Linsoul RAPTGO Hook-X 14.2mm Open Planar Diaphragm Driver + PZT Driver HiFi in-Ear Earphone with Detachable 0.78 2pin OCC Cable for Musician Audiophile

Product Information

Pairing: I used a Quidelix 5k and a Topping DX1 dac through a SMSL SH-8s AMP. I don’t find the pairing to matter too much, but it certainly can. As they are semi-open, the HOOK-X offer virtually no isolation whatsoever. They do offer minimal isolation, but it’s so little it’s barely noticeable. RAPTGO HOOK-X leak slightly more than average earbuds, but less than you might think. Unless you’re in a quiet library with people in the vicinity, you shouldn’t bother anyone with your music. Hook-X Drivers​The Hook has an interesting driver combination. As far as I understand this is the first time these two driver technologies have ever been used in tandem and in the same shell. Raptgo used a 14.2 mm planar magnetic driver, driven by Neodymium N52 Magnets. The other driver is a custom designed 18 Layer Double-Sided Piezoelectric. Very cool to see a company break new ground and put their development skills to the test and out in the open. Especially in the time of the “Planar Wars”.

While strangely the company has named itself as a medical technology company! Or maybe it's actually a medical technology company who makes IEMs on the side? Overall, you’re getting a detailed sound performance that can easily beat most earbuds at this price. Of course the included cable is OCC silver-plated with coaxial shielding offering dynamic results, questioning ever rolling cables. Amazingly the cable and IEM are color matched stifling OCD desires you may have. Another thing that helps is the over-the-ear cable design. The latter helps distribute the weight of the metal earbuds throughout your ear lobe. When I started writing this blog, there were virtually no planar in-ear headphones. The only model that I recall being there, and even then appearing a while after I started writing, was the Audeze iSine. Since then there’s been a lot of improvement in the technology and planar in-ears are now not so exceptional. The RAPTGO HOOK-X do not content themselves with using a planar driver, as they pair it with a piezoelectric driver that takes care of the upper range of frequencies. With results that I would define “mixed”.Comparison: I hate to say it, but let’s compare it to the original Raptgo Hook. It’s basically the same with some slight tuning changes. I do like the blue a bit more, yet it’s premium for a somewhat minor tuning change. Furthermore, they also use a removable cable but with MMCX connectors. Buds are smaller and comfier to wear.

Both have a lot of sub bass but hbb's has more. You need songs that use sub bass to really hear the difference of course. RAPTGO HOOK-X vs XENNS Mangird Tea 2 (239 USD vs 350 USD) – The comfort is better on HOOK-X, which seems to stay better in my ears, and also has a better cable from the factory. The IEM design is much more beautiful and aesthetic on Mangird Tea 2. The overall sound is quite different, with HOOK-X having much more bass impact, especially in the sub-bass, and more treble energy, better treble extension, and more treble vibrancy. The detail and resolution is about equal between HOOK-X and Tea 2, but maximum volume handling is slightly better on HOOK-X, which can take more punishment before distorting and clipping. Passive noise isolation is better on Mangrid Tea 2.RAPTGO HOOK-X vs Lotoo LE-M1 Monitoring IEMs (239 USD vs 269 USD) – The overall comfort is better on LE-M1, which is considerably smaller and made for monitoring. They also isolate better from the outside noise than HOOK-X. The sonic presentation has more resolution, and better detail on LE-M1, but the sound is much deeper on HOOK-X, which has better sub-bass, and a more realistic midrange presentation, with more lower mids, better treble texture, and a less bright, more tonally accurate presentation. The rule here is that if you’re loosing for the most accurate sound possible, LE-M1 can reveal some intricacies that HOOK-X can’t, so it is a better monitoring IEM, but for music listening, I prefer HOOK-X, which is simply much more enjoyable, wider, more holographic, and has a better bass impact.

So let's see in this review what they are worth to my very ears and if they will be a keeper or just another chifi IEM to forget about. The more you pay for something, the more you expect to get great build quality and additional features to play with. The IEMs have an open baffle design, but covering the faceplate does not change the sound too much, most of the sound escaping that open baffle seemingly being the result of a piezoelectric driver work. RAPTGO HOOK-X is really comfortable though, and they feel really nice in my ears, providing a good amount of passive noise isolation and having a size that’s perfect for my ears, and allowing for some space, so they should be good for folks with smaller ears too. The size is a bit chunky but not too big, part of the shell that enters your ears has an organic shape and isn’t thought for deep insertion unless you use super long triple-flanged ear tips (but why?). These aren’t too heavy and I find them super comfortable for long-time listening.Video Rigoletto - “La donna e mobile” Sung by one of the three Tenors, great song for high-performing male vocals. Pavarotti is the greatest classic singer maybe ever. Fight me! These IEMs are built incredibly well. Apart from cable, everything else feels cold to the touch due to the metal materials used for construction. The soundstage is another highlight of Hook X, it’s very open wide, and tall with more than decent deepness even if slightly opaque timbre interferes with psychoacoustic traveling of this depth. Most of all, it’s very holographic, so hey, VR-approved too? Why not!