Senfer DT6 Review
-Audiofool Reviews
Disclaimer: I purchased the DT6 from NiceHck
at retail cost because I had heard enough good things about it that I
wanted to see what the fuss was about. I also purchased the NiceHck
N3 (discounted) at the same time in order to compare the two new
piezo-electrics.
Unboxing / Packaging:
The DT6 comes packaged in the same style box as the previously reviewed DT8. It is a slip-cover style but only top-opening which makes the style unique to Senfer amongst those I have reviewed. Inside the lightweight paperboard is a heavier inner box with which uses the warranty card as a top cover. The earphones themselves are protected by a heavy foam while the accessories are hidden under a paperboard cover in the lower 1/3 of the box. Overall, well laid out but not overly exciting packaging, more than acceptable considering the asking price.
Unboxing / Packaging:
The DT6 comes packaged in the same style box as the previously reviewed DT8. It is a slip-cover style but only top-opening which makes the style unique to Senfer amongst those I have reviewed. Inside the lightweight paperboard is a heavier inner box with which uses the warranty card as a top cover. The earphones themselves are protected by a heavy foam while the accessories are hidden under a paperboard cover in the lower 1/3 of the box. Overall, well laid out but not overly exciting packaging, more than acceptable considering the asking price.
Accessories / cable:
The Dt6 comes with a single pair of mid-sized red tips with ribs on the outer surface as well as sets of small, medium, and large single flange black silicone tips. Tips are standard 4.5mm bore size. The only other accessory provided is a black plastic shirt clip. The cable provided is the weakest aspect of the DT6. It has a memory that has remained since taking it out of the box and short of ironing the cable I’m not sure that can be cured. The Jack is a 3.5mm TRRS variety in a brushed aluminum encasement. I would have prefered a 90º angled version, but at least the strain relief is good at the jack. The splitter does not show the same as it has no strain reliefs on either side but does share the brushed metal look of the Jack and the microphone. The one button mic works well for phone calls but has limited function otherwise due to the single button design. The cable terminates without memory wires or hooks as they are designed to be worn tip down. They do have well labeled mmcx connectors making it easy to discern right and left. The earpieces have matching red/blue indicators as well.
Build/Fit:
The DT6 features an all metal housing vented to both the interior (single port) and exterior (4 ports). MMCX connectors are well shielded and very solid. Nozzles exit the lead edge of the interior with a slight forward rake and are long enough to allow for good depth of insertion. I did find that the whirlwind large tips were preferable to get the best seal for my ears. Weight is on par with the Bqeyz or Zs7 and size can best be described as medium-large but due to their shape, they are among the most comfortable designs I have tried for extended wear. Sometimes tip down wear either feels like they are going to pull out of your ear at any moment due to weight or feels like every movement is transmitted directly to your eardrum by the cable. Thankfully, neither of those in on display here and the DT6 wears extremely well.
Internals:
This is the source of my interest in the Senfer DT6. While plenty of iems in today’s market have a 12mm dynamic driver and a balanced armature but far fewer sport a piezoelectric driver. The DT6 uses a 7 x 7mm piezoelectric to handle treble duties and reserves the BA for upper mids and lower treble. A few other earphones in my collection also use piezo drivers, the NiceHCK N3, the Artiste DC1, and the Elecom CB1000. The DC1 and CB1000 and N3 rely on the dynamic to handle all but the treble and then pass off to the piezo tweeter while the DT6 uses an additional mid-range driver.
Sound:
Worth noting is that the DT6 is harder to drive than its sensitivity and impedance numbers would suggest. Specs list 32Ω with a sensitivity of 110dB/mw which would suggest these could be well driven by a smart phone or tablet. Truthfully these take about 25% more power than others with similar specs so I would question the impedance value as Piezo-electric devices are by nature very high impedance devices and while the 32Ω listed may be the average, it is certainly not what is on display when in actual use. These need an amp to do their best work.
Bass:
Sub-bass is present but not forward and provides some rumble without getting murky or coloring the rest of the palette. Rumble can be increased using EQ for those into EDM or other genres that require more punch than the stock signature provides. Mid-bass is mildly forward and adds a bit of warmth as it does bleed mildly into the lower mids. Attack and decay speed is good in the bass but not quite as good as the upper registers where the peizo has amazing speed.
Mids:
Flow from mid-bass to mids is fluid and the mids are neither recessed or excessively forward. This is really pleasant as vocals are well rendered without feeling like they are behind the other instrumentation or that they are in your face screaming at you. The amount of detail present in the mids was also surprising as they easily kept up with things above their price point. I found the mids on the DT6 to be better rendered and more detailed than those on the Mee P1 for example. Overall, this is probably my favorite part of the DT6 and I was fully expecting the treble to be what commanded my attention. Mids here are a nice surprise and I certainly hope Senfer will continue this tuning style in their new models as I much prefer it to that of the DT8.
Treble:
Now, having reviewed more than a few Senfer products before, I fully expected the DT6 to be rather bright. Whoever tunes earphones for Senfer is definitely a fan of a brighter than average tuning with some models bordering on the infamous KZ ZS6 style spike. Thankfully, again Senfer has stepped up their game and while I would certainly qualify the DT6 as bright, it does not get strident or harsh as some previous models have. The upside is the detail level is again on par with that of the mids, and while slightly bright, the DT6 did not get fatiguing as the 4in1 did.
Soundstage / Imaging:
Soundstage is well proportioned and not markedly wider than deep but doesn’t extend particularly well in either direction lending a more intimate staging than expected. Imaging and layering are both better than expected at this price point and follow from the unexpectedly detailed mids and highs. Spatial cues were well reproduced on tracks like “baba O’riley” with its shifting intro.
Thoughts / Conclusion:
I had heard some good things about the DT6 which is
why I purchased them to begin with. I can now say it was money
extremely well spent. Even with my expectations, I had not thought the
DT6 would be this detailed and clean. Overall the presentation is miles
ahead of anything Senfer has done to date and well above its asking
price. These are a very easy recommendation. Unless you simply cannot
stand a bright signature, or have to have as much bass as possible, I
find it highly likely you will appreciate the DT6. They do a lot very
well for so little coin.
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Packaging - 5/10
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Accessories - 5/10
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Build Quality - 7/10
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Bass - 7.5/10
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Mids - 8/10
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Treble - 8/10
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Soundstage - 6/10
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Imaging - 7/10
6.7/10
Summary
Pros: Good build quality, very comfortable, fantastic mids and trebleCons: Cable sucks, odd tip choices, no case provided.
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