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

Drivability​The Hook is said to be rated at 15 ohms and a sensitivity of 105db. This is another case (like with other planars) where I can drive the Hook to reasonably good volume levels with lower powered dongle dacs. In this case the Zooaux Dongle Dac. However, it is plainly obvious how much more open and expressive the Hook becomes with more power. Note weight in the treble area has body to it. At least that’s what I hear. Cymbals crash and not splash. Granted cymbals also play a lot in the upper mids but the decaying crash is not tizzy, but more focused. Instruments in my library never sound harsh or peaky. The extension of the Highs rolls off on a pretty nice downward slope to capture most information well. Percussion and even strings residing in the upper areas sound as they should with enough vibrancy for me. In August of 2021 there was a Youtube video introducing the 7HZ Timeless IEM. This “Planar” was a new take implementing a 14.2mm planar membrane. Needless to say the 7Hz became a legend in our industry. Soon to follow was the Shuoer S12, a 14.8 Planar membrane. It too became the talk of legends. These two Planar IEMs have really laid the groundwork for this next new-generation of IEMs. If the 7Hz Timeless or Shuoer S12 are truly better, it will have to wait for another day as I’ve never heard the the two. The contrabass sound is wonderfully textured with a linear enough extension, it doesn't feel hard-slapped and boomy like an over-excited mid-bass boost can offer. One of the advantages of planar bass is its fast transient in layering and the Hook take full advantage of this, while just adding a hint of warmth to the lower mid-range that favor male vocal and permit low harmonic to be properly presented.

If you haven’t heard of Raptgo before….you’re not alone. Although the hard shell carrying case that comes with the Hook-X proudly states “since 2019,” the brand hasn’t exactly released any standout products. That is, until this particular IEM.I noticed that in practice, Raptgo HOOK-X is not very hard to drive, requiring about 20 / 63 on iBasso DX320 on high gain to be comfortably loud. You can also use your favorite dongle DACs and other music players to drive HOOK-X, and I was able to get excellent results with most sources. The cable does not conduct microphonic noise, and is super comfortable. In fact, that textile coating makes the cable of RAPTGO HOOK the most comfortable cable I used to date. The part that goes around the wear is coated in an extra material, so it shouldn’t get dirty easily. 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. Raptgo is a Chinese earphone company that is mostly known for its best-selling Hook X hybrid IEM, but they have other IEMs with different drivers configuration which include single DD, hybrid DD+BA, and Multi-BAs. A single vent resides near the base of the nozzle. RAPTGO chose to go with standard 0.78mm 2-pin connectors which I prefer over the MMCX alternative. The connectors sit on the shell’s surface in a slightly raised and reinforced section.

The TONALITY of the Hook X HBB can be summarized as a balanced W shape with a lively and weighty dynamic. It’s this kind of IEM that magnifies the best part of bass, mids, and highs and can offer a versatile performance that is never boring, unlike safer tuning that over-tamed energy of our beloved music. Build quality is very high and I can’t find any fault with it. The shells are entirely made of metal, which makes them very durable and resistant to the inevitable wear and tear. It's slightly bright, without problematic peaks, harshness, or sibilance, so smoothly bright we can say where lushness meets brightness with appealing bass warmth basis. Drivers - IEMs use drivers to reproduce sound. These miniaturised driver components are like the ones used in full-size headphones but smaller. The drivers in IEMs include dynamic, balanced armature, planar magnetic, electrostatic, and hybrid drivers. All these drivers come with their lists of pros and cons.It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Linsoul or RAPTGO, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I’d like to thank LINSOUL for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in RAPTGO HOOK-X IEMs find their next music companion. Raptgois a Chinese earphone company that is mostly known for its best-selling Hook X hybrid IEM, but they have other IEMs with different drivers configuration which include single DD, hybrid DD+BA, and Multi-BAs. They, too, use a 2-pin connection for the buds and over-the-ear wearing style. IEMs are even larger than the Hook but equally comfortable. But more importantly I hear the bass emphasis that is the skeletal framework here......walking the pace. With Sony Hybrid Tips the bass is perfect and even slightly better than the included tips, in my opinion. Also any hint of that blanket of distortion making the HOOK-X sound almost low-res, has been removed. What happened was the “rough” midrange was lowered into the lower midrange and any hint of that fizzy/fuzzy stuff was pleasantly removed! The Hook-X has a pronounced lower treble peak which can create an excessive sizzle to high-frequency percussion like cymbals. This can be mostly tamed with the use of foam eartips. There is a faint but distinct sense of oversharpening to transients in the lower and mid-treble, which is a timbral inaccuracy inherent to piezoelectric drivers. With that said, it is much less severe than on other IEMs with piezoelectric drivers I’ve used in the past. The Hook-X has very good upper treble extension, which combined with the semi-open design, creates a spacious soundstage. The Hook-X also has excellent instrument separation. Imaging is quite good as well, which is useful for gaming.