Patience is a Virtue...
EQUIPMENT
Topping a50s Headphone Amplifier
Xduoo MT-602 Hybrid Tube Headphone Amplifier (Sylvania 5654 Tubes)
SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK2 DAC
iFi Hip-Dac
Shanling UA2 Amp/Dac Dongle
VE Odyssey HD Dongle
Final Audio Type E Tips
Cable: Stock Cable & XINHS Hybrid Cable
Sources: Flac Files From my Personal Collection / Apple Music Lossless
SPECS
Knowles Balanced Armature + Dynamic Hybrid
Impedance: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 116dB SPL / MW
Total harmonic distortion: < 0.3%
Influence range: 10 ~ 45kHz
NOTES
The $31 CAD Senfer DT9 is an earphone using a hybrid driver setup with a dynamic driver paired with a Knowles balanced armature. Tuning follows a definite V-Shape signature. Tip/Cable pairing and close attention to the source used is always important but even more so with the DT9 as it's aggressive V-Shaped tuning can be a challenge unless a comfortable component synergy is found. The Senfer DT9 is also unforgiving of poorly mastered tracks. The DT9 is easy to drive but does scale somewhat with better, Warmer/Neutral, sources and more clean power.
BUILD QUALITY & FIT
Presentation is very basic from an unboxing perspective and is really nothing to write home about. Build quality is very good with the medium/large all metal construction of the DT9 having good weight and solidity. An MMCX cable connector is used here and seems to have tight tolerances without being restrictive. The Senfer DT9 is a very attractive earphone with a shiny reflective finish that is a fingerprint magnet but beautiful nonetheless. Included accessories are sparse with a few sets of basic tips. The standout is that the Senfer DT9 did not come with a cable. I applaud this decision as models in this price range usually come with a terrible cable which is no more than an afterthought. While some may argue, and rightfully so, that in this price range, forcing the buyer to have to purchase a cable, adding to the overall cost may not be the best decision, I had no issue with no cable being included, and prefer that whatever money has been saved be put into the actually earphone. Spoiler alert, the DT9 is worthy of a cable upgrade.
:SOUND:
BASS
Bass is punchy with good control and while it does go quite low, hard core rumble-heads may be a little disappointed. Mid-Bass also has a good level of control and overall does not bleed into the lower mids in an appreciable way. Bassy tracks will definitely have that quantity and impact which can sometimes diminish to a small extent the usual control that the DT9 exabits in this frequency range. Still for the most part, the bass of the DT9 is really quite satisfying with good speed, texture and clarity.
MIDS
Mids are clear and detailed with a more forward presentation, in particular with female vocals, due to a noticeable upper midrange rise. Male vocals are also surprisingly intimate but due to average note weight can sound thin at times. Detail retrieval of the DT9 is quite good with a pleasing quantity of air and sparkle present. Sibilance is present on occasion, in particular on those tracks where it is a known issue. This can be significantly mitigated by careful tip and cable rolling as well as source selection. I found that the Final Audio E (Original) tips synergize well with the DT9. At high volume levels there can be an issue with some sibilance and harshness occasionally poking its head out. At low and moderately high volume levels this was not the case. As with many earphones, I found that the Senfer DT9 played cleaner at loud volumes when driven by a powerful clean amp such as the Topping A50s. That being said as mentioned above, the DT9 is unforgiving of poorly recorded music. Garbage in will definitely lead to garbage out. Timbre was ok but not class leading at the level of a Blon-03 or Heart-Mirror. Still the listening experience was satisfying.
TREBLE
Treble is clean and detailed on the DT9. There is definite treble emphasis here, but very rarely was there harshness or overt lack of control. The BA "metallic" sound is also thankfully absent which plagues many cheap hybrids. Extension is above average here as well offering a appreciable quantity of air and sparkle without sounding strained or artificial.
IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE
Imaging and soundstage are above average in this price range. This is no doubt aided by the Senfer DT9's detail retrieval and layering. This does suffer at high volume levels though. The soundstage had notable width with good depth and height being present.
VERSUS
-HZsound Heart-Mirror:
In terms of bass output and impact, the DT9 wins here easily. Bass quality though leans towards the Heart-Mirror which exabits just that much more speed and texture. Mids are more forward on the DT9 vs the HM with detail retrieval being a close match. In the midrange the HM proves to be smoother, in particular with respect to the upper mids, but has even less note weight than the DT9. Treble is close with the HM being a little smoother again. I would have to say that the DT9 offers a more fun sound while the HM offers a more critical and smoother presentation.
-Senfer DT6
The DT6 offers a more evenly balanced presentation from top to bottom. While this may be so, the DT9 just sounds more open and less veiled by comparison. Bass on the DT9 is faster, more detailed and controlled than on the DT6, while mids on the DT9 sound noticeably more open and detailed as well. When looking at treble, the DT9 is brighter with somewhat better detail retrieval, but I still find the treble of the DT6 very alluring, not better mind you. The DT6 & DT9 really are very different with the DT6 offering a more even handed sonic approach while it's younger stablemate offering a more vivid and energetic one.
CONCLUSION
It has to be stated first that the Senfer DT9 is not for everyone. Which earphone is anyways? It offers a fun detailed sound with an open and expressive nature. Out of the box it can scare a few people as it does sport a pronounced V-Shaped tuning which can lead to moments of sonic misbehavior. It is also unforgiving of poorly recorded music and will happily show the many defects in said recordings. Patience is a virtue though, and quality time spent tip and cable rolling with careful source selection will yield a very enjoyable sonic experience. Driver integration here is actually pretty good and this in no small part aids the openness of reproduction. On some sources I've even tried with great success using a 30ohm resistor plug which smoothed out the sound even further with a little sacrifice in bass authority. Your mileage may vary.
The DT9 has tuned out to be a polarizing product to some extent with people either liking it a lot or hating it. I am in the former group. In my opinion the Senfer DT9 is a very good earphone with standout clarity and detail at a price that belies it's capabilities. With care and time spent finding the right synergy, the DT9 can be called upon to produce sound that hits above its price range and makes many of it's nearest competitors sound veiled and uninteresting by comparison. Sometimes we just want to have fun and look good doing it.
Comments