Featherlight Earphones For The Masses – NF Acous RA05 IEMs
Nf Acous RA05 is a $32 USD pair of IEMs with a simple and lightweight design, type-C USB connector and an inline microphone, designed for the casual music listener and the star of our review today.
Introduction
NF Acous is a good company that designed many products over the years, and they recently have rebranded to NF Acous from NF Audio, the new RA05 being one of the first entry-level products they released under the new brand.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to NFAcous for providing us with the sample for this review.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4j6ULuy
Build Quality / Aesthetics
NFAcous RA05 is a pink colored pair of earphones, at least for the pair that I have, they do not requirte any batteries, and they are made to be useful in the daily life of a music lover. RA 05 is based on a MCL-6C Dynamic Driver, and they are very compact.
We get a customized breathability tuning damping, so you have no driver flex or void, and although this is not evident right away, RA-05 uses a DSP processor to achieve the sound they have, found inside the DAC / AMP, which is inside the Type-C cable. We also get a MEMS microphone, with a good quality for calls.
Together with RA05 you will receive three pairs of eartips, one transport pouch and the manuals. We get a quoted impedance of 16 OHMs, a promised insulation of -25 dB, and there should exist a version with a 3.5mm connector, the driver being 6mm in size.
Fit / Subjective Usage
If you asked me to describe how i feel wearing the Ra05, they are a pair of earphones with a really deep fit, but excellent comfort, ultra lightweight, with small bores, and they don’t go deep enough to be uncomfortable. Having no driver flex and no void, they feel really nice in my ears, but they do not isolate well from the outside, having at most 10 db of passive noise isolation.
The Type-C version we have is good, has enough power and quality, the DAC / AMP inside being capable enough for the drivers and the IEMs themselves.
Sound Quality
Overall Signature – As the type-C version we have can only be connected to a phone, I have used my S24 Ultra smartphone to test the NF Acous RA05. They have a generally airy, likable sound, with an audiophile tendency to reveal a lot of details. The overall sonic signature changes a LOT with the volume, so the DAC AMP inside kicks in with better bass, more body and stronger impact at higher volumes, but sounds brighter, more neutral at lower volumes. It is an interesting tuning and presentation that will highlight and advantage loud listeners, and give a linear, neutral signature for quiet listeners.
Bass – As the amount of bass changes a lot with the volume, if you listen loud, you can get a beefy, strong bass with a lot of kick and power, but if you enjoy a quieter volume, you will hear a good extension down to about 40 Hz, with a sharp rolloff beneath this level.
Midrange / Tuning – As one of the few IEMs made by NF Acous, I can confirm now that the company does not have a house sound, every single product has its own sound and tuning. RA05 is mostly airy, atmospheric, lean, snappy and fast in the sound. There’s a strong feeling of instrument separation and clarity.
Treble – To complement the whole sound, we get a sharp, well extended treble that extends up to about 16 kHz, but where the peak is around 11 kHz, resulting in a crisp sound.
PRaT / Textures – Dynamic drivers always create a somewhat beefy sound, but for RA05, the sound is actually fairly snappy, has an organic, natural sound, with a very slow and somewhat sloppy decay in the sub bass, but a fast decay for the entire sound otherwise. This is most likely a result of the internal acoustics of the IEM.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Sound changes considerably for RA05 with the volume, and you get a beefy, powerful, contrasty and dynamic sound at high volumes, but an atmospheric, relaxed, bright – neutral sound at lower volumes. This is an indicator that the DAC AMP does not keep up well with volume, or that the driver or acoustic design might limit the dynamics at lower volumes, but can come alive up loud.
Soundstage – We get a really open and holographic soundstage, with an excellent instrument separation and layering, with an open sound.
Value and Conclusion
Nf Acous Ra05 has a price point far beneath what I typically review, but they can be considered fun and good for a casual listener, and both me, you and NF Acous all know that while it cannot compete with high-end flagship IEMs, they are excellent for a bit of casual listening, as long as you’re aware of the limitation that best sound will be up loud.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for an affordable or downright cheaply priced pair of IEMS but with a good comfort, lightweight build, airy and wide sound, and with a fairly secure fit, NF Acous RA-05 is one of the best you can go for.
PROs
- Incredibly low price
- Lightweight shells
- Excellent performance, with an outstanding price / performance ratio
- Transparent shells have a bit of magic factor
- Good microphones for taking calls
Cons
- Sound gets really good only when really loud
- DAC performance is a bit limited
- No transport case in the package.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4j6ULuy
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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