AUDIOSENSE DT600 Review: Refined Delicacy with extra bass fun

PROS:
Excellent layering-imaging, Organic tonal balance, realist timbre, holographic immersivity, smooth mids and treble free of sibilance or harshness, excellent macro-resolution, fast attack with polished edge, versatile vocal performance, powerful bass response, weighty dynamic, beautifull shell design, good price value

CONS:
slightly boomy bass that lack extension and control, slightly rolled-off treble that lack air and sparkle, soundstage isn’t very deep or spacious, clarity isn’t the cleanest, impedance adapter offer a flat-lean-bright-dull sound

TONALITY: 8.6/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.6/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.6/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.6/10

AUDIOSENSE is a very active Chinese earphones company specializing in hybrid and multi-BA iem. Their first iem Line up was the T series, based on Knowles balanced armature driver. It includes T180 (1BA), T200 (2BA), T300 (3BA) and the legendary T800 (8BA). While i’ve tested all T serie earphones and praise to the sky the flagship T800, I never give a listen to other DT iem like the promising DT200. In the other hand, I did test the hybrid AQ3 and didn’t enjoy it’s warm tonality.
When I see that Audiosense launch a new 6BA iem priced only 250$, my hope that this could be on par with my beloved T800 make me obsess about trying them. Called DT600, this IEM use a mix of Knowles and customs BA.
Let’s see today if Audiosense are back on track for well-tuned multi-BA IEM.

PACKAGING

Minimalist boxing and maximalist accessories. The typical Audiosense package includes a very nice and sturdy pelican-like protective case with enough space to store 2 cables and as much eartips as you wish. You have a very generous amount of silicone and memory foams ear tips. You got a brush and cleaning clothes (forget to include in the pic). You have an excellent 8 cores litz copper cable. Interestingly, you even have a 80ohm impedance adapter.

CONSTRUCTION

Those are sure candy for the eyes, with a unique backplate artwork that is sure to make you feel unique when you wear them. The resin plastic used is very light and feels sturdy, it’s notably smaller than T800 making them way more comfortable and easier to achieve a proper fit. The MMCX connector is well embedded in the shell and doesn’t feel it will loosen after lot of use. Not only is it fascinating to loot at the backplate but the translucide shell too, which show the 3 separation tube connected to 3 pairs of balanced armature.

The 8strands 16 cores OFC copper litz cable is the very same included with the T800. I still have this cable and it works perfectly after 3 years of intense use, so I can confirm it’s a good sturdy one. My only complaint is about the ear hook, which is a bit too tight for my big ears.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS
(using SMSL SU-9+SH-9 and Xduoo X20)

TONALITY : Smooth W to L shape with important sub-bass boost, lean full mids and relaxed treble. We can say it’s harman target inspired too, it’s warm yet well resolve and the mids take the center of the show even if bass can color them.

TIMBRE : Warm, natural, organic yet nuanced in texture. Bass is notably warmer and less textured.

SOUNDSTAGE : Depending on the ear tips you use, it can go from intimate to above average wide with good deepness but average tallness. KZ Starlines add deepness short wide bore offer a very wide and out of your head spatiality.

IMAGING : Holographic and very generous in sounds layers with a circular positioning that doesn’t forget center instrument placement. It isn’t the crispest accuracy but still accurate when you travel in the condensed spatiality. Instrument separation isn’t the widest, neither the cleanest especially when their alot going on in center stage.

The BASS is extremely surprising in term of quantity for a balanced armature, it has big slam and rumble, it really can move air which sometimes is too much and will hollow lower mids and warm overall tonality. It isn’t a basshead IEM like it’s big brother T800, but the lower end is the most boosted part of spectrum, L shape way, so it can distract you from other instruments in bass heavy track. In fact, i find imprevisible the bass performance, sometimes it’s very impressive and well-articulated, tight in impact, other time it’s overly boomy and resonant, like toms don’t have natural decay and will lack proper definition. Kick drum can sound clear and punchy with electric bass, but less so with acoustic bass. I was very impressed by the powerful rumble listening to sub-bassy track like ‘’Moonlight’’ from IAMDD, it was hard to believe I listen to a Multi-BA, this time, kick punch hard with good weight and stay on top of pure sub-bass line, but the presentation wasn’t as airy and clean as i’m use too and treble seem a bit recessed, still, everything was well layered and vocal stay upfront. Perhaps people don’t believe in BA burn in, but i’m pretty sure BA woofer gains in flexibility after 50H of use. But a BA have limitation in natural extension and flexibility, and the bass feel sometimes ‘’shooted’’ and lack proper definition and edge, acoustic bass sound scooped in extension, it lacks texture in lower harmonics. This make the bass better fitted for electric bass and electronic instrument in general. It’s a fun slightly imprevisible bass, for extra juicy guilty pleasure of an otherwise near-neutral tuned IEM.

