Intro:
The iBasso IT01, priced just below the $100 mark, turned out to be a very capable in-ear. In fact, as a dynamic driver in-ear, its technical prowess is rarely achieved by other comparable models at its price point and it convinces with a tight, fast and precise bass response, clean spatial cues as well as high resolution. Indeed, it set the bar quite high for any other dynamic driver-only models from iBasso when it comes to technical performance.
The newer iBasso IT01s is therefore already facing quite strong in-house competition. Despite the name, it isn’t just a different iteration of the IT01 but an in-ear with a completely different, albeit still dynamic, driver, and it is offered at double the price of the “old” IT01, which makes it still a nice deal and wherefore is priced at where the older non-s in-ear could have easily been anyway.
This write-up will focus on the IT01s and also work out the similarities and differences between the lower-priced, technically excellent IT01 and iBasso’s new single dynamic driver in-ear creation. Some lines and impressions will also focus on the IT01 v2.
Packaging, Accessories and more:
The packaging design of the IT01s is pretty much similar with the IT01’s and only differs when it comes to colour choice, with the outer cardboard sleeve resembling the in-ears’ colour (that’s sort of a blend between shiny silver and smoke blue).
Anyway, the tip selection seems to be pretty similar to the IT01’s, as is the tin storage case with the soft bolstering (I seem to be lucky this time and the IT01s tin’s lid closes rather tightly, and while the case isn’t what I’d call pretty, it’s protective and very sturdy).
Just like the IT01, the IT01s comes bundled with a stunning twisted litz cable, although a different one. What I once said about the IT01, that the cable alone would already justify the price if you were that person who is into audio cables, and that’s probably also true for the IT01s’s that’s even more premium looking and features a level of flexibility and suppleness that you wouldn’t really expect from a cable that thick.
In terms of personal preference of visual appearance though I’d say that I, despite the IT01s cable’s very high level of suppleness and flexibility that I wouldn’t really expect by looking at it and seeing its litzes’ thickness , probably just ever, ever so slightly prefer the IT01’s copper coloured cable to the IT01s’s that’s silver on the outside, which is due to the IT01’s being braided up to the y-splitter and twisted above, whereas the IT01s’s is twisted until the y-splitter and straight above it, and mainly probably because the IT01’s is 3.5 mm terminated while the IT01s’s comes balanced with a 2.5 mm plug and a short unbalanced 3.5 mm cable extension adapter that just clicks into place without any further protection wherefore it might be a weak-ish spot (by the way, the Fidue A91 SIRIUS’s cable adapter is quite similar in design and therefore also represents a potential weak spot). (As a side-note, it’s easier to store the IT01 than the It01s with connected adapter inside the case, even though the latter doesn’t really make any problems in this regard.)
Either way both in-ears come with extremely supple cables that set a very high bar in terms of visual appearance and are among the very best (in terms of premium feeling – I’m no person to associate cables with tonal differences apart from the obvious electrical properties that may influence different driver implementations due to changed impedance) what a manufacturer could bundle their in-ears with.
The iBasso IT01, priced just below the $100 mark, turned out to be a very capable in-ear. In fact, as a dynamic driver in-ear, its technical prowess is rarely achieved by other comparable models at its price point and it convinces with a tight, fast and precise bass response, clean spatial cues as well as high resolution. Indeed, it set the bar quite high for any other dynamic driver-only models from iBasso when it comes to technical performance.
The newer iBasso IT01s is therefore already facing quite strong in-house competition. Despite the name, it isn’t just a different iteration of the IT01 but an in-ear with a completely different, albeit still dynamic, driver, and it is offered at double the price of the “old” IT01, which makes it still a nice deal and wherefore is priced at where the older non-s in-ear could have easily been anyway.
This write-up will focus on the IT01s and also work out the similarities and differences between the lower-priced, technically excellent IT01 and iBasso’s new single dynamic driver in-ear creation. Some lines and impressions will also focus on the IT01 v2.
