RevoNext RX8S HIFI Audio REVIEW Triple Driver in-Ear Headphones | Mac Sources9.5

Enjoy a comfortable, well-balanced, budget-friendly pair of IEM Earbuds from RevoNext.

With our need for smaller and more portable devices, power management becomes an everyday affair. With regular use, I charge my iPhone XS Max and Apple watch series 4 nightly. I can get by with charging my iPad Pro 11″ tablet about once per week but my wireless earbuds require a recharge after 2–8 hours of use, depending on the type/brand. Sometimes, I need a battery for a longer trip; at other times, I simply want to enjoy music/movies/audiobooks without worrying about battery power. It is for those times that I turned to the RX8S earphones from RevoNext.

The RevoNext Triple Drivers In-Ear headphones arrived in a 4 3/16 inches wide by 6 5/8 inches tall by 1 5/8 inches thick retail box. My eye was immediately drawn to the aqua-colored Hifi Audio RX8S earbuds and the stark contrast with the clean white background. In addition to the large blue earbuds, the RevoNext name was found to my top right, an RN logo “reference hifi audio” along my top left, “HIFI AUDIO” along the right edge, and RX8S (One dynamic diver, two balanced armatures, superior sound quality) along my bottom right, and “color: blue” along the bottom left. The cover showed the braided cable and the ability to remove the wire/plug from the device. The top panel displayed a product SKU and RevoNext RX8S in Ear… Silicone Case (Blue) NEW upon a white sticker. The right side panel (side nearest the earbud image), listed nine main features of the earbuds: 1. Compatible with smartphone in 3.5mm plug. 2. 2 pin detachable cable for easy access to Bluetooth. 3. Individual separation circuit of frequency. 4. Hybrid membrane of dynamic drivers. 5. Closed headphones for excellent sound isolation. 6. Compact housings “rovide” a comfortable fit (typo missed letter p). 7. High-end silicon “carring” case included (typo carrying). 8. Semi-transparent and “ergnomic” streamlining housing (typo missing ‘o’ on ergonomic). 9. Replaceable eartips. Beneath the features, you will find a list of included accessories to include small, medium, large ear tips, an aqua-colored carrying case and that the Swedish Product was made in China. Turning the case over, the opposite site panel listed many of the product specifications: Model RX8S, in-ear, 20-gram weight, 1.25m cable, 3.5mm plug, 7–40kHz frequency range, 23-ohm impedance, and 110DB sound. The rear panel provided a pictorial/verbal representation of the nine main features (many of the typos remained).

I removed the outer plastic lining and slid the slipcover away from the inner box. Similar to the experience with the cover, my eyes became transfixed upon the blue Revolve Earbuds, floating upon a sea of white cardboard. Beneath the Earbuds, the company provided a 49 1/2 inches long blue-braided cable, a semi-opaque bag with two extra pairs of earbud tips, a multi-lingual instruction manual, and a turquoise pinch pouch carry case. The 1.62-ounce oval case measured 3 3/4 inches tall by 2 7/8 inches wide by 1 1/4 inches thick, and had a 3 1/2 inches long access port. One side of the carry case had a 15/16 inches diameter “RN” logo and the other side displayed an etched “RevoNext.” The hexalingual instruction manual detailed the safe use of the earbuds, recommended to avoid using them when driving, and cautioned against listening at unreasonable sound levels. To utilize the 0.14-ounce earbuds find the “R” and “L” along the bottom and match it with the “R” and “L” on the included braided cable. The instruction manual did a great job detailing the assembly method. I appreciated the inclusion of the cable because it was quite generous. Although it may not seem like that big of a deal, the cable measured 29 1/2 inches from the splitter to the 90-degree 3.5mm prong and 20 inches from the dual earbud plugs to the splitter. With the cable installed, I placed the earbuds into my ears, the 3.5mm jack into a lightning to 3.5mm adaptor and then into my iPhone XS Max.

I suspect that many individuals struggle to find a perfectly matched earbud tip. Typically, it seems that my ear canals are sized somewhere between the small and medium sizes. Despite this limitation, I found the medium tips to be the most comfortable and soundproof. Setting my iPhone to 50% volume, I navigated to the Low-Frequency Response and Subwoofer Audio Test (10–200 Hz) within the audiocheck.net website. The dynamic driver and the dual balanced armatures provided crisp, deep, and full sound starting at 20Hz. Beyond simply hearing the music, the HiFi Audio earbuds allowed me to feel it. Similar to my recent review of the FiiO balanced armature earphones, the RevoNext RX8S favored blend to exceptionally bass-centric sounds. The major difference, however, was that the RevoNext earphones provided more bass and a heartier experience overall. Pleased with the bass, I utilized the High-Frequency Response and Hearing Audio Test (22–8 kHz) to test the upper frequencies. I was happy to hear the test tone at 15kHz, even though 20kHz was the maximal level for human hearing. As we age, we lose our upper-frequency hearing first (presbyacusis), limiting our maximum frequency to around 14kHz.

