PERIODIC AUDIO CARBON REVIEW
A Musical, Transparent, Diamond- ENHANCED, Bass CHAMPION THAT ROCKS!
Irreverent. This is the first word that came to mind as I read through the Periodic Audio website. Imagine, for a moment, the Monty Python crew as audio engineers at an In-Ear-Manufacturing (IEM) company, where you’ll find humor, irreverence, and good old common sense. Yep, I was immediately interested in reviewing their Carbon IEM ($399).
“The Brothers in Ears,” as Periodic Audio’s founders refer to themselves, “just care about the music. And that it should move you.” Would this be true? I would soon find out, though if it were not it wouldn’t be reviewed. We, AudioKey Reviews, don’t do bad—flame throwing—reviews, because reviews are entirely subjective. And some reviewer’s flame throwing may well be interfering with someone else’s Nirvana.
The Periodic Audio Carbons are constructed, in addition to the other materials—polycarbonate, Neodymium magnets, butyl rubber—with lab grown diamonds. An 8-micron layer of these lab-grown diamonds are affixed to Periodic Audio’s proprietary, high-temperature, polymer substrate. Which in Periodic Audio’s words represents:
“The ultimate statement in resolution, with distortion below any other IEM we know of. Transparency starts and stops with C. Enough fun built in to make listening to any style a joy, but revealing enough to hear any detail buried in the mix.”
Diamonds? Yes. The lab-grown diamonds are hatched over the course of thirty (30) hours in a uniquely, designed, pressurized chamber. There is, nonetheless, spoilage as sixty percent (60%) of the diamonds are able to be utilized, while forty percent (40%) are discarded.
Additionally, Periodic Audio designs and tools 100% of the components that comprise its IEMs, in house, which they believe results in a “totally unique product.” And further, they believe the Carbon:
“Perfect with any source, from a tablet to a cellphone to a $10,000 rig. A big-screen experience with the clarity of a microscope. Micro and macro dynamics for an unrivaled listening experience.”
I will, certainly, put this statement to the test over the course of the Periodic Audio Carbon’s review, to see if the marketing stands up to the reality.
REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the headphones actually sound and not the process of physically “undressing” them and/or laying out their various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Terminator, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.
The Sound
The Periodic Audio Carbon is a rarity at this time for an In-Ear-Monitors (IEMs), in that it utilizes a single, dynamic driver and is entirely free of Balanced Armature (BA) drivers or other exotic drivers—Air Motion Transformer (AMT), Electrostatic. A single driver is, generally, understood to bring a natural coherency to the music. And an IEM freed of the limitations of a crossover, regardless of how well the crossover has been engineered, should speak with a single, coherent voice. The Carbon’s single driver is constructed of a thin layer (8 microns) of lab-grown diamonds, which coat Periodic Audio’s “proprietary, high-temperature, polymer substrate” driver.
Periodic Audio Carbon’s single driver renders incredible bass/sub-bass extension, which sits it near the top of its price class. And there is fairly good extension at the treble, though there is a roll-off of the highest notes. A warmth wells up from the bass that nicely textures the lower midrange but the warmth of the bass/sub-bass does not travel to the upper midrange, where things get a bit interesting (see midrange). The Carbon’s transient response and its dynamic drive, however, are very good.
The Periodic Audio Carbon’s volumetric cube—its soundstage—is intimate, of fairly good width and, perhaps, average depth. Layering, separation, and positioning are quite good.
The Periodic Audio Carbon was, primarily, allied to the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, but was also voiced via the DragonFly Red. The review was conducted using only the single-ended headphone output across all devices, as the Carbon’s single-ended cable is permanently affixed. Accompanying the AudioQuest DragonFlys were the DragonTail USB-A to C connector, and a MacBook Pro.
Bass
The Carbon’s bass is impactful, propulsive, detailed. All sub-bass regions of Massive Attacks’ Angel (MEZZANINE, Virgin) are laid bare and on full display. Angel rumbles, its bass deep, taunt, driving. Later and in the selfsame manner Eiji Oue’s The Firebird Suite (1919 version): VII Finale (Stravinsky, Reference Recordings) is potent, thunderous, and very nicely detailed. Those who look to travel, via IEM, to the stygian depths of the Holy-Bass-Head-Grail will be well accommodated by the Periodic Audio Carbon. Period.
