Softears - RSV-MKII (Reference Sound Version Mark II)

**Pros:** \-Intense, dynamic but non fatiguing sound \-Bass quality \-Versatile warm tuning \-Good soundstage **Cons:** \-Not the same magical vocals than on the RSV OG \-Opening experience could be better \-A little bit dark sometimes \-Not the most technical \-Treble lacks air and sparkle**Softears RSV Mark II** *-Price :* Around 600 euros *-Driver Setup :* 5 Balanced Armature drivers, four-Way Crossover *The Softears RSV MKII was purchased with my own money, so everything I say will be my opinion and only my opinion.* >!About myself : I am a French student, passionate about sound, and more precisely, "nomadic sound", this ability to access music in high quality even when on-the-go, because I also travel a lot. As a result, I know more about dongles, IEMs and DAPs, even if I had some headphones and still own a desktop DAC/amp. I don't claim to hear better, nor to know everything, but I just want to share this passion.!< >!**IEMs I had or have** : Simgot EW200/300, Moondrop Blessing 3, Simgot EA1000, Xenns Top, Xenns Tea Pro, Ziigaat Odyssey, Sennheiser IE600, ISN NEO 5, Penon Fan 2, Ikko OH10, Letshuoer S12 Pro, Moondrop Crinacle Dusk, Softears RSV, Dunu SA6, Dunu SA6 MKII, Truthear Zero:2, Softears Volume S, Kiwi Ears Aether, Yanyin Canon Pro, Xenns Top Pro, Crinear Daybreak, Theaudio Origin, Punch Audio Martilo, 7Th Acoustics Supernova.!< *Devices used for this test :* Fiio K11, Samsung A16, CX31993 dongle, Ibasso DX180 *Photos by myself with a Fujifilm Camera* **Introduction** Founded in 2017, **Softears** is a Chengdu-based company focused on the research and development of loudspeakers and measurement and calibration tools. The fruits of their research take the form of in-ear headphones with a sleek design and high-quality construction. They are famous in the community for their great tuning abilities and the lively **vocals** some of their sets produce, the **og RSV** was one of their most famous set for this exact reason, for some, it had THE best vocals reproduction in the IEMs scene, will the RSV MKII be able to keep this reputation ? Spoiler alert, it doesn’t even try to. **Personnel rating summary**​ |Attribute| Rating /5|Quick note| |:-|:-|:-| |Build quality|★★★★★|Feels sturdy, looks beautiful, and isn’t a fingertips magnet, nothing bad to say.| |Comfort|★★★★☆|Very comfortable, can wear them for hours, but sticks out of my ears a little bit too much to be perfect for me.| |Accessories|★★★☆☆|It’s ok, you have what you need, but nothing very original, and for this price you could expect better, it doesn’t feel like 600 euros.| |Tonality|★★★★☆|Very natural, a little warm, but not perfect.| |Bass|★★★★★|Very good, impressive for BAs drivers, very rumbly, hit deep and have a great definition.| |Midrange|★★★★☆|Warm and lush, but a little bit too recessed for my liking because of the prominent bass(nit-pick). not as good as the OG RSV.| |Treble|★★★★☆|Good, but not the most detailed and lack some air in the upper region.| |Soundstage|★★★★★|Impressive, very wide for an IEM, holographic, deep and high.| |Technicalities|★★★☆☆|Good, but not class leading in this price category, I would have wanted it to be more technical.| |Value for Money|★★★☆☆|It is a very good overall, but I feel like you can get better at this price.| **Unboxing experience** The unboxing experience of the RSV MKII is original, the form and the presentation of the box is not common, you open it like a christmas gift and you take everything out of it from the top, but the surprises stop here. Inside, nothing really impressive, even more for a 600 euros price tag, I feel like the packaging is a little bit poor. When you open the box you find the IEMs, with the 4.4mm cable already plugged in them, then when taking them out you find some little plastic pouches in an accessories cardboard envelope. Those pouches contain a cleaning tool, two types of tips (classic silicone and UC tips) and a 4.4 to 3.5mm jack adapter. Finally, under all of that, you have the empty carrying case, a round one. The whole package isn’t bad by any means, but it is not great either for this price. The box looks sleek and I like that, but the accessories are limited and don’t really feel premium. For example I preferred the boxes in which the tips were sold for the Volume S, it felt like another product inside the product it gave you this sense of value. Overall I even preferred the packaging of the Volume S, the carrying case also felt better to me, but was also bigger. At the end, what really counts is the sound, the IEMs themselves, so I don’t judge the product on its opening experience, but I wasn’t quite satisfied with the one of the MKII, It made me feel like a step down compared to the Volume S