With the frequency testing complete, I wanted to test the Left/Right/Center programming of the earphones for appropriate stereo listening. I compared the data from the audiocheck.net website to the L or R Check App on iOS. The earbuds proved to be appropriately programmed. To further test the stereo feature, I utilized my favorite aspect of the audiocheck.net website, the Stereo Perception and Sound Localization Test. To test your metal, turn off the lights in the room, turn up the volume to about 60%, and run the above test. My children, especially, get a kick out of this step. For a similar experience, listen to the “Sound Of Silence (3D Binaural Audio)- Simon and Garfunkel Cover-Jarvis Brothers (Ear to Ear). With the above tests complete, I navigated to Amazon Prime Music and turned to my typical test tracks. To evaluate the soundstage, I like to listen to Caribbean Blue by Enya, and Yosi Horikawa Wandering/Bubbles. Lately, I have added “The National Anthem” by Radiohead, the Skyrim Theme “Dragonborn,” “Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold,” from The Hobbit, and any of the plethora of examples by John Williams. The bass was full, without overpowering the mids or high frequencies and the focus on balance was obvious.

I used “Bright Lights Bigger City” by CeeLo Green, Home Free “Ring of Fire,” The Gladiator Soundtrack, “Train Song” by Holly Cole, the Gladiator Soundtrack and the Joker Theme “Why So Serious” to test the bass. As an individual test of your earphones, listen to the Joker Theme “Why So Serious from 3:26–4:00 minutes and feel a back and forth bass line between your ears. I would describe this feeling similar to the wash of helicopter rotors. I have grown to enjoy the Acapella sound and I listened to the Song of Durin A Capella (Complete Edition) Clamavi De Profundis, and several offerings from Pentatonix, and Home Free. From Queen, to Alabama, to Dr. Hook, to CCR, to Charlie Puth and Megan Trainer, to Ray Charles and to Willie Nelson, I listened to many of my favorite songs. In fact, thanks to the flush backing and the comfortable fitted closed headphone, I was able rest with my head against my pillow, without pain. The device has no battery and is not limited by the need to charge. I was able to listen to my audible book, to continuing education podcasts, and to watch Movies Anywhere, YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Movies without worrying about when I would need to recharge.

Thanks to the closed nature of the earphones, the RevoNext earphones did a great job containing the sound and limiting leak. While lying in bed, I had my wife place the RevoNext earbuds into her ears. I had her listen to a few of her favorite songs and I could not easily hear the lyrics. This was a perfect test as the ambient noise was minimal, we were both focused on the task and I had an idea of what song she would choose. If you add any background noise, the leak was essentially non-existent. As an added benefit, when I used the medium tip within my ear canal, the seal allowed for passive noise reduction. This feature blocked out a large portion of road noise while riding as passenger in my wife’s minivan and within my Motorhome.

I enjoyed both the fit and the quality of the RevoNext RX8S earphone sound. I grew up playing in several wind ensembles, Jazz Bands, and Pep Bands and have a vast appreciation for instrumental music. The RevoNext RX8S provided a solid staging, bass, mid and high-frequency experience. In a world driven by wireless, Bluetooth, and minimalistic earphones, the RevoNext seems to be relying on the past. The 3.5mm jack required me to obtain a lightning-to-3.5mm dongle or a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle. Although more a limitation on the smartphone, this still limits the scope of the product. I loved the 90-degree 3.5mm port, I loved the braided cable, the blue color, the feel of the earbuds and the overall sound. However, If I had one complaint about the product, it would have to be about the carry case. I feel that they should have developed a more water-tight design and one that could hook to your bag/belt. If the goal was to simply provide a case, I would have rather had a case like the one that came with the FiiO earbud case. Interestingly, both pairs of earbuds fell into the sub $40 range. If you are looking for a budget-friendly pair of triple driver IEM earphones, look no further than the X8S from RevoNext.

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Originally published at https://macsources.com on August 23, 2019.