Midrange
The Carbon’s midrange, however, is a bit of a conundrum. I tried a host of tips—foam, silicon, Spinfit—to tame/correct what remained consistent regardless of the tips employed or the source. There are two quite, distinct halves of the Carbon’s midrange. One half—the lower midrange—is imbued with a warmth from the bass region, that brings an engaging body and musicality. The other half—the upper midrange—however, is an anomaly. I’ve become very familiar with Katie Melua and her compilation—The Ultimate Collection. Katie’s voice is rich, beautiful, and natural. The Carbon’s portrayal was something other. The track What a Wonderful World plays and it is not the same track I played an hour ago. Kate’s voice is strident, thin, even shrill, which did not match, at all, the tonality of the Carbon’s bass, nor its lower midrange. And the DragonFly Cobalt, its companion, has always been incredibly musical, natural, and transparent. Though, on Olafur Arnalds Árbakkinn (Island Songs, ECM) the lower midrange is full-bodied and rich and detailed. Gone is the stridency, the thinness of sound, that makes vocals so different than remembered. A conundrum. The Carbon’s separation, positioning, and transient speed across the midrange, however, are excellent.
Treble+
Sara Sant’Ambrogio’s Etude, Op. 25/7 (Chopin, Sebastian Records) plays and transparency, separation, and positioning are all quite good. The timbre across the treble is more natural, fairly extended, and dynamic. Vilda Frang’s Trio for violin, viola & cello: II. Allegro molto (Veress: String Trio/Bartok: Piano Quintet, Alpha) plays. The Carbon’s treble is crystal clear and transient quick, as it details raps, knuckles, and plucks across violin, viola, and cello. The Carbon’s resolution of fine detail across the treble and its layering are also quite good.
The Wrappings and Accessories
The Periodic Audio Carbon comes in an uneventful, printed box, which when opened reveals an unprinted, white, cardboard box. So the marketing face—product design—that a potential consumer first sees is, well, frill-less and given its price point, that should not be so. There are a host of competitors, at this price point and below, who offer beautifully designed packages and wrappings. But do Head-Fiers buy for packaging design?
Once the inner box is opened, one finds the Periodic Audio Carbon IEMs. The Carbons are simple, pragmatic, purposeful. A gold-colored, tin, travel round sits adjacent to the Carbons and its contents are:
3 sets of normal tips
3 sets of double flange in S/M/L sizes
1 Air plane adaptor
1 6.35mm adapter
The Periodic Audio team purposely avoids flash and glitz and color in their Carbon IEM and its packaging, in the pursuit of the music. That said, the graphic design of the Carbon’s outer box and accessories is, decidedly, a no frills affair. Objective achieved.
Design—Look and Feel and Fit
The Periodic Audio Carbon is a clean, straightforward, no frills, IEM dressed in black from top to bottom and, generally, indistinguishable from what would be a non-high-end IEM. Of course, all of that changes once the Periodic Audio Carbon is placed in the ears and the music begins.
“The Brothers in Ears” have designed and created in the Carbon a high-strength, polycarbonate, “nearly indestructible” enclosure that demonstrates zero resonance and utilizes lab-grown diamonds and N48H grade magnets—apparently, the strongest, rare earth, Neodymium magnets.”
“The Brothers in Ears” refer to the overall design of their Carbon IEM as the “stealth look.” Well, they’ve nailed that too.
The Specifications
Periodic Audio Carbon
Frequency Response: 12 Hz to 38 kHz
Impedance: 32 Ohms nominal
Sensitivity: 98 dB SPL at 1mW in ear
Power Handling: 200 mW continuous
Peak SPL: 121 dB
THD: Less than 0.2% THD at 1mW
Cable Length: 1.5 m
Mass: 2.8 / 9.3 g (IEM/Set)
Operational Temperature: -20 to +50° C
Operational Humidity: 0-95% Relative Humidity
NRR: 31.3 dB (foam eartip)
Overall Length: 21 mm
Body Diameter: 12 mm
Nozzle Diameter: 6 mm
Drivability
The Periodic Audio Carbon have a low impedance (32Ω -Ohms) and a satisfactorily high sensitivity (98dB).They are, nonetheless, easy to drive and they’ll work well with numerous devices ranging from smartphones to computers to iPADs to DAPs to desktop systems. The Carbon scale very nicely with higher powered equipment.
