Calvin's Lifestyle: Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10

Features & Specifications :

NEW G10™ 10mm Proprietary Dynamic Drivers
18 Hz - 20,000 Hz Frequency Response
32ohm Impedance
Sensitivity 113db @ 30 Hz/1mW
Up to -29db Ambient Noise Rejection (A.N.R™)
50" / 1.27m Reduced Microphonics Cabling
Standard 1/8" (3.5mm) Gold Stereo Mini-Plug Connector
1 Year Limited Manufacturer's Warranty
Ultra-Wide Spectrum Audio
Reinforced Tubular Strain Relief
Intuitive Thumb Placement Design (LT & RT)
Micro-Profile & Ultra-Lightweight Design
100% Armature & Crossover Free Technology
Multiple Fit Options

(+) Plus

Great bass. Punchy and deep but not overwhelming.
Great clarity
Braided-cable
Price is reasonable
Light-weight
Nice accessories (Pouch, double flange tips, ComfortFit™ Foam Sleevs)
Bonus from eBay seller (J Sound Services) - Sennheiser Carabiner

(-) Minus

Plastic housing
No inline-control
No filter in the nozzle

Unboxing

Upon opening up the parcel, I am very glad that the seller did a very good job in keeping the item safe with the bubble wrap. I purchased the Future Sonics Spectrum G10 from J Sound Services in eBay which was recommended by xuan87 in Hardwarezone Forum. The seller provide a very good service and very friendly. Tracking info is updated and received a free gift from the seller too, a Sennheiser carabiner. I purchased this IEM at almost S$300 including delivery fee. The parcel arrived at my house in around 10 days.

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10

So, inside the box, we have the Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10 and the Sennheiser carabiner. The IEM is so light that I was surprised that I thought I was cheated because upon opening up the box, I couldn't see the earpiece. The G10 is actually inside the carrying case along with all the other accessories.

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10

Below is the breakdown of all the accessories in the package:

1 Pr. Spectrum Series™ G10 Professional Earphones
2 Pr. ComfortFit™ Foam Sleevs - Large
2 Pr. ComfortFit™ Foam Sleevs - Small
1 Pr. Earfills™ Silicone Sleeves - Large
1 Pr. Earfills™ Silicone Sleeves - Medium
1 Pr. Earfills™ Silicone Sleeves - Small
1 Spectrum Series™ Carrying Case
Loop Cleaning Tool (Can someone tell me how to use this thing?)
Spectrum Series™ G10 User Manual

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10 - Accessories

Design & Fit

In my opinion, the design of the Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10 is quite low-profile. It's not something that will stick out of your ears like a Frankenstein. But yet it looks elegant and simple. I am actually expecting the housing material will be metal or aluminium but kinda disappointed as it's only plastic. Thus, durability wise I am having doubt. Unfortunately, this earpiece only available with one color choice which is the gunmetal gray.

There's a Future Sonics logo at the back of the earpiece. The small vent for airflow is located right under the earpiece. I love the cable design as it is braided. It feels soft but tough and durable. The audio jack is also L-shaped which is good. As for the Y-splitter, it can be adjusted to provide best comfort.

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10 - Braided cable

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10 - Y-splitter

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10 - L-shaped audio jack

As for the nozzle, it is thin and long. It is completely plastic housing as well. Another minus here is that the nozzle doesn't have any filter or protection against dust or ear-wax. Thus, it can gets dirty very easily unless you kept your ear canal clean everytime when using the earpiece or buy a pair of ear tips with wax-guard such as the Comply™ Foam Tips. But maintenance wise for Comply tips is pretty costly. Alternatively, as suggested by someone, try Shure Olive instead. If you are planning to use Comply™ Foam Tips, use TSX-100 or TX-100 which is compatible with the Future Sonics G10 or Atrios.

*Update : Just got clarification from Future Sonics that the nozzle is meant to be without filter or screen which is part of the design. Users don't need to worry about dust or other objects getting into it as the nozzle is small .

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10

One thing worth mentioning about the design is that the intuitive thumb placement design for both left and right side. Referring to the image above, you can see that there's a spot chipped in. Just one touch using the thumb and you will know which is left and right even if you can see it.

When we start to talk about fitting, it can be a very subjective issue as different people has different kind of ear canal sizes. Thus, fitting is depend on each individual. As for me, the default double flange silicone ear tips fit me nicely. The bass response is very good once you get the nice fit. The earpiece won't easily fall out using the double flange ear tips. But when I use the ComfortFit™ Foam Sleevs, it just doesn't feel good in my ears. I gave up on them once I tried it the first time. Immediately I get the Comply™ Foam Tips instead.

Overall, the design of this IEM is quite good. The plus is the braided cable, L-shaped audio jack and the intuitive thumb placement design. The minus is the plastic housing and no-inline control but it is forgivable as rumor says that there will be a model with inline-control in near future.

Audio Performance

First of all, let me clarify this again. I am not an audiophile. My following opinions are based on my individual experience as a casual user listening to songs. I love trying out different kind of IEM or headphones. But I am not a professional. =) ... and I am a bass-head.

Before I begin, the reason I ended up with this IEM, Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10, is because I need a replacement for my broken Denon AH-C300 which is bass-heavy but not overwhelming until become muddy while maintaining good clarity.

I used my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as my music player and Poweramp is the app to run the songs. I tested the earpiece without EQ and with EQ.

My first impression on this earpiece is fantastic. The bass is punchy and deep while the treble is just nice. Neither the bass or the treble is overwhelming each other. After a week of burn-in, the G10 is performing even better. Everything is just so smooth and fun to listen. The volume is not as high as my previous Denon AH-C300 but understandable as the Denon AH-C300 has a built-in amp. In order to get the best from Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10, you will need to turn up the volume above 50%. Eventhough the bass is punchy, it is not as punchy as the Denon AH-C300.

I tried the G10 with different kind of genre and surprisingly it does fairly well in all. The Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10 bring out most of the details in a song. Background instruments such as guitar plucking and piano can be clearly heard and make the music much more enjoyable. Some background sound like thumping and beats also become clearer.

To pump it up, I turned on the EQ and increased the bass and the result is amazing! I felt like dancing when I am listening to the music. The bass is deep and punchy. Love it. Period.

Next, I tried using it to watch Youtube video and as expected, it is performing great too. Clear voice in all videos and in music video, good bass response and great clarity.

Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10

If you want to maximize the performance of the G10, get the best fit ear tips and make sure it is sealed nicely in your ear canals.

Below is the list of songs I used in my testing:

OMI - Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)
Redfoo - New Thang (The Works & Redfoo Remix)
Enya - May It Be
Yiruma - River Flows In You
Jurrivh - Why
Jennifer Lopez - Feel The Light
Basshunter - All I Ever Wanted
Basshunter - DotA
Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars
Maroon 5 - Sugar
Taylor Swift - Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar

Additional test from you music video:

Epic Music VN - The Best of Epic Music 2014
Alan Walker - Fade
Calvin Harris - Blame ft. John Newman
Etc...

Conclusion

The Future Sonics Spectrum Series™ G10 is a joy to listen. It goes well with various kind of genre. Other than lacking of the inline-control and the plastic housing, the sound quality really make it up. S$300 might be a little costly for some but I would say that it worth the investment. The carrying case and the double flange ear tips are really nice but you can consider to get Comply™ Foam Tips or the Shure Olive for better comfort.

At the moment, you won't be able to get it even in the Singapore popular local stores such as Stereo and Jaben. The only method to get your hands on this gem is through online. My recommendation is J Sound Services from eBay.