MIDS
The AG2 has upfront mids as a whole and they have a very good resolution for the price level. Tonality side is pretty strong here, as well as the timbre and that is a very important factor for any IEM out there. The AG2 collects some good points in this department as a result. Mids are open and intimate, hence you’ll enjoy this monitor pretty much if you like this presentation.
Instruments sound detailed and vocals have some nice air and openness, while retaining the fatigue free signature. But, when you crank the volume up to loud levels, some elements can sound a little harsh, especially on the upper-mid region. That only happens on very loud levels though. Female vocalists sound especially good with the AG2, and overall separation from bass is satisfying. Transparency is on good levels as well.
So the mids are probably the best part of this IEM. It ticks almost all boxes for the price and the enjoyable, intimate, dynamic nature of mids gives it an energetic character. The separation between mids / lows is impressive, given that 1 BA driver is handling both ranges.
Audio Genetic AG2
With the Air cable – Although it makes a significant contribution to lows, the custom cable doesn’t miss the mids. They’re a notch cleaner and they have more transparency with the Air cable, also another benefit worth mentioning is the separation. Mids have slightly bigger and wider area to shine, and they have more space from bass and treble.
HIGHS
Highs are the other positive point of the Audio Genetic AG2 together with mids. This is a very good treble response for a 450$ IEM and that shows the success of the single BA driver which is responsible for the high frequency response only. High are very articulated and there’s no adherence across this part of the spectrum. Even on fast songs it manages to play highly in line and separated. The extension is good also, but not incredibly impressive.
Trebles are definitely not very thin but not thick sounding either, and this again proves that the AG2 has a nice body and timbre, although having a linear character. Therefore, the balance in that regard deserves a praise. The highs are very well accompanied by the mids, hereby, the IEM proves itself to be a nice performer, regarding cohesiveness.
With the Air cable – The trebles are pushed a little back in the stage but I think this generates a more realistic sound overall, but if you like the brighter sound this of course won’t provide the best result for you. But, highs still have a presence and good extension. The added warmth and coherency with the Air is great for my taste, therefore I wouldn’t mind this treble response. This is the least affected part by the cable so the trade off wouldn’t impact the overall sound in a bad manner.
Audio Genetic AG2
TECHNICAL
The resolution of the Audio Genetic AG2 is impressive for mids and treble, but not for the bass. This is clearly improved with the Air, so I absolutely recommend this copper cable with it. Separation is very nice as well, together with a nice transparency level with a good detailed sound. Overall extension of treble is good, but not the same can be said for the bass, but again I recommend the Air to sort out that one.
The sound stage width is the other minus with the Audio Genetic AG2, aside from bass. The sound is narrow and more congested with the stock cable. The Air improves the staging, yet not by much, but still to satisfying levels. The depth is OK here, as I found no significant problem for this price, especially with the custom cable. Stereo imaging is fairly good but that also takes a small hit from the narrow staging. But the background has a nice blackness so most elements of songs are clean, crisp and well separated.
I recommend sources with good bass quantity, like the HiBy Music R6 for instance. Sony ZX2 plays well for it also, as it has a great sound stage and strong, yet quality bass. I don’t recommend sources like the Cayin N5II as it will make the bass even worse and the sound stage even more narrow.
It’s easy to drive the Audio Genetic AG2, so an additional amp is not necessary in my book.
Audio Genetic AG2
CONCLUSION
I think the Audio Genetic brand can make great things in future, and I definitely want to try out some other cables from them, because the craftsmanship is absolutely top notch. The IEM however has some shortcomings here and there. Although they’re not very huge problems, I believe AG can make it even better than this, because they have an ambition to have a reputation in the market.
If you remember that this is their first IEM ever, it’s actually very impressive to see this design, content and build quality. It’s not an unfinished product by any means, it’s definitely a mature one right from the start, except some small dents for the sound. That’s why I think they can make a name for themselves very soon, and let’s also see how their second IEM (the AG5) performs in the market.
Daniel
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