Comparisons
It came down to four songs that would be utilized to help differentiate between the various IEMs. The comparisons were done using the following four tracks/songs—
Katie Melua’s What a Wonderful World (The Ultimate Collection, BMG)
Olafur Arnalds’ Árbakkinn (Island Songs, Mercury (Universal France))
Massive Attack’s Angel (MEZZANINE, Virgin), and
Eiji Oue’s The Firebird Suite (1919 version): VII Finale (Stravinsky, Reference Recordings)
iBASSO IT00 ($79)
The iBasso IT00, also a single-driver IEM, was more engaging and beautifully so. It’s rendering of Olafur Arnalds Árbakkinn (Island Songs, ECM) was imbued with a musicality, body, analog-like ease and tonality that was quite remarkable and that paralleled the Carbon’s take on the same track. Katie Melua’s What a Wonderful World was portrayed beautifully and naturally by the IT00, free of stridency or thinness or any other subtractive element. This was not true for the Carbon. The Carbon’s bass, however, was decidedly more extended, palpable, and taunt. and, overall, the Carbon brought the greater top to bottom transparency. Though the IT00’s was also transparent and rich in detail.
iBASSO AM05 ($299)
The iBasso AM05’s midrange was transparent, natural, and alive. While more neutral than the IT00 and the FD5, the AM05 was very musical and provided for an ethereal presentation when called for as noted in Katie Melua’s The One I Love is Gone (The Ultimate Collection, BMG). The AM05 had the second largest soundstage relative to the others with the FD5 taking top honors in that category. The AM05’s bass was taunt, driving, detailed, though it did not pack the propulsive drive, nor the weight or punch of the Carbon, that was as transparent, but with a faster transient response.
FiiO FD5 ($299)
The FiiO FD5’s (review coming soon) bass was the equal to the Periodic Audio Carbon with greater transparency and micro/macrodynamic detail and speed. The FD5’s midrange was natural, detail rich, full-bodied, and eminently engaging, with nary a trace of subtractive elements. The FD5’s rendering of Katie Melua’s What a Wonderful World (The Ultimate Collection, BMG) was the best of the IEMs. And the FD5’s treble was well extended, sweet, and incredibly detailed. FiiO’s flagship was truly performing as though a flagship competing against four-figure priced IEMs and not three-figure IEMs. At a $100 less than the Periodic Audio Carbon, the FD5, given it talents, is not the Carbon’s true competition, as its sights are set on others far above it price point.
Conclusion
The Periodic Carbon ($399) is a minimalist design. There are no frills or fancy packaging or fancy accessories. It is a what you see is what you get IEM and the folks at Periodic Audio like it that way. The Carbon is a bass-rendering champion with few peers, at its price point. So if the Holy-Bass-Head-Grail is what you seek, you will be taken to it posthaste and you will not regret that journey. The Periodic Audio Carbon is very transparent, dynamic, and has lightening fast transients. The Carbon, however, prefers the lower midrange. Its favor does not fall on the upper midrange where voices are rendered, interestingly and with some subtractive elements. If, however, your musical diet consists primarily of EDM, Acid Rock, Metal, Rap, Synth-Pop, etc. then this is your IEM. And we recommend the Periodic Audio Carbon on this basis alone. I do not like to assign curve designations—V, L, W, etc.—but the Periodic Audio Carbon is decidedly a IEM sporting a V-shaped curve, with an upper midrange anomaly.
The Good: Exceptional bass, separation, transparency, positioning, layering, and lightening-fast transient response.
The Bad: Fixed cable, upper midrange anomalies.
THE system(s)
N/A
THE COMPANY
Periodic Audio
Carbon Earphones: $399 USD.
Periodic Audio
4882 McGrath St., Ste. 100
Ventura, CA 93003
Phone: (855) 724-4367 or (307) 683-4151