Packaging, Accessories and more:
The packaging design of the IT01s is pretty much similar with the IT01’s and only differs when it comes to colour choice, with the outer cardboard sleeve resembling the in-ears’ colour (that’s sort of a blend between shiny silver and smoke blue).
Anyway, the tip selection seems to be pretty similar to the IT01’s, as is the tin storage case with the soft bolstering (I seem to be lucky this time and the IT01s tin’s lid closes rather tightly, and while the case isn’t what I’d call pretty, it’s protective and very sturdy).
Just like the IT01, the IT01s comes bundled with a stunning twisted litz cable, although a different one. What I once said about the IT01, that the cable alone would already justify the price if you were that person who is into audio cables, and that’s probably also true for the IT01s’s that’s even more premium looking and features a level of flexibility and suppleness that you wouldn’t really expect from a cable that thick.
In terms of personal preference of visual appearance though I’d say that I, despite the IT01s cable’s very high level of suppleness and flexibility that I wouldn’t really expect by looking at it and seeing its litzes’ thickness , probably just ever, ever so slightly prefer the IT01’s copper coloured cable to the IT01s’s that’s silver on the outside, which is due to the IT01’s being braided up to the y-splitter and twisted above, whereas the IT01s’s is twisted until the y-splitter and straight above it, and mainly probably because the IT01’s is 3.5 mm terminated while the IT01s’s comes balanced with a 2.5 mm plug and a short unbalanced 3.5 mm cable extension adapter that just clicks into place without any further protection wherefore it might be a weak-ish spot (by the way, the Fidue A91 SIRIUS’s cable adapter is quite similar in design and therefore also represents a potential weak spot). (As a side-note, it’s easier to store the IT01 than the It01s with connected adapter inside the case, even though the latter doesn’t really make any problems in this regard.)
Either way both in-ears come with extremely supple cables that set a very high bar in terms of visual appearance and are among the very best (in terms of premium feeling – I’m no person to associate cables with tonal differences apart from the obvious electrical properties that may influence different driver implementations due to changed impedance) what a manufacturer could bundle their in-ears with.
While
the shell shape remains identical, the IT01s’s nozzle design has
undergone quite some changes. On the one hand, it now features
removable screw-in nozzle cap filters that aren’t designed for
altering the sound due to varying levels of acoustic impedance, but
are designed like that to clean the mesh more easily. For this very
reason, you also get a replacement pair (by the way, the often
overlooked Apple In-Ears take on a quite similar approach). If
you’re a modder, you will probably be delighted as this also
guarantees to super easy access to the nozzle for applying any sort
of damping material.
On the other hand, now the nozzles don’t only have removable filters to clean them more easily if needed, but they’re also somewhat redesigned so that the ear tips are sitting closer to the shells’ body on the IT01s compared to the IT01 wherefore the applied ear tips will have a lesser influence on the tonality (since the nozzle’s opening is much closer to the tips’ end when compared to the IT01), although it is possible to install the ear tips closer to the tip of the nozzle for further fine-tuning thanks to the rubber washers, if that’s your thing.
Due to the redesigned nozzles, the in-ears and drivers are therefore also somewhat deeper in your ears.
On a related note, while the original IT01 didn’t have the removable nozzle filters, since the introduction of the IT01s iBasso have also adopted the new nozzle design to the IT01 wherefore it will, from now on, feature the same nozzle design as the IT01s. Therefore one could speak of three models – the original IT01 (discontinued and replaced by the IT01 v2 that has replaced it but carries the same name), the IT01s and the IT01 v2 (which is the IT01 with redesigned nozzles known from the IT01s – other than the redesigned nozzles, the IT01 v2 (not pictured but it really looks the same as the original IT01 except for the nozzle that's like the IT01s's) is the same as the original IT01 when it comes to internal (and external anyway) design and driver).
In case it isn’t clear, the IT01s’s shells are made of plastic (some people prefer metal but plastic feels undeniably less cold when it touches your skin).
