Italian headphone manufacturer Spirit Torino, known for its unique technical and design approach, applies those same sensibilities to their first foray into IEMs. Introducing the Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEM. Spirit Torino makes a bold sonic and aesthetic statement with the brand’s first-ever in-ear monitor, the Twin Pulse Beryllium IEM. Imagine adapting and scaling down the same twin dynamic driver design solution (known as Twin Pulse) used in several of their higher-end headphone models. Combine that with a CNC-machined aluminum bullet enclosure, a choice of three physical interchangeable acoustic filters, Beryllium driver diaphragms, and design cues taken from their flagship Valkyria headphones, and these Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs look to be something very special indeed! Highlights Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEM Highlights Beautiful build quality and finish. 4 pairs of silicone and 3 pairs of memory foam ear tips help achieve a good seal for most users. 3 interchangeable acoustic filters allow bass tuning to taste. Each side contains two 10mm Beryllium dynamic drivers in an isobaric configuration. I obtained what I consider to be a very balanced sound signature with excellent bass impact. Easy to drive. Comes with both a balanced and single-ended cable set. Introduction In the space of a handful of years, Italian headphone brand Spirit Torino has assembled an impressive portfolio of headphone models and has amassed a loyal following of listeners here in the United States and abroad. I first met Andrea Ricci (Spirit Torino’s CEO and Chief Designer) and Giordano Zacchini (President and COO) at the Florida Audio Expo in 2022. It was one of their first trips to the US to introduce Spirit Torino to the North American market. In our discussions, Andrea Ricci’s goal with Spirit Torino has always been to design headphones that do nothing to alter or impede the natural sound of the music as intended. He also regards the designing of headphones not as simply making a mechanical reproduction device but more like designing a musical instrument. This philosophy can be seen not only in the technical solutions Spirit Torino employs but in their design aesthetic as well. Since that first introduction and reconnecting over several subsequent audio shows, Spirit Torino’s brand has grown in popularity as evidenced by its constantly packed booth at each show they are at. They have also expanded their headphone line, now to a total of 20 models. These range from the, just shy of $1,100, Mistral Bluetooth headphones that I reviewed last year, to the $12,000 Valkyria Titanium high-end headphones. One of their newest products is the Twin Pulse Beryllium IEM which is Spirit Torino’s first in-ear monitor. Does Andrea Ricci’s design philosophy successfully translate to a much smaller product with different physical demands? Read on and find out! Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEM Specifications Design: Dual Driver Isobaric In-Ear Monitor. Driver: Twin 10 mm Full Range Dynamic Drivers with Beryllium Diaphragms. Frequency Response (manufacturer): 14 Hz – 33 kHz Sensitivity: 114dB SPL / 1mW @ 1 kHz. Impedance: 16 Ohms. Max Power Handling: 2 mW. Weight: 6 grams (with no cable). Color: Aluminum. Accessories: One 1.2 m stereo cable with a 3.5 mm unbalanced plug. One 1.2 m stereo cable with a 4.4 mm balanced plug. One 3.5 mm stereo mini jack to 6.3 mm jack adaptor. Compact travel case. Four pairs of silicone ear tips. Three pairs of memory foam ear tips. Three interchangeable passive acoustic filters. MSRP: $1,129.81 US Website: https://www.spirittorino.com/en Product Page: https://www.spirittorino.com/en/collections/headphones/products/iem-twin-pulse-berillium Company: Spirit Torino SECRETS Tags: spirit torino, twin pulse, isobaric, beryllium, iem, in-ear monitor Secrets Sponsor Design Internally, each side of the Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs utilizes two 10 mm full-range dynamic Beryllium-coated drivers with Neodymium magnets. The drivers are deployed in an isobaric configuration, so they work together in tandem resulting in a halving of distortion for a given level of output without needing any kind of crossover network. The three-piece CNC aluminum enclosure is built with a special venting arrangement and custom dampening using non-resonant Texatlium inserts to maintain a linear response character. Each bullet enclosure comes with a choice of 3 tuned acoustic filter collars that screw into the front of the IEM and insert into the ear tip. The three acoustic filter collars are colored red, grey, and black. The red ones provide a +3 dB boost in the bass response, the grey maintain a linear bass response, while the black collars cut the bass response by -3 dB. The ultimate effect of each of these filters will, of course, depend on their combination with the chosen foam or silicone ear tip that is included and the quality of the seal that is achieved in the ear. The Twin pulse IEM comes packaged with 4 pairs of silicone ear tips, and 3 pairs of memory foam ear tips. They also come with two very high-quality removable braided cable sets. One is terminated with a 3.5 mm single-ended mobile plug while the other ends with a 4.4 mm Pentacon balanced connector. A 3.5 mm to 1⁄4-inch phono plug adapter is included along with a compact, leather-covered, and very sturdy travel case. The cable sets connect to the IEMs via solid dual-prong connectors. The three inches of braided wire directly after the dual-prong connectors are jacketed, with a molding wire inserted within the braid. This allows for those three inches to be looped over your earlobes while holding their shape and maintaining the IEM’s seating in your ears. The visual design of the Twin Pulse IEM is very much in keeping with the somewhat Steampunk aesthetic of Spirit Torino’s flagship headphones, the Valkyria Titanium, particularly with the signature radial tailpiece on the IEMs. Setup Most of my time with the Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs was spent with them hooked up to my THX Onyx AAA dongle DAC/Amp paired with my Apple iPhone 15 Pro MAX or alone with my Shanling MO DAP. The IEMs proved to be extremely easy to drive in both scenarios, the THX Onyx wasn’t expressly needed for power more than it was just a step up in sound quality over my iPhone alone. At home, I did use the balanced cable set with a variety of desktop headphone amps that I had on hand, more just to confirm that they worked well. Realistically the cable was too short to use comfortably with my desktop gear and I don’t currently have a DAP with a balanced connector. Rest assured, however, that any competent desktop headphone amp will run these IEMs without issue should you choose to use one. In Use After using the medium-sized foam ear tips and molding the over-the-ear section of the wire to a suitable shape I was able to achieve a solid seal and consistent seating in my ear canal with the Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs. Not always the easiest thing to do with “bullet style” IEMs, but these little guys remained fairly comfortable and stayed put during morning dog walks or when at the gym. From a design standpoint, I love the look of these things. Equal parts high-tech and retro-industrial the Twin Pulse look is unique, and with the radial end caps that mirror the look of the Valkyria headphones, the branding of these IEMs becomes unmistakable. After settling on the correct fitting ear tips, the next thing to do was match the acoustic filter collar to get the tonal balance and tuning that I was after. It took about an hour of switching collars and even trying out some of the other ear tips again in various combinations before settling on the grey (linear response) acoustic filters with the medium foam ear tips as my ultimate combination. When it finally came down to listening to the Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs, I immediately found the overall tonal balance to be very appealing and easy to listen to. The first thing I typically look for when listening to IEMs is if there is thinness in the midrange with different vocals or instruments like a piano. Conversely, I will sometimes run into what seems like an overemphasis in the upper bass which can lead to a muddy or overly warm midrange. The Spirit Torino IEMs thankfully didn’t exhibit any of those qualities with the ear tips and filters that I was using. They were pretty scrupulously balanced in overall tone with just a hint of warmth coming through the midrange. They also exhibited a clean- sounding upper bass, and bass section, that transitioned into some pretty powerful sub-bass when called upon. The treble area was just about right for my tastes. There was no wincing when loud brass and horns were playing, and things like strings, cymbals, and upper register flutes did not sound fatiguing in any sort of way. And yet the upper end wasn’t so polite as to obscure the details of the distinct brassy sheen of a cymbal or the delicate details of a triangle in the back of an orchestra. They were quite a pleasure to listen to for extended sessions, and that’s not something I can say about a lot of IEMs. Buddy Guy with G.E. Smith & The Saturday Night Live Band, “Live: The Real Deal” When I cued up Buddy Guy with G.E. Smith & the SNL Band, released back in 1996, and listened to “My Time After Awhile,” the Beryllium Twin-Pulse did an excellent job recreating the sense of space inside Buddy Guy’s Legends nightclub in Chicago. This is an excellent later-vintage live recording of Buddy Guy capturing his frenetic in-concert energy and being backed up by one of the tightest bands around at the time. Buddy Guy’s voice had plenty of body and character to it, whether he was gently crooning into the microphone or fully out-and-out shouting and wailing the lyrics. At no time did the balance of his voice sound thin or irritating to any degree. And then there is his guitar. The piercing, almost screaming notes coming out of his Fender Stratocaster, sometimes at a single note BB King-style pace to the almost machinegun torrent of notes during his solos, if there is anything that could make me rip off an unpleasantly tuned pair of headphones or IEMs faster it would be if they mishandled reproducing stuff like this. But the Spirit Torino Breezed through this track, bringing out all the ferocity of Buddy Guy’s high-pitched playing without it ever sounding irritating or grating. The dual 10mm drivers were also able to successfully relay contrasting sounds like a nice fat and punchy electric bass line along with a full horn section and even more subtle details like amplifiers buzzing on the stage. It’s a fantastic track and the Spirit Torino Beryllium Twin Pulse did it justice. Richard Thompson, “13 Rivers” Switching to something that builds up a head of steam instead of starting at full boil, I bring up Richard Thompson’s “The Storm Won’t Come” from his 2018 album 13 Rivers. The song starts with a driving, almost jungle-style, drumbeat that pushes the entire track from start to finish. As the track progresses you feel this drumbeat get louder and deeper in intensity and the Twin Pulse IEMs nicely relay those changes in tension, without allowing the drums to become a one-note monotonous sound texture. Richard Thompson has been at this game for a while and his singing voice, while slightly wizened, is still folky, melodic, and full of character. The Spirit Torino IEMs reproduce his singing clearly and precisely but with the right level of weight and depth to add meaning to those lyrics that are slowly building with a quiet rage. There is no soulful whooping or screaming here as in the previous track, but the intensity and sincerity of Thompson’s singing are no less potent as you get the feeling, that he is about to stand alone ready to unleash a storm of his own. And once again we come to the guitar, another Stratocaster, but in Thompson’s hands, it has a leaner sound profile with less distortion and a distinct ring to the