RAI PENTA REVIEW
The Rai Penta
The synthesis of art and beautiful music
Often reviews like this begin with the process of physically “undressing” the product, in this case headphones, until they and their respective accoutrement are revealed in all of their “eye-candy-engaging” splendor. Or not. Suffice to say, that the RAI PENTA ($1,099) went well beyond simple “eye-candy” to high, functional art. And of its sound—form has clearly followed function, as “there be beautiful, engaging music” emanating from these small works of art. Note: They are addictive in the extreme. So beware.
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, Pulp Fiction, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.
The Sound
As I write this section, I am listening to Olafur Arnalds’, Island Songs (Mercury, Universal France) and it is spellbinding. Poignant, ethereal, melodic, layered, crystal clear, and engaging as rendered by the RAI PENTA IEMs. The album while panned by critics brings a word and a phrase to mind—“subjective,” as all reviews truthfully are, and “over-exposed cynicism,” something that every reviewer must guard against. That said, it is an album for mood, reflection, and just plain being. I have listened to it over the years and have never quite heard a IEM dance with it the way that the RAI PENTA now dances and sings its music.
Bass
Maxwell’s Sumthin’, Sumthin’ (Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, Columbia) now plays as I write. The RAI PENTA’s presentation of this bass is refined, clear, detailed, tight, and of the highest caliber. One immediately notices the accuracy and control, the detail from sub to mid-bass and the ever so slightly warm and wonderful tonality, which for the music lover is exceedingly addictive. What the RAI PENTA isn’t is overwhelming, bloated, nor, however, does it extend into the stygian depths of say, what a “bass-head” might consider the “holy-bass-head-grail.” Though slightly enhanced (the mid-bass), the RAI PENTA’s bass does not cross the boundary line into the midrange, indeed, an accomplishment in and of itself, that so many IEM’s of the “holy-bass-head-grail” variety cannot match.
Midrange
The RAI PENTA’s have a musicality, naturalness, clarity, and body, that brings both female and male vocals to life with wonderful detail and depth. I listen to Sarah Jarosh’s Back of My Mind (Undercurrent, Concord). Her voice is clear, engaging, intimate, halting—in that it has become difficult to continue writing this review…
The RAI’s bring to vocals natural texture, musicality, and, again, a clarity, that finds previously unrevealed words, phrasing, nuance clearly and exquisitely rendered. This is, of course, about the RAI’s astute attention to micro detail, articulation, and transparency which are superb. Omar Sosa’s Aguas (Calma, World Village) now plays and the tonality of the piano is clear, detailed, powerful, and rich. The voices of the children splashing about in the water is itself beautifully rendered, natural, and reverberation and decay are sublime. The balance throughout the midrange is quite exceptional, as is the layering, the breath, and width of the soundstage. Separation is, no doubt, a strong point of the RAI PENTA’s. Bravo!
Treble+
The RAI PENTA’s treble is airy, transparent, and extended, which renders vocals more engaging “breathier,” imminently musical, and, as a result, there is a greater sense of space or separation. And while there are those IEM’s that are more extended in the treble and present a more aggressive attack, one does not often find the kind of transparency, the level of detail, the naturalness, nor the degree of separation demonstrated by the RAI PENTAs, regardless of price range. Annie-Sophie Mutter’s Allegro Moderato (Tchaikovsky/Korngold: Violin Concertos, Deutsche Grammophon) case and point for a sublime treble, wonderful separation, incredible layering and musicality, and dynamics, as the repartee between solo violin and orchestra transpires. Finally, there is a complete lack of sibilance, harshness, brightness across the treble..
The Wrappings and Accessories
Ah, again this will be a rather different telling of the outer “wrappings” of the RAI PENTA and of their subsequent “undressing” with but the barest of details. This, we believe, should be a journey of self discovery. And “the telling” will remain a hallmark of our product reviews as will the non-linear un-folding of the products we review.
Understated, functional, elegance is the first thought that comes to mind regarding the RAI PENTA’s outer “wrapping.” The box—a black, spot varnished, rectangular box, sports a well designed logo on its front surface and a well and handsomely designed “exploded” version of one of the IEMs on its back surface. The cleanliness of the design and its execution are all hallmarks, that a Sherlock Holmes, modern day (BBC) version, might say, “reflect an a to zed attention to detail and unmatched professionalism” (if, of course, Mr. Holmes had departed from his high-functioning sociopathic ways and was simply nice). Bravo, again to Meze Audio!