Sound:
On the other hand, now the nozzles don’t only have removable filters to clean them more easily if needed, but they’re also somewhat redesigned so that the ear tips are sitting closer to the shells’ body on the IT01s compared to the IT01 wherefore the applied ear tips will have a lesser influence on the tonality (since the nozzle’s opening is much closer to the tips’ end when compared to the IT01), although it is possible to install the ear tips closer to the tip of the nozzle for further fine-tuning thanks to the rubber washers, if that’s your thing.
Due to the redesigned nozzles, the in-ears and drivers are therefore also somewhat deeper in your ears.
On a related note, while the original IT01 didn’t have the removable nozzle filters, since the introduction of the IT01s iBasso have also adopted the new nozzle design to the IT01 wherefore it will, from now on, feature the same nozzle design as the IT01s. Therefore one could speak of three models – the original IT01 (discontinued and replaced by the IT01 v2 that has replaced it but carries the same name), the IT01s and the IT01 v2 (which is the IT01 with redesigned nozzles known from the IT01s – other than the redesigned nozzles, the IT01 v2 (not pictured but it really looks the same as the original IT01 except for the nozzle that's like the IT01s's) is the same as the original IT01 when it comes to internal (and external anyway) design and driver).
In case it isn’t clear, the IT01s’s shells are made of plastic (some people prefer metal but plastic feels undeniably less cold when it touches your skin).
Sound:
Used
gear: only devices with low output impedance.
Used ear tips: largest included silicone tips of the same style that were already installed on the in-ears (translucent grey/black, wide bore).
Tonality:
In terms of tuning, the IT01s shows some key similarities to the original IT01 however differs in all three major sub-categories (bass, mids, treble) to give it a different sound. Generally though, one can say that it follows a warm-bassy tone with some treble elevation, although not in the traditional spots.
Starting with the sub-bass and lower midbass, the IT01s can have either slightly more or slightly less quantity than the original IT01 in this area, depending on whether its vent holes are entirely covered or not.
Inserted into my ears, the IT01s has got slightly less quantity than the IT01, giving it ca. 8-9 dB more mid- and sub-bass presence than the neutrally tuned Etymotic ER4S/ER4SR. Otherwise the bass lift is mostly similar to that of the IT01 (and IT01 v2), meaning that the IT01s is also an in-ear that has more of a sub-bassy bass elevation with level gradually decreasing towards the lower mids. Thanks to that, the upper bas is not unnecessarily hammering (which is something where for example the otherwise well-tuned AAW Nebula could use a little improvement), however since the bass lift isn’t decreasing as quickly as that of in-ears with a more sub-bass-only characteristic, there is also some warmth in the fundamentals and low mids, creating some fullness in the lows, while avoiding too much thickness or even veil in the low mids. Compared to the original IT01, the IT01s features just a tad more lower midrange warmth (compared to the IT01 v2 though, the IT01s has less subjective warmth which is because the IT01 v2 is more relaxed in the upper midrange/presence range than both the IT01s and original IT01, creating the impression of more warmth).
The mids on the IT01s are generally really well-tuned and mostly spot-on in timbre, with just a little extra warmth boost. Upper mids are correct in level wherefore the entire midrange sounds natural and realistic. As opposed to the original IT01 whose midrange had correct timbral balance as well but appeared a bit further back (distant) in the mix, the IT01s’s mids have more proximity in the mix in comparison while avoiding a mid-centric or exhausting character (that’s also compared to the IT01 v2 that has subjectively less distant mids than the original IT01 but is on the more relaxed side in the upper mids, somewhat similar to my Campfire Audio Andromeda in this area).
