Custom Art FIBAE Black VS Softears Studio 4

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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Custom Art FIBAE Black and Softears Studio 4 use 1BA and 4BA driver setups respectively. Custom Art FIBAE Black costs $500 while Softears Studio 4 costs $450. Custom Art FIBAE Black is $50 more expensive. Softears Studio 4 holds a decisive 3.4-point edge in reviewer scores (4 vs 7.4). Softears Studio 4 has significantly better bass with a 3.5-point edge, Softears Studio 4 has significantly better mids with a 3.3-point edge, Softears Studio 4 has significantly better treble with a 4-point edge, Softears Studio 4 has significantly better dynamics with a 2-point edge, Softears Studio 4 has significantly better details with a 2-point edge and Softears Studio 4 has significantly better imaging with a 3-point edge.

Insights

Metric Custom Art FIBAE Black Softears Studio 4
Bass 3 6.5
Mids 4 7.3
Treble 3 7
Details 3 5
Soundstage 4 8
Imaging 2 5
Dynamics 3 5
Tonality 4.2 7.5
Technicalities 3.9 7.1

Custom Art FIBAE Black Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Precogvision
Crin

Average Reviewer Score:

4

Unfavorable

Show all Custom Art FIBAE Black reviews

Softears Studio 4 Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Precogvision
Jays Audio
Super* Review Tim Tuned Jaytiss Gizaudio Axel

Average Reviewer Score:

7.4

Generally Favorable

Show all Softears Studio 4 reviews

Custom Art FIBAE Black Details

Driver Configuration: 1BA

Tuning Type: Warm neutral

Price (Msrp): $500

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Softears Studio 4 Details

Driver Configuration: 4BA

Tuning Type: Neutral

Brand: Softears Top Softears IEMs

Price (Msrp): $450

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Custom Art FIBAE Black User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

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Softears Studio 4 User Review Score

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Custom Art FIBAE Black Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

3.7

Gaming Grade

D+

Softears Studio 4 Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

7

Gaming Grade

A-

Custom Art FIBAE Black Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

C-
  • Significantly flawed tuning. Noticeable frequency imbalances and unnatural timbre distract from music. Lacks versatility across recordings.

Average Technical Grade

D+
  • Limited resolution; finer nuances are masked. Soundstage feels narrow, and complex passages cause muddiness. Transitions lack finesse.
Bass D
Bass is light and underwhelming. While some faint rumble exists, it lacks punch and authority in any meaningful way.
Mids C-
Midrange is passable but unrefined. Lacks detail and smoothness, with occasional harshness in upper mids.
Treble D
Uneven treble response with noticeable peaks and dips. Can sound both dull and occasionally harsh simultaneously.
Dynamics D
Noticeably compressed dynamics. Musical expression suffers with weak transients and poor contrast between quiet and loud sections.
Details D
Modest detail presentation with significant loss of texture. Nuances are masked and complex passages become congested.
Imaging E+
Poor instrument placement with unstable positioning. Instruments drift and lack fixed locations within the sound field.
Gaming D+
Compromised imaging significantly impacts gameplay awareness. Directional cues often lack accuracy or consistency. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Softears Studio 4 Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A
  • Well-executed tonal character. No major flaws with good technical control. Smooth presentation works with multiple genres.

Average Technical Grade

A-
  • Competent technical presentation. Handles separation and detail well in most tracks, with modest soundstage and acceptable imaging capabilities.
Bass B+
Good bass foundation with decent impact. Maintains acceptable control while providing satisfying thump in most tracks.
Mids A-
Excellent midrange with natural timbre and great detail retrieval. Vocals are forward and emotive with lifelike instrument reproduction.
Treble A-
Excellent treble: airy, extended and well-controlled. Great micro-detail retrieval without sibilance or harshness.
Dynamics C+
Decent dynamic performance. Good macro-contrast but micro-dynamics could be more nuanced. Satisfactory impact.
Soundstage A+
Exceptional soundstage with holographic imaging. Creates a truly three-dimensional space where instruments float naturally around you.
Details C+
Decent detail retrieval. Handles most textures adequately though micro-details and ambient cues could be more pronounced.
Imaging C+
Decent positional accuracy. Good left/right placement with acceptable center image, though depth positioning is approximate.
Gaming A-
Good fundamental spatial awareness for most gaming scenarios. Handles basic positioning well but may lack nuance in complex situations. Value-to-cost may not be optimal for gaming-focused users.

Custom Art FIBAE Black Reviews

Reviewed by: Crin

Crin 5 Reviewer Score
C+ Tuning
C+ Tech
Smooth, neutral-ish signature that serves as an all rounder.

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Precogvision

Precogvision 3 Reviewer Score
D Tuning
D- Tech
Easy on the ears, but too congested and too dark.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: D Mids: C- Treble: D Dynamics: D Details: D Imaging: E+

Softears Studio 4 Reviews

Reviewed by: Super* Review

Super* Review 8* * score normalized
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Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel
YouTube video thumbnail

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Price: $449

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Reviewed by: Tim Tuned

Tim Tuned 8 Reviewer Score
A+ Tuning
A+ Tech
Just great all around, balance with amazingly clean midrange

Tim Tuned original ranking

Tim Tuned Youtube Channel
Bass: A+ Mids: S Treble: S

Reviewed by: Jaytiss

Jaytiss 8 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A- Tech
Something magical about this set, but it's not the Bass.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
Mids: A+ Treble: A- Dynamics: C+ Soundstage: A+
YouTube video thumbnail

Reviewed by: Gizaudio Axel

Gizaudio Axel 8 Reviewer Score
S Tuning
A Tech
A benchmark for tonality and timbre. Neutral, accurate sound with great bass, tonal accuracy, forward vocals, and natural timbre. Excellent isolation. Unvented design and BA bass may not suit everyone.

Gizaudio Axel original ranking

Gizaudio Axel Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Jays Audio

Jays Audio 7.5 Reviewer Score
S- Tuning
A+ Tech
Best all rounder under $500. "Correct" and neutral tuning. Perfect vocals, not as forward like RSV but zero faults. Slight Improvement over RSV in-terms of seapration and stage size/treble is same/not as warm.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel

Reviewed by: Precogvision

Precogvision 5 Reviewer Score
C+ Tuning
C+ Tech
Sounds plasticky and smoothed; inoffensive to the point of being offensive.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: C+ Mids: C+ Treble: C+ Dynamics: C+ Details: C+ Imaging: C+

Custom Art FIBAE Black User Reviews

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