package, but I can understand that Softears wanted to try something different. **Accessories** While Softears was not really generous with the amount of accessories, they provided quality ones. *-Cable* : Very good 4.4mm braided cable, feels very solid, but is flexible enough to be comfortable, not too thick nor too thin, it is a very good cable. *-Adapter* : This cable doesn’t come with interchangeable termination, so for letting you use a classic 3.5mm one, Softears provided a 4.4 to 3.5mm adapter with the RSV MKII. It feels robust, and does the job perfectly, without any “pop” noise or raising the noise floor, it is just an adapter, and a good one. *-Tips* : The black silicone tips included with the RSV MKII are very classic, the same that you can find on a lot of other brands's own packaging, however, the transparent tips are great, they feel very comfortable and are sealing your ear canals better than the original tips. I liked them the most, like on the Volume S. *-Carrying case* : The advantage of this round carrying case is its size, it is not pocketable, but very easy to put in a little bag, it is nicely built, rather soft, and has a leather-like texture. I prefer the rectangle case from Softears, but this one is also very good, and feels premium enough to transport such an expensive product. **Build and comfort** *-Build* : This is, in my opinion, a very strong point for the RSV MKII, like a lot of Softears IEMs. The build of the RSV MKII is very very good, it feels sturdy, like if it was made in one unique piece, the materials used are very qualitative, and it looks absolutely stunning. I am digging for this type of class and sleek looking IEMs, without being lifeless. Those **are** classy, without looking too fancy, but still have a very original and complex faceplate design. They are probably the most beautiful IEMs I have had. They look even better in person than on the Softears's website, and the cable completes them perfectly... The build and design are one of the best points of this IEMs for me. *-Comfort* : Comfort is a very personal subject, even if some IEMs are famous for being uncomfortable for most people (hello Thieaudio Origin). I have medium-sized ears, and small ear canals. The Softears RSV MKII are comfortable, I can wear them for hours without any problem, they sit well in my ears, without going too deep. My only complaint would be that they are sticking out a little bit too much from my ears, but it doesn’t affect the comfort at all and it is really nit-pick. **Sound quality** *Overall* : The sound signature of the RSV MKII is a total departure from the OG RSV. The RSV was very special to me because of its beautiful vocals reproduction and mid range overall, but I found it lacking in quality, whereas the RSV MKII is (very) bassy but is not as pleasant when it comes to vocals. The MKII is aiming for a more “all rounder” sound, and for that it becomes more dynamic, with an emphasis on its treble and bass. It makes this iteration more versatile, but also less special than the RSV was. The RSV MKII still has a lovely and very cohesive sound, as Softears know how to do. But for me, the RSV MKII will just be a “good” set, and not a specialist. While I can understand this new trend of “good at everything, great at nothing” to make more people interested in your product for its versatility, I find it sad to lose all those IEMs with a very “special sauce” and reputation. *Bass* : The bass of the RSV MKII is surprisingly its shining area, where it was the vocals for the OG, on which the bass felt less powerful and deep. Here, despite the all BAs setup, you get very meaty bass, with a deep impact, a very good texture, and a pleasant rumble to it. The sub bass feel natural and are well extended. The sound signature is warmer because of the bass taking over a part of the mid range, but in a satisfying way. The bass is very prominent and could be overwhelming for some listeners. For me, they rarely became too much, unless on some very special music. Overall the bass of the MKII are very good, they are prominent but are not making the sound muddy and they stay controlled, very fast, while hitting deep. The MKII has better bass than a lot of IEM with dynamic driver bass. *Midrange* : This is where this set becomes more controversial for me. Not that the midrange of the MKII is bad, far from it, but coming from one of the best midranges I ever heard on an IEM, I expected the inheritor to do better, however instead Softears went for something completely different, losing the very thing that made the RSV so unique. The bass is transitioning in the midrange later than on the RSV, making the voices warmer, and while it can really work great with some male singers, it makes most of the female voices