The highs then take a different approach to the original IT01. Just like the older of the two in-ears, the IT01s has also got a peak/hump that is located around just a bit above 5 kHz, however (unfortunately) the IT01s’s is even stronger in quantity (the IT01 v2 on the other hand doesn’t have this peak wherefore it has got the most correct middle treble around 5 kHz out of the three). The funny thing is that while concentrating on the 5 kHz range alone without looking at the rest, the IT01s does objectively worse as this peak is of stronger quantity, however seen on the whole, the IT01s’s treble may (or may not) work even a bit better for various individuals than the IT01’s because above that 5 kHz peak, between 5/6 and 10 kHz, the IT01s puts out less level and is tuned darker in relation (and therefore lacks the original IT01’s ~ 9 kHz peak that the new IT01 v2 by the way lacks, too), so the 5/6 to 10 kHz range recession compared to the original IT01 generates headroom for that 5 kHz peak and acts as a counterweight (I’m pretty sure that this can be attributed to the fact that the IT01s is closer to the eardrum due to the redesigned nozzle), and therefore it doesn’t sound annoying or unpleasant either and is miles away from being sharp or anything like that (nonetheless I’d wish for a 5 kHz peak elimination – that can actually even be performed by any user by performing a teabag/paper towel filter mod that is super easy to do and easily reversible thanks to the removable nozzle filters, although at the risk of dampening the high risk of reducing the range between 5 and 9 kHz too much). The only thing is that high cymbals crashes (on the IT01s and IT01 v2 (although on that one, the IT01 v2, the upper highs are also lifted, but more evenly compared to the original IT01 that peaked more narrowly and created more crunch/splash (thankfully however without being close to unpleasant or sharp))) may lack a bit of splash compared to the original IT01, while in fact objectively their level appears to be around pretty much right.
Above 11 kHz, the IT01s also features some elevations wherefore subtle sparkle and air in the > 10 kHz range where music information isn’t very important anymore is also present.
Picking up on the IT01s’s 5 kHz lift again, even though it is followed by a headroom-generating recession that somewhat balances it out, it is ultimately just a little too present to make the in-ear’s treble appear “right”: one aspect about it is that it makes very high voices appear a tad nasal, although that fortunately happens quite rarely, but another, more important one is that when listening for an extended period of time, it makes the middle treble area appear exhausting and fatiguing, and a third aspect is that instruments timbre can be shifted slightly to the more metallic side, although just a little. And while sharpness and harshness are thankfully still avoided, I can personally say for myself that I prefer the IT01’s treble over the IT01s’s as the older in-ear’s 5 kHz range is more mildly accentuated in comparison. I really wish that iBasso applied a super thin layer of damping material by default to tame the 5 kHz range a bit, then the IT01s wouldn’t have any tuning flaws at all. Because as it is, it is tuned well – except for that 5 kHz lift.
- - -
To summarise in comparison to the original IT01, the IT01s has got slightly less bass (that might depend on how much the vents are blocked, though), a tad more warmth in the root, mids that have “correct” proximity in the mix compared to the IT01’s comparatively more distant midrange, pretty much spot-on midrange timbre (that the IT01 has as well), a 5 kHz lift that is unfortunately a bit stronger, a more forgiving ~ 6-10 kHz range and some elevations past 10 kHz as well. So yes, leaving the 5 kHz range out of the picture, one could say that the IT01s has got the less v-shaped tuning. Ultimately it’s still a clearly more fun-oriented tuning though.
And a short comment regarding the IT01 v2 compared to the original one: same bass quantity but subjectively more fullness due to a bit more relaxed upper mids; mids subjectively less in the background but with slightly darker/warmer appearing timbre; 5 kHz elevation mostly eliminated and at correct levels here; upper treble around 9 kHz not narrowly elevated and softer/less bright sounding here in comparison, most likely due to closer proximity to slightly deeper insertion because of the nozzle redesign.
Resolution:
The IT01 has already set the bar quite high, and therefore the IT01s cannot really be judged without keeping the IT01’s quite stellar performance (especially for the price) in mind.
The IT01s is in fact very close to the IT01 when it comes to technical performance, although just as with the tuning, it does some things differently again (some for the better, some for the worse, some that are a matter of preference, and some that are just different).
Fortunately the IT01s is able to keep the IT01’s high resolution upright – comparing the two, they are actually much more similar than different.
An area that seems to have improved a bit is the midrange – the IT01s just manages to crave out somewhat more details in this area, providing the somewhat better speech intelligibility, which can of course be attributed to the mids being closer in the mix when compared to the IT01. As a result, the midrange resolution that is slightly “lacking” (it actually isn’t really, but in comparison) on the IT01 compared to its lows and highs is present on the IT01s wherefore more vocal-oriented tracks definitely benefit from it.
