I received a review unit of the Enigma from Softears and want to share some early impressions. I am currently traveling so I neither have access to my main camera nor my measurement setup. So please excuse my lazy snapshots using my wife‘s (highly portable) Fuji X100V and the lack of measurements.
The Price Question
First things first, the price might be shocking to some. The Enigma is listed as a true high-end reference IEM at 3.600 $. I am not a fan of unaffordable IEM (my default recommendation is still the RSV from the same company), but I will be rating the Enigma with respect to the audiophile community and its acceptance of high prices within its high-end sub-culture. The Enigma defines its user by including a cable in collaboration with Effect Audio. I will not debunk the Kryptos cable (which is also sold for 1.400 $ separately) as snake oil quite yet, but the specs with gold-plated silver litz already got me on the edge of my seat. So in a way, I am already subconsciously deducting the cable’s „worth“ in the price which would bring the Enigma down to the company’s previous flagships‘ launch prices of RS10 and Cerberus.
Sound
Let me mention the most important aspect right away: The Enigma carries the Softears house sound – and if you ask me, that is a very good thing! Softears‘ „house sound“ refers to the extremely accurate midrange with a reference-neutrality in regards to tuning the HRTF. This includes the rise up to ~3kHz to compensate for outer ear amplification that is bygone with in-ear systems. Softears nailed this tuning in most of their previous IEMs and shares the principle with MoonDrop. The company‘s last flagship, RS10, is by far my most-used IEM ever and the one to try out if you are interested in the brand! I will bring it up in comparisons a lot.
Say we agree with the RS10 still being the ultimate reference in monitoring accuracy, then the Enigma is trying to be the best „hifi“ upgrade. How are „hifi“ and „monitoring“ not even the same? It’s complicated, but years of Sales and Marketing in audio have taught me that it‘s sadly not the case. So the „hifi“ approach is a grander and more immersive experience. Softears tuned the Enigma to do just that and they succeeded.
Tuning
The low-end is voluminous. In terms of speakers, I would describe the presence as room-filling. The bass is ever present yet mostly does not draw attention alone. Instead, the low frequencies complement the midrange. Enigma‘s fullness does thicken up the lower midrange, giving the music a warm and welcoming tone. This is the most obvious difference to RS10‘s approach which sounds much cleaner but also thinner. Enigma is less direct and not as in-your-face.
The warm trend continues in the treble. I perceive a broad and smooth dip at 7kHz including the frequencies from 4 kHz all the way up to 10 kHz. Its coherency allows for convincing timbre and preserves all natural properties of the source information. Yet again, it is less direct and forward-sounding as with the RS10.
Don’t get me wrong, compared to the huge selection of competitive products, the Enigma is not of the obviously warm and bassy kind. The effective tuning adjustments are more nuanced than my words might suggest. If you are of the kindthat does not enjoy overall present mids, then the Enigma will not suit you, just like Cerberus and RS10 did not.
Enigma manages to span a big soundstage with wide stereo separation. It’s not the deepest soundstage I’ve heard, but big enough to “get lost” in the music. However, where this Softears monitor really excels at, is resolution. The massive driver configuration of 2DD+6BA+4EST, in theory, is supposed to bring the best qualities for different frequencies, maximizing the drivers’ strengths and reducing distortion. The Enigma is an IEM that will scale incredibly well and will bring a lot of joy at high volumes. After a listening session with Enigma, switching to another IEM, I suddenly noticed how harsh and fatiguing some piano notes sounded on my gear that I had not noticed before. That is the dangerous part of this hobby!
I will have more to share eventually, including proper photos and measurements. But I also have some thoughts on the cable, build and comfort. Anyway, these were my first impressions of the Softears Enigma.
