Future Sonics gave me a call last week

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by Kunlun, May 17, 2017.

  1. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    "Just wanted to confirm what you wanted printed on your case..."
    [​IMG]

    Just having fun with it.

    So, I had my set of Mg5pro upgraded to the new helix-vented MG5hx (I got flake faceplates, too)

    I got these a day or two ago. Giving a dynamic driver a new set of lungs (vent and housing set-up) can definitely strongly effect performance. Here, I sent in new earmolds just to make the fit even better on my old set--which can have an effect on sound, too. That's just to say that these do sound better, although I couldn't pin down the reason.

    Future Sonics says that the new vent allows for better headroom, this is an important thing for professional stage monitors that you don't hear about in the audiophile world. It's the SPL at which the earphone starts to break up, which in turn affects performance at levels below that.
    It's the reason Jerry Harvey made the jh16 from the jh13, for example (not just for more bass, which could be done with a retuned 13 or even EQ'd by audio tech on tour).

    Anyway, some background: FS is a small pro-audio company almost solely devoted to professional audio clients (John Legend, Shakira, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Steve Miller Band, and a few others toured with prototype MG6hx sets to iron out any issues). Marty Garcia, the head of FS, was the first to put in-ear monitors on stage, in 1982 with Todd Rundgren.

    So, the FS house sound is to give a lot of sub-bass (they found people turn up the volume in sealed armature iems to make up for the lack of that air-moving feel of live bass sounds), then a boost to the vocal range to bring the vocalist or lead instrument out in the mix, and a reduced treble to avoid hearing fatigue on stage.

    The MG6pro (now MG6hx) was my first ciem and it has a special place in my heart, although It's not for everyone. It has the strongest version of the FS house sound.

    The MG5hx is a version of that sound designed to for both stage/studio monitor work and it's a little more balanced in comparison. I think it's the choice for audiophiles who want a high-end dynamic driver with excellent and boosted bass which focuses more on the sub-bass and reaches very deep, a clear and slightly lifted vocal range with great DD timbre, and a treble that is present yet non-fatiguing even at higher volumes. This isn't the earphone for piercing or extra sparkly or splashy or even forward highs, yet it may not be for fans of a very dark sound, either. I have several stage monitors from a few companies, and when they are done right, as here, they really rock, there's no other way to say it. The moving air feel of the dynamic driver is not just in the bass, but brings the sound alive at all ranges. However, they probaby aren't the best for low volume listening, as they are designed for use on a stage surrounded by screaming fans (or, in my case, on a roaring subway surrounded by New Yorkers).

    The new vent system gets rid of wind noise and improves isolation, so it's a real winner.
    Ron (hiflight here and on HF) likes his mg5pro better than his CA Vegas. I've heard the Vega for a week a while back (so take this with a grain of salt) and I'd agree, particularly with the new vents, I would take the MG5hx for sure, but I do like the Vegas a lot. The Vegas are stronger in the bass and have a 9khz-ish peak above, there's a bit of harshness in the sound that may just be that ADLC driver's first iteration. I would also take these over the Rhapsodio Galaxy v2, which is slightly sibilant, a little less clear in the bass, and fit-finicky (it's "good for classical").

    I might have more to say later after more listening, but that's a start! Enjoy!
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2017
  2. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    You hid one set of S/N and exposed another. ;)

    Interesting that the MG5hx bore size is smaller than the MG6pro's (and likely MG6hx etc).

    I'd think the MG5fx is the same as the prior MG5pro since there's no adjustable vent unlike with the MG6pro which now has the fx and hx modifiers.
     
  3. m1ndripper

    m1ndripper New

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    I remember the Atrio M5's with MG7 drivers being incredibly visceral in it's bass response, almost too much so in the lower registers. Sibilant too in the treble/upper-mids, but what can you except from a sub $200 IEM. Sounds like the MG5hx recaptures that bass response, wouldn't mind listening to pair
     
  4. Panohm

    Panohm Friend

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    Futuresonics customs are definitely on my shortlist, I shot them an email about demos in my area and didn't get a reply. I assume calling would work better?. I've been considering solid acrylic ciems as my next pair due to the durability but there seems to be a lot of advantages with a dynamic system.
     
  5. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    It's almost criminal they don't make anything that sounds like their customs in universal form as a house sound tester. The Atrio's sure don't sound like the EarMonitor series, although I haven't tried the latest universal they launched.
     
  6. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    A couple of the musicians I play with have used Futuresonics for a while and been very happy with them.
     
  7. Panohm

    Panohm Friend

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    Looks like the reply got caught in my spam folder, shoutout to Jay for the timely response that I missed. It's a bit of a drive but maybe I'll be able to listen to some demos afterall. Kunlun which monitor would you recommend if I love my UERM? Is the treble on the mg6 more along the lines of the UERM while the mg5 is a bit darker?
     
  8. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    MG6pro is more fun and darker, MG5pro is more balanced. Just try both, there's only 4 total configs now I think - MG6/5 HX/FX.
     
  9. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    You should expect both to have the Future Sonics house sound, with the mg5hx being the more balanced version. I'd recommend the mg5hx generally for audiophiles, but some folks will love the mg6hx, which is darker, with more lift in the vocal range and more bass.