The bass is a different story. While the IT01s is still tight and fast for a dynamic driver in-ear, it is a step (or half a step) below the IT01, sounding a bit softer and slower in direct comparison and having a bit less control with fast and more complex material, creating a tendentially more bouncy/visceral/tactile sensation whereas the IT01 is always tight, clean, fast and tense, avoiding softness to all means whereas the IT01s allows a bit of body and softness. In that way it is somewhat heading into the direction of the more expensive DUNU DK-3001 and HiFiman RE2000, although it ultimately doesn’t fully reach their “magic” in the lows in terms of control when it comes to bass decay (the other two just execute the approach of delivering a “visceral” bass body at slightly higher quality while the IT01s still wins in terms of speed and tightness – it is quite remarkable though how close the IT01s comes at a clearly lower price).
As someone who is used to BA levels of speed, tightness and control, I can say for myself that I ultimately prefer the IT01 out of the two, while those who are fans of dynamic drivers will probably prefer the IT01s and value its well-done blend of speed, tightness and body/tactility, while those looking for a soft and rather slow bass presentation and decay will likely find the IT01s to not suit their needs as it is definitely still among the fast ans tight dynamic driver in-ears.
On a side-note, the IT01s shows similarities to my Campfire Audio Andromeda in the bass, as in generally having a high level of control and speed, but also slightly having a soft/visceral personality at the same time, wherefore the IT01s’s bass, while ultimately less technically strong than the IT01’s, has its own “magic” and often drags you into the music.
Treble details are there on the IT01s and separation is clean, although since the 6 to 9 kHz range is a bit more in the background, the in-ear has a slightly soft detail character tendency here without a perceived lack of precision.
- - -
To sum it up, the IT01s is all in all just as good as the IT01 in the resolution department (it “loses” in the bass but “wins” in the midrange), and this is a very good thing.
Used ear tips: largest included silicone tips of the same style that were already installed on the in-ears (translucent grey/black, wide bore).
Tonality:
In terms of tuning, the IT01s shows some key similarities to the original IT01 however differs in all three major sub-categories (bass, mids, treble) to give it a different sound. Generally though, one can say that it follows a warm-bassy tone with some treble elevation, although not in the traditional spots.
Starting with the sub-bass and lower midbass, the IT01s can have either slightly more or slightly less quantity than the original IT01 in this area, depending on whether its vent holes are entirely covered or not.
Inserted into my ears, the IT01s has got slightly less quantity than the IT01, giving it ca. 8-9 dB more mid- and sub-bass presence than the neutrally tuned Etymotic ER4S/ER4SR. Otherwise the bass lift is mostly similar to that of the IT01 (and IT01 v2), meaning that the IT01s is also an in-ear that has more of a sub-bassy bass elevation with level gradually decreasing towards the lower mids. Thanks to that, the upper bas is not unnecessarily hammering (which is something where for example the otherwise well-tuned AAW Nebula could use a little improvement), however since the bass lift isn’t decreasing as quickly as that of in-ears with a more sub-bass-only characteristic, there is also some warmth in the fundamentals and low mids, creating some fullness in the lows, while avoiding too much thickness or even veil in the low mids. Compared to the original IT01, the IT01s features just a tad more lower midrange warmth (compared to the IT01 v2 though, the IT01s has less subjective warmth which is because the IT01 v2 is more relaxed in the upper midrange/presence range than both the IT01s and original IT01, creating the impression of more warmth).
The mids on the IT01s are generally really well-tuned and mostly spot-on in timbre, with just a little extra warmth boost. Upper mids are correct in level wherefore the entire midrange sounds natural and realistic. As opposed to the original IT01 whose midrange had correct timbral balance as well but appeared a bit further back (distant) in the mix, the IT01s’s mids have more proximity in the mix in comparison while avoiding a mid-centric or exhausting character (that’s also compared to the IT01 v2 that has subjectively less distant mids than the original IT01 but is on the more relaxed side in the upper mids, somewhat similar to my Campfire Audio Andromeda in this area).
