SOUNDZ AVANT CUSTOM IN-EAR MONITORS REVIEW

Soundz Avant in-ear monitors are made specifically to fit your ears. Oscar Stewart looks at their flagship costing €1920 with customisations.

Soundz are a relatively new brand in the custom in-ear monitor world, based in Greece they have over a decade of experience in the sound and hearing industry. They launched their first in-ear monitors just over 4 years ago, prior to that they had been making custom earplugs for professionals. 

They have a wide range of custom in-ear monitors with prices ranging from €590 up to €1590 (base price, not including premium customisations). In this review I will be looking at the Avant, this is their current flagship model with 10 balanced armature drivers per side.

BUILD QUALITY, FEATURES AND COMFORT OF THE SOUNDZ AVANT

Starting off with build quality the Avant shells are made of 1.4mm thick 3D printed resin shells, these are a little thicker than standard which means they should be a little more durable over time. They use a standard 0.78 2-pin replaceable cable, personally, I think T2 connectors are becoming more common, however, I have been using earphones with 2-pin connectors for years without issue. The shells are well finished and my pair have the Flex Fit Pro tips (more on those later), I also have the premium 4.4mm balanced cable which is soft and flexible with great strain relief. I cannot fault the build quality of these. 

Feature-wise, let’s start off with some of the premium options on my pair which includes premium Blue Galaxy faceplates (cosmetic), premium Maxima 4.4mm balanced cable which uses a Silver/Rare Metal Fusion Alloy in UPOCC Cast and Flex Fit Pro on the custom shell. All these options do push the price up to €1920 yet, it’s great to have such flexibility in terms of customisation when ordering. 

The Flex Fit Pro uses a special resin on the stem that sits in your ear canal, this resin warms up quickly and becomes softer and more flexible than rigid acrylic. I’ve never had an issue with standard acrylic shells, however, the Flex Fit Pro stems are more comfortable in use and the seal doesn’t break as easily. I can recommend this option as well worth the money in terms of comfort. 

A standard feature in the upper models in Soundz range is Immersive Mode, there is a small switch on the faceplate which allows you to switch between the standard sound and Immersive Mode. Immersive Mode is a slight bass boost, done tastefully without upsetting the core signature yet, making them a little more fun to listen to – more on this in the sound quality section. 

The premium cable is a great option for audiophiles, it has a 75% increase in overall wire cross-section over the standard cable, reducing resistance and delivering cleaner sound. It’s made of a mix of Silver/Rare Metal Fusion Alloy and is built with high tensile strength in mind, it’s made to last. 

Regarding driver configuration, the Avant use 10-balanced armature drivers in a 4-way configuration – Soundz use Sonion BA drivers and a custom array of their low-frequency drivers within the Avant, Wave, and Flame models. The Avant uses 4 low/low-mid, 2 mid-high, and 4 super-high drivers with 3 sound bores. Impedance is quoted at 16.2 Ohms and sensitivity at 105dB @1kHz meaning these will work well out of a range of devices, but they deserve a good DAP to get the best out of them.

Comfort is excellent! Soundz use 3D-printed shells that are printed from a digital scan of your ear impressions. This means the shells accurately match the ear impressions. Both pairs of customs I have that use 3D printed shells are the best-fitting custom in-ears I have used. These fit snugly in my ears without any pressure, the Flex Fit Pro stems make these the most comfortable custom in-ears I have had. Custom in-ears are extremely comfortable for long-term use over universal models and I can easily wear these for hours on end without any discomfort. 

SOUND QUALITY

The Avant are designed to be a studio/live monitoring and Audiophile earphone with a more reference tuning. The great thing is that Soundz have made a reference sounding in-ear without making them sound boring. I have mostly been using these with the Fiio M23 but, also used them with the iFi iCAN Phantom (IEMatch on) paired with the S.M.S.L D6S DAC. 

Starting with them in their normal mode with Immersive Sound off you get a clean and linear presentation with a delivery that is unlike many earphones out there. Once they are in there is no barrier between you and the music, it’s so easy to get lost in the mix as it comes in from all angles, they give you that feeling of being surrounded by the music and you forget about the gear that it is coming from. 

Nine Inch Nails – I’m Looking Forward to Joining You, Finally – a track with a pulsating and deep bass beat that is presented in such a dynamically engaging way through the Avant. Soundz don’t lie when they say they have tuned the low end to be as close to dynamic drivers as possible, this is possibly the best portrayal of dynamic bass from a balanced armature I have heard so far. It really is impeccable and those who love dynamic driver bass will not be disappointed here, it digs deep with great reverberation and body, yet the mid-bass also punches hard when called for. This is in normal mode, which means all this bass is perfectly presented in line with the rest of the mix, Trent’s vocals coming across as detailed and nuanced with the snares and drums tight and snappy. There is a huge sense of space around the instruments yet the music is coherent, it’s well separated yet never sounds detached. From bottom to top there is a cohesive sound that is delivered with pinpoint accuracy and dynamic engagement, it’s balanced but not flat. 