The MIDS are my favorite part of the DT600, they are extremely well layered, smoothly natural in timbre, rich in nuance and accurate even with busy track. Sure, it’s not the weightiest in term of impact weight, like piano note could benefit from more meat, but the attack speed permit good articulation and clean presence. The tone is right and all instruments sound realistic without the edge that can make them aggressive, saxophone and woodwinds are wide and transparent, dense and rich in texture, while the violin is smooth yet well define, electric guitar could earn from more bite but are rich in timbre.
Male and Female are both forwards and neither congested or recessed as if a magic trick happen to always extract them and put the under the spot light. Male is well-bodied enough, clean, open and flat, not boosted in lower harmonic. Timber Timbre song ‘’I get low’’ offer a smooth, highly revealing listen where the voice take all your attention but doesn’t hollow rest of the instruments, the voice has it’s own layer space and doesn’t melt with rest of music while keeping the presentation natural and balanced. Agnes Obel song ‘’Broken sleep’’ sound very rich with the DT600, she has a great presence that doesn’t feel as boosted as other IEM with more upper mids boost, i’m very use of this song so while it’s condensed in layers it lacks a bit of air to make her voice better extract and centered, this song has a lot of string picking that lack some treble snap and cello, piano and violin play in similar range as well as the voice which thicken layers presentation, the result is smooth, highly informative and organic as a whole. While these are very versatile and well resolve mids, sometime it will get warmed by the lower end, this is what happen with Agnes song, the cello is the black sheep in there that darken-thicken tonality.

If you like your TREBLE sweet and smooth, nuanced in body density and so balanced you need to dig into your music to find it’s secret micro-details treasure, your in for a long listening pleasure, because the high will never scream, bite or ring at you, they are very docile, very polite. Safely tuned yet nor dark or lacking in details, the DT600 highs are very refined and well calibrate. Sure, if your a treble head that want your IEM to deconstruct your music for you, you will wish the upper highs to be more boosted, to my ears it only lack sparkle and air. Unlike agressive treble that wow you at first until it annoy you with it’s excited presence, the DT600 unfold nuance and details of your music gently, organically, holographically. It’s harder to fully enjoy it’s refinement when you have lot of instruments with wide presence play together. The percussions take the back seat but keep their life-like details, they aren’t splashy nor edgy. High pitched violin and piano sound superb, with a tigh decay that permits fast articulation, it doesnt sound thin or grainy bright like lot of other IEM with forced clarity. Listening to post-rock group The Pirate Ship Quartet is pure bliss with the DT600, for this ‘’You’re Next’’track spatial positioning and layering is ultra-accurate, the 2 guitar playing at each side while the violon has it’s own clean presence with a smooth lush tone, when guitars go electric distortion the rendering is dense but not opaque, have rich feedback and never go messy or harsh, the snare is very snappy and percussions stay in the back and show their highlight presence when needed, and even the bass line are well rendered here, so DT600 nail the electric bass tone. In fact, I have beard goosebumps (yep, not joking) listening to this album. If you wanna listen to rock without having to endure an aggressive tonality that will spoil long listening pleasure, DT600 is a great bet. Unless you only listen to clavicord or acoustic steel guitar that need long decay, the treble will gently but surely charm your ears.



SIDE NOTES:
With the 80ohm adapter=about 2 times harder to drive, tamed dynamic impact so less bass bleed but less amount of sound layers articulation, leaner bass and mids, brighter treble&texture, thinner timbre.
Eartips are of fundamental importance and can drastically inflict on sound spatiality as well as tonal balance to a less extend. Short wide bore tips will open up the sound, but make the bass warmer and less controlled. Included ear tips seem to compress layering and soundstage. KZ Starlines is the best of both world, you get some bass control as well as deep wide soundstage and better-balanced treble.
Cable inflict minimally on sound rendering, it can tame bass or treble a bit, included cable make the bass warmer and dynamic weightier.
Like the Audiosense T800, the DT600 doesn’t like audio source with high output impedance, this is why i guess a 80ohm adapter is included. Clean neutral source with low impedance output like the Xduoo X20 or SMSL SU-9+SH-9 are good pairing. DT600 are easy to drive and doesn’t benefit from powerful amping, unless you use the 80ohm adapter.

COMPARISONS

VS AUDIOSENSE T800 (8knowles BA-300$)

There you go for the ultimate duel. My sub-500$ favorite multi-BA that give me daily eargasm and headbanging fun for more than 2 years. Let just say i’m a bit biased here, my emotional connection being very intense with this T800. But hey, these 2 beasts are quite different and here the T800 is the less maturely tuned we can say.
TONALITY : T800 is brighter, more W shape and more boosted in bass. DT600 feel flater and less vivid in dynamic, more organic and neutral.
TIMBRE : Very similar, but T800 is a bit thicker, more textured and grainy while transparency go to DT600.
BASS : Well, if i was waiting for an upgrade in this department, i feel underwhelmed because the DT600 bass isn’t as full and natural as T800, it’s slam is even more boomy and restrain in mid and high bass presence, so the kick hit feel more scooped and definition is more abstract.
MIDS : T800 is brighter and less natural, it can go agressive too which the DT600 don’t. DT600 have leaner, smoother mids with greater transparency and resolution. Female vocal feel more recessed due to softer upper mids.
TREBLE : DT600 have smoother fuller leaner colder treble, it deal better with busy track and feel more balanced. It have less bite than T800 as well as less crunchy texture, but it doesn’t put micro-details as forwards and can lack definition edge.
SOUNDSTAGE : T800 have wider-taller spatiality and a more holographic out of your head presentation. DT600 is a bit deeper, but overall more intimate.
IMAGING : T800 have greater amount of sound layer, but lacking the DT600 transparency it’s harder to dig in and precisely spot instrument placement, DT600 is better in this aspect.