less natural and emotional, like Agnes Obel for example. The midrange is good, even very good on the MKII, but it’s less forward, because of the now more "V-shape" sound signature, and feels less textured for me. You lose this impression of “in your face” very intense and emotional vocals, which I loved on the RSV. The bass and Treble are now taking a lot more space, and because of that the midrange becomes just an element in the whole mix, not something that stands out a lot. Of course, it allows this set to be more versatile than its first iteration, but it also makes it less special, and less enjoyable when it comes to vocals. *Treble* : The treble on the MKII is good, though not the best. For me, the upper region lacks a bit of air, which can make the overall presentation slightly dark and cost it some technicality. That said, it remains textured, detailed, and more elevated than the first iteration. Still, I miss a touch of sparkle and upper brilliance to feel fully satisfied. It’s understandable, though, as balancing such strong bass without pushing the mids too far back is a challenge. In the end, the treble is smooth, detailed enough, non-fatiguing, and even quite engaging — but it doesn’t quite reach the level where it truly impresses me. It can feel too congested on heavy tracks. *technicalities* : The MKII is technical, but not a technical monster. Its tuning leans toward a more relaxed and pleasant presentation, yet it still delivers micro details, contrast, and dynamics. To give you a reference, the level of detail is similar to the Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk — not ground-breaking in 2025, but more than enough for me. I’m not a detail head, and an excess of details often makes listening fatiguing, so this balance works perfectly for my taste. Again, I could be nit-picking about this lack of airiness making the set less technical. *soundstage* : The soundstage of the MKII is impressive for an IEM: spacious, deep, and very precise. It creates a holographic image with surprising verticality, giving a truly immersive “around you” 3D feeling. Instead of sounding too “in your head,” it places instruments close around you, with some elements even extending far depending on the mix. That type of soundstage is rare to find in an IEM. Not the best I’ve heard, but still very good. ***Some songs with impression*** *Bodysnatchers* *- Radiohead / 2007* This song is very intense, and is composed of 2 different style, from 00:00 to 02:04, for the more Rock part, the RSV MKII does great, it manages to keep the intensity and energy of the song without any sibilance or being fatiguing, it also keeps the details of all the elements of the mix, I didn't like I was missing something. But again, I would have like more air in the upper region, because of the lack of it, the wholee felt too congested, not open enough, which is important on very busy tracks like this one. For the singing part from 02:04 to around 03:07, this is where the MKII didn't do that great the voice of Thom Yorke wasn't standing out enough in the mix, making it less enjoyable, and giving me less emotion than on some other sets. *Marooned* *- Pink Floyd / 1994* This is one this type of music that the RSV MKII feels the weaker, it lacks this upper sparkle and air, which is making the treble (so most of the mix) not pleasant enough, you don't feel it as much on more busy track, but here this lack of air stands out a lot. I am craving more air more brilliance when listenning to this song with the MKII *Once Again* \- *Clann / 2017* On very ambient and immersive tracks like this one, the MKII is really good thank to its immersive soundstage and powerfull bass, it felt very emotional, I really felt like I was *IN* the music, this type of goosebumps you can have when your device suits this specific track really well, here it's the case, the MKII is warm, lush, immersive and with good bass, exactly what *Once Again* is asking for to be properly appreciated. Because of that, I think the MKII will work really well with traditional warm songs like *Helvegen* for example. *Meds* *- Placebo / 2006* This music has a very intense passage at the end, with lots of instruments, a powerful voice and everything performed in a very dynamic way. This moment is very punishing for IEMs with a sound that is too piercing or not precise enough, because it then becomes unpleasant, being painful or sounding like a jumble of indistinct elements. The RSV MKII preserves all the elements and details well, which is a good thing, but it presents the sound in a very intense and energetic way. As a result, I often need to turn down the volume to continue enjoying the loud passage with the MKII, at the risk of the sound becoming too loud for me. On