooth (subjective).
• I felt it could have a little more projection in the upper-mids.
• The mids as a whole are warmer and silkier.
• It didn’t present any aggressiveness at any point.
• Recommended for those sensitive to forward upper-mids.
• I’m sensitive in that region and didn’t feel any discomfort.
• If you’re looking for very clarity mids, this might not be the best choice.
• Drum snare have their beats “softened”.

Voices:

• Male/low voices performed better.
• It greatly benefits baritone and low voices.
• Warmer and more textured timbre.
• Female/high voices require more clarity and airiness.
• If you want more clarity and projection, the S15 is an alternative.

Treble:

– Quantitative:

• Moderate treble.
• Not for trebleheads.
• Well-implemented treble.
• I didn’t experience fatigue due to the treble.
• I found it had slightly more treble than the S08.

– Qualitative:

• Linear, controlled, fast treble, great definition and good extension.
• Natural/smooth sparkle.
• Great detail.
• Good/Okay airy.
• Comfortable treble, so it’s not an energetic IEM.
• They follow the midrange (sense of continuity).
• They aren’t shrill, not sharp, not harsh.
• I didn’t experience sibilance, peaks, or coloration.
• Everything played very coherently in this region.
• Cymbals, bells, chimes, all played detailed and natural.

Soundstage:

• Great soundstage.
• Great spatiality.
• Very good in depth, height, and width.
• Feels like the bass instruments are distant from the treble.
• Bass instruments are more forward in the presentation.
• The sound doesn’t sound congested.

Imaging:

• Great instrumental separation.
• The stereo image is also very good.
• The good resolution helps a lot in this regard.
• Easy to identify the position of the instruments.

Driver flex test:

• Planar magnetic drivers don’t have driver flex sound like dynamic drivers.

Amplification:

• Easy to push, but scales nicely if you add more amplification.
• It doesn’t need a very powerful amplifier (although more power is welcome).
• I tested Astralis on 3 dongles: FiiO QX13, FiiO KA11, and Letshuoer DT01 Pro.
• I believe a FiiO KA11 is the minimum to play the Astralis.
• The review was with the FiiO QX13 on the 4.4mm output, Desktop Mode, and High Gain.
• The volume was at 20 out of 60 (QX13) and at 100% in Windows.
• Certainly, the configuration mentioned above was where it performed best (for me).
• With the KA11 and the QX13 on the 3.5mm output it was also good/okay.
• The Letshuoer DT01 Pro was the weakest of all.
• Qualitatively, it was also the weakest.
• I wouldn’t recommend using Astralis on the DT01 Pro.

PROS AND CONS:

GRAPHS BY SUPER*REVIEWS:

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