Inside you will find all that is required to listen to these quite wonderful IEMs across a number of different venues—cables, various ear-tips, adaptors, a cleaning instrument, and an understated, functional, elegant carrying case. NOTE: please do experiment with the ear-tips as both fit and material provide a certain “tuning”—a specific sound character/signature as related to both fit and material.
The Technical Specifications
Driver: PENTA-HYBRID DRIVER
(4 x Customized Balanced Armature and 1 x Dynamic
Driver working harmoniously together)
Frequency Range: 4Hz – 45kHz
Impedance: 20Ω
Sensitivity: 110dB SPL/1mW Sensitivity
Max Input Power: 30mW
Distortion: <1%
Stock cables: MMCX connector ending in 3.5mm, Rhodium plated
Upgrade cables: MMCX connector ending in
2.5mm TRRS balanced and 4.4mm balanced as extra accessories
Warranty period: 2 years
The RAI PENTAs due to their low impedance (20Ω -Ohms) and high sensitivity (110dB…) are easy to drive, which translates to a little power goes a long way and thus they may be used with a very wide variety of smartphones, DACs, DAPs, etc.
Design—Look and Feel
The RAI PENTA IEMs are, truthfully, quite elegant, extremely well made, with precise attention to detail, and an anatomical fit that conforms to one’s ear, which is a major reason for long-term listening—near organic fit/comfort.
The chassis themselves are machine milled from solid blocks of aluminum, which, in turn, creates an inner, ported cavern in each monitor, with air chambers fashioned to expel sound, beautifully, from its four (4) balanced armature (BA)* drivers and its sole dynamic driver. It is a five (5) driver system that is superbly and meticulously balanced. Having had the opportunity to listen to the RAI PENTAs these past months, I can say with full conviction, the design goals, to this reviewers ears, have been met.
Conclusion
It will be difficult to return the RAI PENTA IEMs, as they have extended my listening sessions well into the night and early mornings. Fit (extremely comfortable) and finish are, as mentioned above, superb which go hand-in-glove with regard to extended listening. Suffice to say, that the number of albums/playlist for auditioning the RAI PENTAs grew considerably over my time with them and are listed below, for your reference.
In the end, the RAI PENTA’s are beautifully tuned, balanced, textured, and exceptionally detailed works of art. They provide a very natural, airy, and fluid listening experience with captivating musicality and superb tone and timbre. The sum of this is fatigue-free, longterm, listening, that, again, is quite addictive and, dare I say, with the proper music maker—(Sony NW-WM1Z, HIBY R6 PRO, CAYIN N8, CAYIN N6II, WOO AUDIO WA8)—seductive in the extreme! Very Highly Recommended!
NOTE: We would have loved to have heard the balance cable implemented. Another day, perhaps.
Music—Qobuz exclusively
Omar Sosa—Ballads, Calma
Patricia Barber—Verse
Rickie Lee Jones—Pop Pop
Sade—Lovers Live
Sheku Kannah Mason—Inspiration
Tracey Chapman—Where You Live
Olafur Arnalds—Island Songs
Olafur Arnalds—The Chopin Project
Hilary Hahn—Tchaikovsky
Mechell Ndegeocello—Bitter
Maxwell—Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite
Sarah Jarosh—Undercurrent
Annie-Sophie Mutter—Tchaikovsky/Korngold: Violin Concertos
London Grammar—If You Wait
Stevie Wonder—Innervisions
Alexandre Tharaud—Tharaud plays Rachmaninov
Gidon Kremer—"Preghiera" (Rachmaninov : Piano Trios)
Marvin Gaye—What’s Going On
Miles Davis—Kind of Blue
Ancillary Equipment
AudioQuest Cobalt
iFi xDSD
Samsung S10
MacBook Pro
Meze Audio
Luliu Maniu str., nr. 38,
1st floor, ap. 2,
Baia Mare, 430131, Romania
info@mezeaudio.com
www.mezeaudio.com
Balanced armature drivers use an electronic signal to vibrate a tiny reed that is balanced between two magnets inside a tiny enclosure. The motion of the reed is transferred to a very stiff aluminum diaphragm. This diaphragm is free of unwanted resonances in the audio band, allowing it to produce excellent clarity.