the other hand, the separation is good and well executed to maintain the overall coherence of the sound. **Comparaison** **.VS 7th Acoustics Supernova** The Supernova are my reference when it comes to all BAs sets, I also liked the SA6 OG from Dunu, and the OG RSV from Softears, but usually I am more of a “hybrid setup” guy. With that said, one of the advantages the all BAs sets often have is the coherency of the sound, with smooth transitions between frequencies while maintaining a good separation between the elements. Some hybrid sets feel like the frequencies are not “working together” anymore, and it kinda breaks the listening experience. Here it is not the case for either of those sets. They have a very pleasant and cohesive overall sound, but this is where the similarities stop. The Supernova has less bass, a more meaty midrange and its treble is more elevated. Because of that, when you crank the volume up, the Supernova has a very natural midrange, near lifelike, a very sparkly, airy treble region while staying neutral, and without being fatiguing or sibilant. The bass of the Supernova are not as good as the RSV MKII’s, they feel less impactful, they aren’t hitting as deep and as precisely as on the RSV MKII, they are enough for me, but not in the best quality. On the other hand, the treble of the Supernova is really magical, while they lack this upper brilliance on the MKII. The mid range also feels more natural and forward on the Supernova. The RSV MKII would work better on very bass demanding tracks, but I would take the Supernova on pretty much any other music genre. **Conclusion** : While they are both great sets and trading blows on some factors, the Supernova really feel more special to me, the RSV MKII really give me this “deja-vu” impression, it is good, versatile, but you can find a lot of similarly tuned sets in the market, whereas the Supernova really is original, and is offering more than just a “good” sound, while staying very versatile in my opinion. **.VS OG RSV** (sorry for the photo, I don't have the RSV OG no more ) It is quite simple here, I feel like the MKII has pretty much the same treble experience as the RSV OG, better bass than it, and doesn't have this very unique and emotional midrange. The MKII will be more versatile and less fatiguing than the OG, but it will not be the “vocals specialist” anymore, it is “just” a good set. Also, the RSV had less bass, allowing me to crank the volume more, and to feel like its presentation was a little bit more airy and detailed than the MKII, but it is very subtle. **conclusion** : The Softears MKII is more versatile in its tuning than its predecessor, but it doesn’t have the very unique vocal quality of the OG RSV. If I could only have one, I would take the MKII, while knowing that this set will be good on everything but will not make me feel the same emotions as the OG RSV **Conclusion and recommendation** *Who is this set for :* \-If you are looking for a very versatile tuning that will suit pretty much any music genre. \-If you want the BAs coherency while keeping very good bass. \-If you are searching for a beautiful IEM. \-If you want a fun and dynamic but non-fatiguing sound. *Who this set isn't for :* \-If you are looking for a specialist. \-If you’re a treble-head. \-If you want the best value for money. \-If you want a neutral/bright sound presentation. **My thoughts** I liked the Softears RSV MKII, but not enough to recommend it, taking its price into account. This set is great, but doesn’t offer anything really special that would make it shine in the mass. Its bass is very good, and is its best point, but the midrange is just good, without anything very special, unlike the first iteration of RSV, and its treble is detailed, has a good texture but lacks some air, even making the set too dark at lower volume. So unless you really love the design of the set (which is beautiful I agree), or you absolutely want all the Softears sets, I don’t think this one is a very good value for its price, the Mega5est or the Supernova as good with a “special sauce” to them making them more unique (lifelike timbre, beautiful treble etc). And like I said, this set is good at everything, special for nothing. It’s disappointing because I loved the RSV OG and the Volume S, which are, for me, really unique.

Thank you, air in the upper region doesn't mean sibilance. For example, I found the treble on the RSC MKII to be more fatiguing than on the Supernova, however the Supernova has a more airy presentation. I don't really know how to explain this with my porr vocabulary xD but air =/= sibilance

Here when I talk about lack of air, I mean this little bit of sparkle which make the sound open and lively, the RSV MKII can even be too dark sometimes.

