64 Audio - U18s

EXPERIENCE TRUE IMMERSION WITH THE 64 AUDIO’S U18S UNIVERSAL IN-EARS

64 Audio is a US company from Vancouver, Washington, focused on designing and manufacturing high-quality custom and universal in-ears. With future-oriented innovations such as tia, apex, and LID, the premium in-ear monitors included in the range of 64 Audio outperform their traditional counterparts. A new rendition of 64 Audio’s 18-driver technology, the U18S is the brand’s most recent IEM aimed at “true immersion” or achieving reference-grade sound. 64 Audio explains their goal with the U18S is not to reproduce the performance, but to bring the listener into it. Now, with the introduction of U18S, 64 Audio has taken the heritage of the 18 driver platform and further pushed the envelope of innovation in sound and design. U18S combines proprietary drivers, LID technology and a new electronic crossover network to deliver a uniquely exceptional listening experience.

LEVERAGING 64 AUDIO’S PROPRIETARY TIA TECHNOLOGY AND SINGLE BORE DESIGN

The 64 Audio U18S features exclusive technologies that challenge traditional in-ear monitor designs to give you the best listening experience. The U18S features a driver array which offers a three-dimensional high-resolution sound thanks to the proprietary TIA technology and the accompanying TIA single-bore design. Tubeless In-Ear Audio (TIA) is a patented IEM design methodology aiming to reduce unwanted resonance and distortion for a transparent and lifelike sound. The TIA system has three elements including an open TIA balanced armature drivers, TIA single-bore design, and TIA acoustic chambers. U18S features the tia driver and the tia single-bore design. The TIA driver is an open balanced armature speaker designed for realistic resolution and transparency. By modifying a balanced armature, the diaphragm becomes completely unobstructed, reducing resonance in the IEM and allowing sound to travel more naturally to the ear. The TIA Single Bore has a considerable advancement in eliminating unwanted tube resonance. The large bore serves as a sound-shaping chamber and aids the TIA high driver in delivering a linear and coherent frequency response. The short sound path provides remarkable high-frequency extension and smoothness. The bore also allows for easier maintenance.

THE U18S FEATURE A WHOOPING 18 BA DRIVERS ARRAY FOR A VIBRANT SOUND

The team at 64 Audio have pushed the boundaries of how a balanced armature driver can be utilised to achieve a full and engaging audio reproduction. 64 Audio embeds proprietary TIA technology BA drivers that are elevated in their functioning and eliminate the issues faced with traditional balanced armature drivers. The driver configuration for the U18S consists of 18 TIA BA drivers that work in harmony with each other. Incorporating the TIA single-bore with 8 low drivers, 8 mid drivers, 1 hi and 1 hi-mid driver improves the already lively and three-dimensional soundstage. Packed with an unbelievable 18 balanced armature drivers per ear and an integrated 4-way crossover, the U18S is 64 Audios' top-of-the-line reference in-ear monitor. Listening to U18S gives the sense that a filter has lifted off your music. Resolution and presentation that reveals details which have previously gone unnoticed. The space between you and the performance is disappeared, allowing an intimate listening experience. The enveloping sound stage and frequency response of 10Hz - 20,000kHz and a sensitivity of 106 dB/mW enable you to press into the music without fear of harshness or fatigue.

INCORPORATING APEX TECHNOLOGY TO ALLEVIATE FATIGUE AND EXTEND THE SOUNDSTAGE

64 Audio integrates proprietary modular Apex technology for a fatigue-free sound experience and adjustable ambience isolation. Air Pressure Exchange (Apex) is a patented vent that releases air pressure in a sealed ear canal all while retaining standard IEM levels of isolation, enabling musicians and music enthusiasts to listen more comfortably for longer. This venting alleviates listener fatigue and allows for a much more realistic soundstage. When you seal a miniature speaker in an ear canal, the air inside becomes trapped. Apex relieves this air pressure, allowing the eardrum to move naturally, so you can comfortably listen longer. Apex technology also extends the soundstage by allowing air to move freely and provides a more natural listening experience. It also preserves bass frequencies and helps the listener distinguish individual instruments. Apex also lowers decibel levels while presenting the clarity of the sounds around you, so artists on stage can connect with their audience while protecting their hearing.

COHERENT AND RELIABLE SOUND EVERY TIME YOU USE THE U18S WITH THE LID CIRCUIT

64 Audio U18S makes use of exclusive technologies to push the performance tenfolds. One such technology embedded in the U18S is the LID (Linear Impedance Design) circuit. LID, or Linear Impedance Design, enables a consistent, reliable sound regardless of the source. This proprietary circuit corrects the non-linear impedances of the drivers, restoring proper interaction with the source device and preserving the desired sound signature. Varying source amplifier output impedance in devices like smartphones, body packs, DAC/amps, and DAPs typically results in varying frequency responses across them, depending on the increase in resistance. Restoring proper interaction with the source and preserving the desired sound signature enables a reliable sound. Whether you're a musician plugging into gear at different gigs or studios or an audiophile listening from low-impedance sources, LID ensures your IEMs present the desired sound signature.

UTILISING 64 AUDIO’S LOW PASS FILTER TECHNOLOGY FOR DISTORTION-FREE AUDIO

No one packs as much technology into one IEM as 64 Audio. One of the core philosophies at 64 Audio is to push the boundaries of what an IEM can be and to develop the required technologies to make it happen. The U18S is loaded with drivers, each serving a specific purpose, and a new crossover network that makes it all work. This is an 18 driver system, only matched by its predecessor in complexity. Along with Tia, Apex, and LID technology, the 64 Audio U18S also utilises an electrical low pass filter unique to the brand. The electrical low pass filter lowers distortion by eliminating unwanted frequencies. It does this with an electrical circuit that eliminates target frequencies before they reach the driver. An acoustic damper (old technology) doesn’t prevent frequencies from getting to the driver, it merely blocks frequencies from getting to the ear. At higher volumes, acoustic dampers can introduce unwanted distortion through vibration and air movement.

EXQUISITELY DESIGNED WITH A MODERN LOOK AND BUNDLED WITH ACCESSORIES

64 Audio are well known amongst the audiophile community and even musicians for offering highly considerate and detailed in-ears. Every aspect of the build is carefully thought through and serves a purpose at large. Just like the internal architecture that is carefully engineered, the exterior of the 64 Audio U18S has been painstakingly designed with the best materials and techniques. The U18S have a sleek, modern look and feels sufficiently sturdy. The geometric silver pattern on the back gives them a unique edge but isn’t over-the-top. The matte black finish on the rest of the body gives the U18S an overall clean, sophisticated appearance. U18S is handcrafted in the USA from an aerospace-grade aluminium billet. CNC milled, sandblasted, fly cut, and twice anodised - the result is a striking fractal design inspired by nature. The U18S comes with much-needed accessories to get you started right out of the box. You get a variety of TrueFidelity foam and silicone earpieces, each in sizes S, M and L, a detachable 8 conductor premium silver cable with low microphonics, and three Apex modules (mX, m15 and m20) with a carrying case.