All in all, while I have more fun with the T800, i can say DT600 is a step up in terms of balance, resolution and precision…but not in bass presence and control, soundstage and attack edge. Unlike other Audiosense IEM i heard, the DT600 is a turning stone and valuable proof of tuning refinement…now, it’s time they take some bass lessons!


VS SEEAUDIO YUME (1DD+2knowlesBA-170$)

Another legendary IEM, the YUME have a similar tonality to the DT600 but use a dynamic driver for it’s bass. Both follow the bassy Harman target, but the final result have more slam with the woofer BA on steroid of the DT600.

TONALITY : DT600 is a bit more U shape and warmer while the Yume is mid centric to W shape and a hint brighter and cleaner as well as better balanced.
TIMBRE : These 2 use knowles BA and similarity is very hearable, even if DT600 seem more damped, so a bit warmer, denser and more natural but less textured than the Yume.
BASS : There you go for the hard truth about the limitation of bass BA, which is about flexibility and natural extension, the Yume have leaner response and is more extended, better controled and less boosted-boomy. It doesn’t warm lower mid range like the DT600 either. DT600 bass can feel faster in impact but lack control and proper definition.
MIDS : DT600 have thicker warmer mids, wider in presence but not as lively and upfront as the Yume, especially when it come to female vocal, which are cleaner-crisper. The Yume have more intimate mids still, not as widely layered and weighty as the DT600.
TREBLE : Again…so similar it’s hard to pull them apart, DT600 seem a bit fuller and more extended as well as softer, it can pick up more micro details as well as background audio artefact.
SOUNDSTAGE : The DT600 is notably wider and taller but less deep. Yume feel like listening in a tunnel compared to DT600.
IMAGING : DT600 have more amount of sound layers but is less clean, so it isn’t as accurate than the Yume even if more holographic and spacious.

All in all, i do think the DT600 is an upgrade over the Yume even if less refined in balance, if you find your Yume underwhelming in term of musicality and too dry in timbre, the DT600 solve this and have a bigger soundstage too as well as richer resolution.



VS Unique Melody 3DT (3DD-320$)

3DD against 6BA, yeah, why not? One would think the all DD Unique Melody would be warmer, but it isn’t the case, it’s brighter and more energic. Oh, and the bass doesn’t dig as deep, how’s possible?? Let see.
TONALITY : UM is more agressive W shape with boosted mid bass-mid-treble while the DT600 is more boosted in sub-bass and leaner in mid-treble (L shape).
BASS: Notably more textured and tighter with 3DT, thicker, denser, tonaly more accurate and realist but doesn’t offer the DT600 (strange) rumble.
MIDS : More energic and bright, again more textured but a bit rougher too, not as informative as the DT600, especially in busy track.
TREBLE : More crunchy, more bite, more body, less extension than DT600, less airy and well separated too. A bit more splashy too, so less fast in attack.
SOUNDSTAGE : Just a hint wider and taller, but in a panoramic way (aka in your face wide wall of sound way)
IMAGING : Sub-par compared to DT600, layers are opaque and mix togheter in a thick way so you can’t dig as much through them as DT600, as well, accuracy is vague compared to DT600.

All in all, these 2 offer me a so much different sound experience that I can’t choose a winner, technically the DT600 is better, but it isn’t as full-sounding and textured so overall musicality would go to brighter and more cohesive 3DT.

CONCLUSION

The Audiosense DT600 are among the best multi-BA earphones I’ve tested, and it finds it’s singular place between the Seeaudio Yume and Audiosense T800. DT600 doesn’t try to overpush it’s technical prowess, which can lead to a clinical sound often find with inferior multi-BA, instead, it aims for an organic cohesion with a hint of bass warmth.
The tonality is smooth, natural, versatile yet immersive and holographic, and very revealing in macro-resolution layering. Having a powerful thumpy bass coming from a BA is very surprising too, even if this is the guilty pleasure part of the sound.
But that’s what Audiosense achieve with the DT600 too, a sound presentation that is both fun and refined to listen to, and never creates ear fatigue due to it’s smooth yet very informative treble.
In the end, you have a versatile sounding IEM that will enrich the musicality of 99% of your music, from rock to jazz to classical to folk to IDM and electronic, the DT600 can handle it effortlessly.
I’m sincerly impress by the DT600 and feel Audiosense evolve in the right way.
If you are searching for an upgrade to your Seeaudio Yume or Fiio FH3, the DT600 should be on your top list!


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PS: I wanna thanks Audiosense for selling me the DT600 at a discounted price on my request. As seen with my other AS iem reviews, i’m 100% independent of mind. I have no affiliation with this respectable audio company.

You can buy the DT600 directly from their official store HERE.