Paramore – Misguided Ghosts, is a beautiful acoustic song that has panned left and right guitar melodies tied together in the middle by Hayley’s vocals. These are a dynamic earphone and easily deliver the scale of any mix you throw at them, from the smallest little detail of fingers on a fretboard to louder sections, all are delivered with ease and composure. Female vocals are an absolute joy to listen to on the Avant due to their balanced delivery, they never get peaky or fatiguing and all the detail is there. 

Pink Floyd – Us and Them, is a bit of an “audiophile” favourite but fantastically recorded and mixed and it’s so easy to get lost in this song. Once again, the dynamic delivery of the bass is a highlight of the Avant whilst keeping a tight grip on the rest of the frequency range. The cymbals are realistically presented without over-emphasis, they don’t try to create a sense of false detail. Instead, these offer up detail in spades with ease and each instrument is so easy to pinpoint within the mix, no matter how complex it gets. I think the best way to describe the sound is natural and effortlessly dynamic. 

Flicking the Immersive Mode switch on you get a little lift in the bass without taking away any detail or presence from the midrange and treble. 

Linkin Park – Hit The Floor hits hard with a real sense of punch down low with Immersive Mode on, vocals are still clear and the guitars crisp. The treble extends effortlessly, there is just a little extra helping of punch and body down low to increase the fun factor and dynamics of the music. This is enjoyable when out and about, giving them a little more body without taking away the balanced and clean presentation. 

The Devil Wears Prada – Submersion. The Avant handles heavy metalcore with ease and Immersive Mode gives kick drums a helping of added impact without masking the lower midrange. Vocals come through with the emotional impact they need in this track, the bass guitar line is gritty and articulate and the crunching guitar lines are powerful. The drum hits are well placed, you can hear where each drum is placed within the soundstage and the cymbals are crisp and well-extended. I find a lot of earphones to struggle with the tonality of cymbals in metal, these don’t have any issues in the treble region simultaneously getting the tonality right as well as the presence, yet they are never overbearing. 

The sound staging and separation of the Avant is excellent, there is plenty of space around instruments and they present a very 3D soundstage with each sound perfectly placed within the stage. There is width, depth and height to the stage, it’s easy to become immersed within the songs you are listening to. They do a great job at presenting a sense of space, something a few earphones struggle with.

QUIBBLES

I have no quibbles with these, as always, it’s important to demo before committing to a pair of custom in-ears to avoid disappointment. 

CONCLUSION

The Soundz Avant are a stunning pair of custom in-ear monitors, from the build to the fit and the sound they nail it across the board. The sound though is the focus here and I really enjoy the sound signature of this model, they have a balanced yet dynamically engaging sound and immersive mode gives them a little extra helping of bass for added fun when required. 

They handle any genre you throw at them with ease, they break down that barrier between the kit and the music and I found myself connecting with the music on a more emotional level than usual. They are not just a “nice” sounding earphone, they are engaging, sonically balanced, and expressive. In short these bring you closer to the music and it’s easy to get lost in the mix with them. 

I could go on and one about these but all I would say is that if you are in the market for a pair of custom in-ears in this price range (they also do them in a universal fit), give them a listen, they may well surprise you. These really do bring you closer to the music and let you forget about the gear. 

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality And Features:

Solid build quality

Immersive mode is fun

Flex Fit Pro improves comfort

Sound Quality:

Well balanced

Dynamically engaging

Detailed and controlled

Value For Money:

Not cheap, but good value when compared to similar models on the market

We Loved:

Customisation options

Engaging sound quality

Immersive Mode is fun

We Didn’t Love So Much:

Nothing to note, unless you hate 2-pin connectors

Elevator Pitch Review: The Avant are one of those rare earphones that really want you to enjoy the music and forget about the gear. They have a dynamic and engaging sound signature whilst retaining a controlled and balanced presentation – they really do have a knack for connecting you emotionally with the music you are listening to. The work that Soundz have put in to perfect this tuning pays off and you get real dynamic bass with a clean, detailed midrange and treble that make them well balanced yet far from boring. A thoroughly enjoyable listen and a real benchmark in this price range.

Price: €1590 base model, this pair with customisations is €1920

Oscar Stewart

SUPPLIED BY SOUNDZ

SUPPLIED SPECIFICATION

• Driver Type/Count

10 Sonion BA drivers per side

• Driver Configuration

4 bass / low-mids, 2 mid-high, 4 super high

• Frequency Response

5Hz – 24kHz

• Sensitivity

105 dB/mW @ 1kHz

• Impedance

16.2 Ohms 

• Crossover

Electrical 4-Way crossover

• Bores

Three bores

• Isolation

Up to -35 dB