If you can afford the MKIV, it is truly amazing, metal shell, tuning switches that make it a very close MKII tuning or a MK3-LTD. If not that I would say the tea pro or odyssey 2 for less bass, I personally regret and truly hated the top pro, I loved the vocals but there was in fact some weird warm. And the 3D shell IMHO was a downgrade from resin builds, felt like I could crush it. Could be a pro for you if you really hate the weight of IEMs. The RSV MKII looks nice and graphs amazing but for a 5BA set, 700$ seems a little much tbh. Dawn X looks great, but the only thing to consider is if you care about bass it definitely is more balanced or reference tuning, so is the MKIV but has 2 options if you ever want to tone it up or down. PLUS, it doesn’t have a lip on the nozzle so tips could get stuck in your ear every now and then. I'll end by saying that the MKIV is basically a better top pro, with rumble off it graphs almost identical, and has ESTs. Top pro has a very noticable mid bass scoop and thats what most reviewers dislike when they say it doesnt have enough bass. If you want something more affordable than the MKIV while being like the top pro I would look at the NiceHCK Rockies, for the same 500$ you get more for your money (BUT doesn't have a lot of bass, tea pro would be the better alternative).

In my quest for the best gaming IEM, I've tried or owned the Tanchjim Oxygen, TripowinxHBB Olina, Softears RSV, Simgot EM6L, Letshuoer EJ07, Truthear Nova, and ZiiGaat Odyssey, among others not worth mentioning. Some $2,000 invested in my handicap of not being able to use open back headphones, which is most ideal for gaming by nearly every measure. Fuck me for having heatsinks for ears! What I've learned is that staging and, to a lesser degree, imaging are critical, yet often under appreciated when you see answers to the question of the best gaming IEM. By staging I mean being able to determine exactly where a particular sound (such as footsteps) is coming from in 2 or, ideally, 3 dimensional space, as well as distinguish it from other similar sounds coming from that direction that are even slightly nearer, farther, above, or below.  Currently, the ZiiGaat Odyssey, paired with DTS:X Headphones (worth paying for! Stick with balanced), Tripowin foam tips, and a decent DAC+AMP, is serving me the best in FPS games on PC like OW2, Squad, Battlefield, Marvel Rivals, and STALKER 2. Of all the IEMs I've tried, Odyssey's staging is the widest, most accurate, and most immersive for my ears. All the others I mentioned are varying degrees of "effective enough" at ensuring that I hear footsteps, but the Odyssey beats them all at telling me exactly where those footsteps are in 3 dimensions. It's also great for general purpose listening.

For 1. I still love my Blon03 and it has been on my active rotation for years now. I guess I love the timbre. * Dac/AMP type and eartip does affect the sound presentation. Some examples:  My RSV’s bass went missing and treble presentation sounded dark on FC6 even if I tip roll. I found it best paired with ibasso Nunchaku, midbass presence is better and treble became noticeable. Also low gain + slow filter is best paired with RSV. Symphonium Meteor and Titan treble went missing after tiprolling. Stock tips were still the best for me. Symphonium Titan midbass went missing, subass sucked and treble became splashy with Akliam FC6.  Titan and Meteor are nicely paired with ZX707, bass was really good and treble became present however sound feels congested and too intimate. This was greatly improved with Topping G5 by widening the soundstage and provided with a really clean sound, at the expense of ruining the sparkly treble of Meteor and great subbass of Titan. It did cut off those peaky highs and lows for a clean and wide presentation.