    Edit: @Panohm the uerm has some treble lift and roughness, it's quite different from the FS sound.

    Edit: I should just compare the two, rather than making little edits.

    Okay, first, the sub-bass of FS is the foundation of their sound. Then, we have a lift in the vocal range, topped by a non-fatiguing treble. Again, the mg6hx is going to have this to a greater degree than the more balanced mg5hx.

    The UERM is quite fine in the bass, but it's not super well extended, and it's not elevated the way the FS ciems are at all. And it is a BA type bass, not the breathing full bass of a vented dynamic driver, but probably a little faster. The midrange sounded neutral to me. Not lifted the way FS ciems are for the stage, and the treble of the uerm has, as I mentioned, some roughness and some lift to it. The mg5hx will sound darker in comparison and bassier!

    The UERM is very nice, please don't mistake my differentiation with criticism! But, they are different for sure!

    If you are okay with different, then maybe the mg5hx will be good for you. Otherwise, I'm not sure why you are looking at FS, it's different! Could be a good complement.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2017
  10. Andromedon

    Andromedon New

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    I'm curious about getting the FXs. I don't normally listen at loud volumes so headroom isn't as important to me (correct me if I'm wrong).

    I also don't quite understand the difference in sound between the hidden and fixed vent. The Future Sonics website describes the FX as "natural breathing audio". Does that mean that the FX has a more natural sound than the HX?

    Also, for the FX, is there sound leakage to and from the outside environment?
     
  11. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    FX is like the previous MG6pro with adjustable vents, but you can't adjust anymore, or so it was explained to me. In that case you will lose a bit of isolation vs HX, and I believe you get more bass with HX. You don't leak anything much if not at all to the environment.
     
  12. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    Hi there, I would say that they both have that natural dynamic driver sound. The fx (which is what the mg5pro has) certainly has "natural breathing audio", but that does not imply in any way that the hx doesn't!

    Basically, the hx has better isolation, including from wind noise. I'm also seeing an improvement in detail resolution (with the caveat that the fit has gone from very good to excellent, which may help as well).
    I would say that there's no real reason to choose the fx for an audiophile. For stage use and consistency with earlier FS ciems, a performing musician might choose it, perhaps.

    Headroom is supposed to be good no matter the volume at which you listen. Think of how audio companies like to measure frequency response out to 40khz (looking at you, Sennheiser). Nobody can hear to that frequency, but the logic is that if the earphone can go there, then it isn't having any trouble at 12khz or 16khz, etc. The argument for headroom is similar, but in the volume domain. From talking to Marty Garcia, founder of Future Sonics, more headroom is one factor in better detail resolution.

    That brings me to an update on the MG5hx: Still enjoying them a lot! There is a lot of detail for a dynamic driver. However, they don't have treble peaks and those treble peaks give the appearance of clarity on a lot of earphones. Here, we have actual resolution in a non-fatiguing presentation. Listening to these further, I would definitely take them over the CA Vega, Rhapsodio Galaxy v2, and Dita Truth/Answer (haven't heard the Dream).
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2017
  13. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    They told me HX is like the large vent and FX is medium vent though. Not sure how accurate that is.
     
  14. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    Ah, hadn't heard that. It's not so difficult to make a larger vent reversibly smaller. Maybe I'll try that, just to play with it.
     
  15. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    Well they did also tell people few years back (I think) that the Atrio was similar in sound signature to the customs. Best service but not exactly very reliable for audio details.
     
  16. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    Ha ha, yes, they are like the total opposite of the usual salespeople. All FS earphones have some version of the FS sound, but you're right, it's funny the way they would say the Atrio was more or less similar to their higher end products (anyone who hears both is going to hear a real difference).
     
  17. Andromedon

    Andromedon New

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    I've read your reviews on the G10, Kunlun, and they won me over. I really like the Future Sonics house sound, and the sub-bass on my Atrio m5s (original version) is really unlike anything else I've felt on another IEM. Depending on the track, it feels exceptionally visceral without that mid-bass hump.

    That being said, I was wondering what difference there is between the Atrio m5 drivers (original and MG7) vs. the G10. Are the drivers all proprietary?
     
  18. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    All three, the original as you say, the mg7 Atrio, and the G10, are proprietary (as are all FS drivers) with the G10 being completely new but tuned as much as possible to the same target as the previous Atrio. The reason they went to the G10? Well, the machines that made the Atrio drivers finally gave out and with it being a small company it was a chance to re-engineer things.
     
  19. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    It's been so long since I last heard the MG5 - but I think that was the darkest, followed by MG6pro, then the MG7. MG7 is a bit prickly though, which may have made it sound brightest.

    Haven't heard the G10 yet. I keep thinking about getting the MG6pro upgraded to HX since the 2pin sockets are about fucked, but I really don't want to spend a week or so without the MG6pro.
     
  20. Andromedon

    Andromedon New

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    That's fascinating information, I never would have known about the reason why they switched up to the G10. Having had the original Atrio m5 for nearly a decade, the sound is right where I like it. I just got the G10s, and they sound a little more recessed in the mids and treble than my m5s. Perhaps I need some more burn-in time?
     

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