Audio-Technica ATH-IM03: First Thoughts

Back in high school, when I’d scraped together every last cent to buy a Sennheiser MX500 and plugged it into an iPAQ hx2412 to listen to Tony Daimoku with great relish, I’d already heard of Audio-Technica and was quite impressed by it. The reason wasn’t sound quality or anything like that — it was just that hearing the name made a triangle (the little steel percussion instrument I’d banged in elementary school music class) pop into my head.

Later, as I sank deeper and deeper into the bottomless pit of audiophile mysticism, the idea that “Audio-Technica = female vocal poison” gradually dissolved into my brain. Honestly, I’d always wanted to try out just how poisonous the legendary Audio-Technica was for female vocals. Later I bought a CKM55 — no particular feeling on first listen, but after listening for a while, especially after switching to other buds later on, I realized what was good about it. That feeling of retaining both female vocals and bass at the same time was indeed nice.

After that I kept wanting to get an Audio-Technica around the thousand-yuan mark, but Audio-Technica’s good stuff, including the CK100pro, can’t be had for a thousand yuan — too expensive, couldn’t afford it. Until one day my brain short-circuited and I bought Audio-Technica’s new product, the ATH-IM03, and my wish to “finally listen to a high-end Audio-Technica” was fulfilled.

Before listening to the IM03, I’d been listening to the ER4P / TF10 / IE3 — more precisely, mostly the ER4P. I wouldn’t call myself tin-eared; I can pick out some details, but compared to those mystics my reactions are slower. Honestly, at first listen I might not hear anything, but after listening for a while and then suddenly switching to other earphones, I’d instantly notice the former’s strengths and virtues…

So I received the IM03 two months ago, with the ZX1 as my source. On first listen I didn’t discover the IM03’s virtues — instead I realized the ER4P’s virtues. So the ER4P’s sound was this transparent, and the IM03 seemed so muddy by comparison. On Clover Heart, Mari’e’s voice was completely buried by the bass and couldn’t come out at all, not nearly as nice as the departed CKM55. In an instant all I felt was disappointment. I’d always thought the legendary female-vocal poison should be a very intimate female vocal, not such a muffled effect. But I’d already bought it and couldn’t return it, so I made do. After a while, I switched to the TF10 for running, and suddenly felt the IM03 was still quite transparent — the TF10 was even muddier, the vocals even smaller, even more unacceptable. So in the process of listening alternately to the ER4P, IM03 and TF10, I gradually came to feel that the IM03 was actually a pretty good earphone.

First, the vocals are closer than the TF10’s. Not as transparent as the ER4P, but the ER4P’s bass is lacking, while the IM03 still has a certain amount of bass. I personally no longer like boomy sound, so I feel the IM03’s bass is just right — no more than that. The IM03’s sound sits between the ER4P and the TF10, sort of fusing the strengths of both. Of course, it’s a triple-driver balanced armature after all, so no need to waste words on resolution — it’s definitely OK. After listening on and off for two months, I don’t know if my brain-amp has finished developing, but I gradually felt the IM03 already suited me completely. Now it seems this earphone has fairly balanced lows/mids/highs and is an all-rounder — worth the price.

A few other things. First, fit: the IM03 has a built-in wire ear hook. Some people say it causes allergies when worn; I don’t have that problem, and I feel there’s no need at all to get other ear hooks. Second, although the IM03 has a detachable cable, the connector where the cable attaches can wobble. I asked others and they said theirs do too — maybe intentional, acting as a buffer? Third, the shell itself is transparent, so you can see the wiring and drivers inside — a bit of class, but not especially high. The cable is fairly thick and deliberately flattened a bit to eliminate the stethoscope effect; in practice there’s no big problem. I tried running with it — very OK.

All in all, the Audio-Technica IM03 is one of the more satisfying earphones I’ve picked up in recent years, and one that left no obvious regrets — I mean, compared to the ER4P’s lack of bass, the TF10’s chicken of a vocal, the IE3’s piercing highs, and so on. Though I hear the IM03 keeps dropping in price… To keep my mood comfortable, I can only try to look at the price as little as possible ( ´д`)