**Introduction** I attended an audio show and had the chance to listen to over 30 IEMs. Rather than going too deep on every single one, I wanted to highlight the 3 IEMs that truly impressed me and share some rapid-fire thoughts on the rest. Do note that these are my subjective impressions, and the rapid-fire takes might not convey everything. **64 Audio U12t** 64 Audio was the brand I had looked forward to the most at the show. And U12t was easily the best IEM I heard there. The first thing that caught my attention was its imaging and soundstaging, it was one of the few IEMs that gave me a true sense of holographic staging. I really liked the treble tuning, it was extended, crisp, and avoided being sibilant. The midrange was on the warmer, lusher side, with upper mids slightly recessed for my taste. I hadn’t expected the bass to sound this good coming from BAs. It was detailed, hit hard, but decayed a tad faster than typical DDs. **Softears Enigma** At first, I thought it was just another ridiculously overpriced IEM that would sound mediocre. But I was wrong, the bass quality was pretty good, better than U12t. I didn’t feel anything special about the mids, they were neither shouty nor recessed. I sensed a dip around 5-6 kHz, as I am quite sensitive to peaks there. This made vocals much smoother to listen to, but there was a lack of excitement, so vocals weren’t the strong suit of this IEM. But it was the treble that hooked me and made me want to keep listening. The treble had an 'ethereal' quality. It felt lighter, extended, refined, and more importantly, exciting. Because of this, I just kept listening and ended up staying longer than I had planned, it was that good. **64 Audio U4s** This is basically a 'baby U12t', with a dynamic driver for the bass, giving it a proper bass thump. It had all the qualities I mentioned in U12t, but the overall technical prowess was slightly lower. I am still confused whether I preferred U12t’s faster bass response or U4s meatier bass response, nevertheless it was good. The midrange had similar qualities to what I described in U12t impressions. But the treble performance was a slight downgrade compared to U12t, it was on the splashier side with touch less refinement. **Top Performers in:** **Bass** * 64 Audio Volur * Sennheiser IE 900 **Mid-range** * 64 Audio U12t/U4s * Mega5EST **Treble** * Softears Enigma * 64 Audio U12t **Rapid-fire impressions** **64 Audio Fourte** * Emphasized bass * Recessed vocals * Non-offensive treble * No wow factor * Overpriced **64 Audio Trio** * Recessed mids, but not as much as Fourte * Non-offensive treble * Third best 64 Audio IEM for me **64 Audio U18t** * Treble presentation didn’t work for me * Not as good as U12t **64 Audio Volur** * Best bass I’ve ever heard in an IEM * Treble is quite peaky **64 Audio Nio** * Darkest among the 64 Audio lineup I’ve tried * Not my preferred sound signature **64 Audio Solo** * Best planar IEM I heard at the show * Bass quality wasn’t the best compared to others * Technical performance not up to the price **ThieAudio Monarch MK3** * Chonky shell, but still comfortable to wear * Emphasized yet controlled bass * Treble was slightly peaky * No wow factor **Sony IER Z1R** * Uncomfortable to wear, lacks proper seal * Because of that, bass suffered, I had to hold it with my hands to get the best seal * Bass quality is great (not the best I’ve heard, can’t say much due to poor fit) **Sennheiser IE 900** * Vocals sounded stuffy, weird, and recessed * One of the best bass I heard at the show after 64 Audio Volur * Lacking in detail and imaging for the price **Sennheiser IE 600** * Better tonality than IE 900, especially in the upper mids * Again, not the best in technical performance **Mega5EST** * Most normal-sounding IEM I heard at the show * Quite bassy for this type of mid-range * Not the best in subjective qualities **Dunu Da Vinci** * Similar impression to Mega5EST * This type of sound signature doesn’t work well with such a bass boost **Letshuoer Cadenza 12** * Fairly neutral with a bass boost * Lacks the wow factor * Treble was slightly on the harsher side **Elysian Pilgrim** * Non-offensive sound signature * Treble is a bit forward and spicy * Lacks excitement **Softears RSV** * Bass quality was good * Vocals sounded strained * Nothing special about the treble **Softears Volume S** * Non-offensive, but somewhat shouty on some songs * Slightly peaky treble (in some songs) **Softears Studio 4** * Sounded okay (but in a good way) * Nothing particularly special **FATfreq Maestro Mini** * Driver flex * Too much bass (works well with engaging songs) * Treble not refined **FATfreq Scarlet Mini** * Driver flex * Even more bass (too much on top of the already excessive bass of Maestro Mini) **FATfreq Grand Maestro** * Didn’t felt as bassy as compared to others * Faced similar fit issues like the IER Z1R **Campfire Audio Andromeda Emerald Sea** * Warm sounding with non-offensive treble * Didn’t felt anything special about the rest **Campfire Audio Trifecta** * Very weird sounding (that’s what I wrote in the notes:) * Overpriced for what it is * But looks stunning though **Campfire Audio Astrolith** * Too much treble * Again, overpriced **Campfire Audio Solaris Stellar Horizon** * Best sounding Campfire Audio IEM in my opinion * Bass quality was good * Mids sounded recessed * Energetic treble response

What I currently owned, I love my softears RSV, but I want something more detailed