Dethonray Tender 1 Review

Technical Performance

The Tender 1 has good resolution and detail, and it has the ability to present a very well-balanced and linear presentation. This is certainly a true-sounding IEM with a realistic tuning. It feels very organic and natural. That’s mainly because of its great tonality and instrument timbre.

Sound-stage is not a strong suit of the Tender 1. The presentation is mostly quite forward, and the stage width is a bit small. That results in a congested presentation. The depth is a bit more successful but that’s not too impressive either. So if you’re after a spacious presentation, the Tender 1 is not the best bet.

The transparency is very good, and the detail level is sufficient. This is a very smooth yet detailed presentation, but the congestion of the Tender 1 makes you feel a bit trapped and the complex songs become a bit too busy.

So overall the strongest part of the Tender 1 is the naturality, linearity, organic presentation, and tonality together with great balance. The overall balance is indeed very impressive together with a fantastic timbre. The weakest parts are the soundstage, overall separation, and treble extension.

Aside from those, be aware that the Tender 1 requires a lot of output power to sound best. The planar drivers need more juice than most monitors. So be sure to drive it sufficiently, possibly with an external amp if you have a good one.

Dethonray Tender 1

Comparisons

One of the latest hybrid offerings from Earsonics, the Blade performs very good for the price. Its magnesium shell is just as sturdy as the Tender 1’s. It has better accessories in the package as well. The fit is not as comfortable as the Tender 1 but it’s not too far away, and its isolation is better especially with double flange tips.

For the sound, both are very smooth and musical. I think the Tender 1 has a better bass performance overall, and  in the mid range it also has a better timbre. The Blade has a better treble extension and transparency, and it has a deeper and wider sound stage. It’s not easy and straightforward to choose one, but if you’d like to have a more spacious sound, the Blade is your bet. If you listen to mid dominating recordings and don’t care about the stage, go for the Tender.

The Siren’s fit is not as good as Dethonray’s, and the Tender 1 has a better build quality. In terms of aesthetics though, the Siren is a special one. Its cable is especially amazing for an IEM that goes for that price bracket. It has a dedicated carrying case with better packaging too.

When it comes to sound, the Siren is quite flat and it has a very linear bass response. Dethonray on the other hand, despite having a reference type of bass, still has better punch, kick and decay overall. The mid-range in the Siren is very clean and crisp, more open than the Tender 1, but it doesn’t have the unique tonality and fullness of the Tender. When it comes to treble though, the Siren is the clear winner in my opinion with better definition and articulation. It also has a much wider and deeper staging as well.

The RSV has a great packaging with lots of accessories and compared to that, the Tender 1 gives almost absolutely nothing in the package. Other than that, they both have a nice and comfortable fit, although the Tender 1 is a bit better in that regard. It also has a better build quality but the RSV has a better looking/feeling cable.

The RSV sounds very very coherent, more so than the Tender 1. Both have a great bass response. The RSV gives more rumble and kick, whilst the Tender 1 gives a more linear bass with a more reference tuning. However, the RSV’s bass is more all rounder to me. Both have excellent mid-range and excellent timbre. The Tender gives a bit more realistic and livelier mid-range though.

The RSV has a better treble response with more articulation and extension. It also has a bigger sound-stage. For 90$ more, you get a more coherent and all-rounder IEM with the Softears offering. Not to mention the package content and also a flashier design. The Tender 1 is for absolute mid-range lovers.

Dethonray Tender 1

Conclusion

Anson’s first attempt in the IEM field is quite better than what I expected. The Tender 1 is a special IEM with its planar magnetic driver. But it’s also a very specific IEM. It’s not an all-rounder with its forward presentation, especially in the mid-range. It performs excellent with vocals and instrument-heavy recordings. It doesn’t work very well with other genres though. And lastly, if you’re a treble head, the Tender 1 is far from your best choice.

The bass performance is exceptional in terms of technicalities, together with the special mid-range. Once again, Anson came up with a very different product than most. But like I touched upon, Tender 1 has a specific signature.

Yet, despite my criticism of its certain points, I would like to say that this is probably the best planar magnetic IEM I’ve tried, and that’s because it’s not ridiculously expensive, just because it has different driver technology.

Page 1: Intro, Unboxing and Fit

Page 2: Sound Quality