The highs then take a different approach to the original IT01. Just like the older of the two in-ears, the IT01s has also got a peak/hump that is located around just a bit above 5 kHz, however (unfortunately) the IT01s’s is even stronger in quantity (the IT01 v2 on the other hand doesn’t have this peak wherefore it has got the most correct middle treble around 5 kHz out of the three). The funny thing is that while concentrating on the 5 kHz range alone without looking at the rest, the IT01s does objectively worse as this peak is of stronger quantity, however seen on the whole, the IT01s’s treble may (or may not) work even a bit better for various individuals than the IT01’s because above that 5 kHz peak, between 5/6 and 10 kHz, the IT01s puts out less level and is tuned darker in relation (and therefore lacks the original IT01’s ~ 9 kHz peak that the new IT01 v2 by the way lacks, too), so the 5/6 to 10 kHz range recession compared to the original IT01 generates headroom for that 5 kHz peak and acts as a counterweight (I’m pretty sure that this can be attributed to the fact that the IT01s is closer to the eardrum due to the redesigned nozzle), and therefore it doesn’t sound annoying or unpleasant either and is miles away from being sharp or anything like that (nonetheless I’d wish for a 5 kHz peak elimination – that can actually even be performed by any user by performing a teabag/paper towel filter mod that is super easy to do and easily reversible thanks to the removable nozzle filters, although at the risk of dampening the high risk of reducing the range between 5 and 9 kHz too much). The only thing is that high cymbals crashes (on the IT01s and IT01 v2 (although on that one, the IT01 v2, the upper highs are also lifted, but more evenly compared to the original IT01 that peaked more narrowly and created more crunch/splash (thankfully however without being close to unpleasant or sharp))) may lack a bit of splash compared to the original IT01, while in fact objectively their level appears to be around pretty much right.
Above 11 kHz, the IT01s also features some elevations wherefore subtle sparkle and air in the > 10 kHz range where music information isn’t very important anymore is also present.
Picking up on the IT01s’s 5 kHz lift again, even though it is followed by a headroom-generating recession that somewhat balances it out, it is ultimately just a little too present to make the in-ear’s treble appear “right”: one aspect about it is that it makes very high voices appear a tad nasal, although that fortunately happens quite rarely, but another, more important one is that when listening for an extended period of time, it makes the middle treble area appear exhausting and fatiguing, and a third aspect is that instruments timbre can be shifted slightly to the more metallic side, although just a little. And while sharpness and harshness are thankfully still avoided, I can personally say for myself that I prefer the IT01’s treble over the IT01s’s as the older in-ear’s 5 kHz range is more mildly accentuated in comparison. I really wish that iBasso applied a super thin layer of damping material by default to tame the 5 kHz range a bit, then the IT01s wouldn’t have any tuning flaws at all. Because as it is, it is tuned well – except for that 5 kHz lift.
- - -
To summarise in comparison to the original IT01, the IT01s has got slightly less bass (that might depend on how much the vents are blocked, though), a tad more warmth in the root, mids that have “correct” proximity in the mix compared to the IT01’s comparatively more distant midrange, pretty much spot-on midrange timbre (that the IT01 has as well), a 5 kHz lift that is unfortunately a bit stronger, a more forgiving ~ 6-10 kHz range and some elevations past 10 kHz as well. So yes, leaving the 5 kHz range out of the picture, one could say that the IT01s has got the less v-shaped tuning. Ultimately it’s still a clearly more fun-oriented tuning though.
And a short comment regarding the IT01 v2 compared to the original one: same bass quantity but subjectively more fullness due to a bit more relaxed upper mids; mids subjectively less in the background but with slightly darker/warmer appearing timbre; 5 kHz elevation mostly eliminated and at correct levels here; upper treble around 9 kHz not narrowly elevated and softer/less bright sounding here in comparison, most likely due to closer proximity to slightly deeper insertion because of the nozzle redesign.