overtones, bordering on Telecaster territory. The song works up to the climactic guitar part and Thompson executes a precisely melodic yet deadly ferocious solo that lays emotional waste to everything in its path. It is far more subtle than anything in the Buddy Guy track but no less devastating in impact. The Spirit Torino IEMs translate this solo cleanly and beautifully allowing me to revel completely in its craft and depth. Eiji Oue/Minnesota Orchestra, “Exotic Dances from the Opera” Wanting to see how these IEMs deal with something a little more orchestral I pull up Exotic Dances from the Opera, (The Snow Maiden) Dance of the Tumblers, a 24-bit 176.4 kHz high-resolution track off Qobuz. It’s Eiji Oue conducting the Minnesota Orchestra in some intense musical gymnastics. The Spirit Torino IEMs take this track and run with it, successfully dealing with quick changes in dynamics and musical intensity without losing any of the finer details. Going from a gentile clarinet solo with a triangle accompanying it one second to a full-on slamming orchestra with bass drums, woodwinds, strings, and horns all playing the next second, and keeping it all sounding clean, orderly, and appealing is not an easy feat. You would think that some of these muti-driver “monster” IEMs with combination electrostatic, balanced armature, dynamic, and bone conducting drivers would have a field day reproducing music like this but it’s not that easy. The Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs with their dual 10mm dynamic drivers seem to handle this kind of complex music cleanly and with ease. They nicely relay the distinct details and character of each instrument section convincingly and when those big bass drums hit, these IEMs let you hear it and feel it in a satisfying manner. Lyn Stanley, “Interludes” Dialing it back a bit to a classic torch song, Lyn Stanley’s take on “Black Velvet” from her Interludes album seemed to provide a nice bookend to my time with these IEMs. These DSD files are extremely well recorded and capture Stanley’s vocals along with the accompanying musicians about as good as one could want. I use these files (or my SACD copy) regularly when testing speakers, and honestly, this album can sound pretty sweet on headphones as well. Lyn Stanley’s voice is generally clean and clear but with a depth of range that can make this sort of sultry song work for her. The Spirit Torino IEMs easily reproduced the weighty, breathy quality in her vocals with a depth and feel that are perfect for this track. Each member of her backing band gets their moment to shine as well. The guitar sounds full with that classic jazzy ring to the chords as they are being run through. The Twin-Pulse Beryllium reproduces it with a lovely clarity of tone, with the details of the strings coming through nicely. The piano sounds impeccably clean and musical with that nice lingering ring to each of the notes as they decay. The song itself begins with three non-vocal elements, an acoustic bass, finger snaps, and a hand drum. The Spirit Torino IEMs tackle each of these elements especially well. Those first low acoustic bass plucks have a great sense of weight to them with plenty of string detail too, the finger snaps come across cleanly with a fully resolved tight “snapping” sound, and then the reverb and decay give one a nice sense of the recording space. The hand drum, like the bass, has a nice sense of weight and impact to the hands slapping the drum skins. The Twin-Pulse Beryllium not only translates this effectively but also does it with enough detail that I can tell the characteristic sound traits of human hands slapping drum skins in different ways. Secrets Sponsor Conclusions The Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs are a superior-sounding and sharp-looking pair of IEMs. They are the pair of “Silver Bullets” that could likely solve plenty of listener’s problems! Likes Balanced sound quality with options to tweak to taste. Comfortable and secure fit for bullet-style earbuds. The build quality and material choices are excellent. Unique Spirit Torino styling. Would Like To See Nothing to speak of. As someone who is not a huge fan of having things wedged in my ear canals, I’m pretty reluctant to wear IEMs in general. If I do decide to wear them (yes, there are a few situations where I still find them preferable to headphones) I’m particularly picky about the IEMs I wear. The Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs are a very appealing choice for several reasons. First, they are decidedly comfortable to wear, and it wasn’t difficult for me to get a good seal with the choices of included ear tips. Second, their sound signature is quite balanced with just enough sub-bass impact to make them fun and appealing while still maintaining a great sense of clarity and detail throughout the rest of the listening range. No muddiness at all through the upper bass or midrange, just a slight sense of warmth to the vocals while the treble maintains plenty of detail and sparkle without ever getting fatiguing. The sound can also be tuned to personal taste with the three choices of acoustic filters that come included. Also, the two included high-quality braided cable sets (balanced and single-ended) with hard-shell case are a nice touch. Third, they look incredibly cool and unique, like just about everything that Spirit Torino seems to produce. They have a style that is unquestionably their own and, personally, I think it lends itself well to these little ear bullets. At just over $1,100.00 for a set, they are not inexpensive for a set of bullet-style IEMs. This is the price level where most IEMs are shaped like the Universal fit variety. Yet for the price, I think the Beryllium Twin Pulse IEMs more than hold their own with sound quality, comfort, and style. They are wonderfully different, and in the world of headphones and earphones, that is an asset. Highly recommended! The post Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEM Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.