Resolution:
The IT01 has already set the bar quite high, and therefore the IT01s cannot really be judged without keeping the IT01’s quite stellar performance (especially for the price) in mind.
The IT01s is in fact very close to the IT01 when it comes to technical performance, although just as with the tuning, it does some things differently again (some for the better, some for the worse, some that are a matter of preference, and some that are just different).
Fortunately the IT01s is able to keep the IT01’s high resolution upright – comparing the two, they are actually much more similar than different.
An area that seems to have improved a bit is the midrange – the IT01s just manages to crave out somewhat more details in this area, providing the somewhat better speech intelligibility, which can of course be attributed to the mids being closer in the mix when compared to the IT01. As a result, the midrange resolution that is slightly “lacking” (it actually isn’t really, but in comparison) on the IT01 compared to its lows and highs is present on the IT01s wherefore more vocal-oriented tracks definitely benefit from it.
The bass is a different story. While the IT01s is still tight and fast for a dynamic driver in-ear, it is a step (or half a step) below the IT01, sounding a bit softer and slower in direct comparison and having a bit less control with fast and more complex material, creating a tendentially more bouncy/visceral/tactile sensation whereas the IT01 is always tight, clean, fast and tense, avoiding softness to all means whereas the IT01s allows a bit of body and softness. In that way it is somewhat heading into the direction of the more expensive DUNU DK-3001 and HiFiman RE2000, although it ultimately doesn’t fully reach their “magic” in the lows in terms of control when it comes to bass decay (the other two just execute the approach of delivering a “visceral” bass body at slightly higher quality while the IT01s still wins in terms of speed and tightness – it is quite remarkable though how close the IT01s comes at a clearly lower price).
As someone who is used to BA levels of speed, tightness and control, I can say for myself that I ultimately prefer the IT01 out of the two, while those who are fans of dynamic drivers will probably prefer the IT01s and value its well-done blend of speed, tightness and body/tactility, while those looking for a soft and rather slow bass presentation and decay will likely find the IT01s to not suit their needs as it is definitely still among the fast ans tight dynamic driver in-ears.
On a side-note, the IT01s shows similarities to my Campfire Audio Andromeda in the bass, as in generally having a high level of control and speed, but also slightly having a soft/visceral personality at the same time, wherefore the IT01s’s bass, while ultimately less technically strong than the IT01’s, has its own “magic” and often drags you into the music.
Treble details are there on the IT01s and separation is clean, although since the 6 to 9 kHz range is a bit more in the background, the in-ear has a slightly soft detail character tendency here without a perceived lack of precision.
- - -
To sum it up, the IT01s is all in all just as good as the IT01 in the resolution department (it “loses” in the bass but “wins” in the midrange), and this is a very good thing.
Soundstage:
… is mostly similar to the IT01’s but the IT01s seems to have a bit less spatial width while more spatial depth is present.
Separation, placement and layering are precise and sharp and only slightly lose to the IT01 when the bass line is more complex.
Conclusion:
Those who think that the original IT01 has got too distant mids in the mix will like the IT01s’s improved midrange resolution and that they are closer in the mix.
However, if I had to choose between the stock original IT01 (or stock original IT01 v2) and stock IT01s, I’d personally go for the IT01 because of its less forward 5 kHz peak/lift and because I prefer its slightly tighter, faster bass that remains better controlled with fast and more complex tracks, and last but not least because the technical performance and value it delivers are just bloody excellent at the lower price point. And if I were to mod the IT01s with a thin teabag filter (which is reversible and super easy thanks to its removable mesh filter design) to eliminate the 5 kHz peak, my choice would probably be the IT01s because it still offers good value, has got a more coherent tuning than most of its dynamic driver competition and has ultimately got an advantage over the IT01 in the midrange.
Eliminate the 5 kHz peak and the IT01s pretty much becomes an almost perfectly tuned bassy-warm in-ear with very good technical capabilities. This 5 kHz peak the only thing that keeps it from being a complete, mature sounding in-ear with some added bass quantity.