Review: iBasso IT01 – Big Little IEM

iBasso IT01

SOUND

Overall, iBasso IT01 is a crisp & clean sounding earphone with a very good resolution, transparency and air. It’s also quite a fast IEM for the price, especially in bass department, and it overall has a good attack & dynamics.

The sound is detailed, separated and enjoyable as it goes to the fun side a little. It is not thick as a whole and it’s rather on the thinner side actually. Yet, the overall balance is still good for the price level. The IT01 is surely a sublime earphone for the money.

BASS

Surprisingly high quality bass and it absolutely impressed me for the price. Good subbass presence and non-excessive midbass body creates a nice overall bass balance. Sure subbass doesn’t go very deep for a dynamic driver but it’s still enough to impress me. There’s not too much warmness or midbass bleed, which is always very nice in audiophile standards.

On the contrary, I wouldn’t mind having a little more midbass presence for the sake of a more delicious sound, but tastes can vary. Bass has a good rumble and decay, it disappears just at the right time and doesn’t affect the overall separation. Bass also only hits very well when the song demands it, so it’s not a overpowering bass in any way.  It has good texture for the price, but don’t expect it to fight with TOTL dynamic/hybrid types. A little more oomph & thickness would have been great for me, but I think that would be a little unfair for this little gem. At the same time, it could’ve lost the beautiful crispiness that way as well, so I’m not complaining.

iBasso IT01

iBasso IT01

MIDS

Mids are not accentuated as a whole but I can say the upper mids are quite present. Female vocals sound close and upfront, but not the same applies for other parts; such as some instruments and male vocals. Still, general mid energy is very good and transparency is very nice. Mids are not very forward all in all, compared to lows and highs. But it’s not an aggressive V sound, it’s softer than that, so mids definitely don’t sound distant to the extent of giving a too recessed feeling.

The tonality is not very organic and the timbre is not very emphatic or deep, but the good part is the resolution overall. I didn’t expect this transparency level to be honest. Although not being very forward in the spectrum, the mids are quite close in the sound stage and that adds a nice & fun intimacy factor overall. This IEM carries very good energy at all times. They also sound very clean and crisp, especially my favorite Jazz songs played really well. For me, more thickness and body on this part could be very very nice, but it still has that impressive upper mids which shine with true recordings.

TREBLE

The iBasso IT01 has a crisp and energetic treble response. This is the very region that gives the earphone its nice airiness. Treble is an absolute success for this price, as they also doen’t sound harsh in any way and that is not easy to find at this budget level. The extension is pretty, articulation is nice and the separation from the mids is very good.

iBasso IT01

iBasso IT01

The control on this part is very good but the lower mids can get slightly sibilant with very high volume levels. I mostly listen to my music on lower levels but if you tend to crank up the volume every once in a while, be aware of this. It’s nothing to worry about with moderate levels though. In fact, on a normal source & recording, it puts up a better job than most IEMs in sub-100 range. This IEM will make you happy if you love crisp, airy, yet controlled treble response.

TECHNICALITIES

The IT01 is absolutely fantastic for the resolution & separation part. Sound is overall very dynamic with good energy, which makes it play certain genres really well. Yet, separation is the most striking feature of this monitor. This is fantastic and surprising for just 100$, especially on separating mids and bass. Also, tonal balance (although being thinner than I would’ve liked) and coherency is great and enjoyable.

Another impressive part is the detail retrieval. Micro details are easy to spot. Dynamics is good, as well as the stereo imaging and left – right balance. Sound stage dimensions are reasonably good for the price, but overall it plays quite close. Of course I don’t expect even more additional qualities from this monitor after the performance it gave regarding the resolution and transparency. Besides, that allows it to give that sparkling energy I really liked.

COMPARISONS

vs. FiiO F9: iBasso has everything under control compared to the F9 with a more balanced and cohesive sound. Bass quantity is quite close on both, but mids and trebles are simply better with the IT01. Also it has more resolution and separation is better. They both have similar staging dimensions and imaging capabilities but IT01 gives a cleaner presentation with good air and blacker background.

vs FiiO F9 Pro: The F9 Pro competes better with more controlled sound than the F9. Their frequency responses have around the same qualities but I only find upper mids on the IT01 better. iBasso still holds the transparency, resolution and separation advantages to itself. Also it has better tonality by small margin and sound more controlled than the F9 Pro.

vs FiiO FH1: The FH1 puts up a different fight with its sweet timbre and thicker mids overall. Its bass is around the same with the IT01, lower mids are a little bit more pronounced with a slightly more natural tonality. The IT01 holds its ground regarding highs, and again, it has more resolution and darker background with more transparency. Sound stage dimensions are again very close.

iBasso IT01

iBasso IT01

vs. Shozy & AAW Hibiki: The iBasso is simply better in almost every way, mids & resolution being the most obvious advantages. Although Hibiki is one of the best we heard for the price, the IT01 is a level above.

vs. LZ A4: LZ A4 is one of the biggest bombs we’ve seen so far in the market. iBasso has a miles better fit though, with much better isolation as well. LZ has almost unlimited filter options. But generally LZ has much better bass texture and deepness, together with a little thicker timbre and close treble performance. The difference here is the big bass of the A4. LZ also has a bigger stage with more depth especially. Overall, the LZ is the better earphone, particularly for sound stage and bass performance. iBasso could be chosen for intimacy and energy together with a much better fit and isolation.

SUMMARY

And here we go: A new member of our Universal IEM Recommendations!

This is truly an exceptional IEM from iBasso and I simply can’t criticize any aspect here. The only thing I could say is the slightly thinner tonality and that’s it. There’s nothing else I can bring up for this price level. Packaging is also impressive, and even though I haven’t seen it myself, I can tell from the photos that it’s nicely packed. Most importantly, they ship it with a great and durable cable and you just can’t ask for more than that.

What the IT01 gives you is one of the best performances you can find for 100$. Great energy, good bass, crisp mids and treble with a perfect resolution for the price. I definitely recommend it.

We will see how the IT04 comes around, and I’m sure iBasso did a great job there as well.

4.1/5 - (105 votes)
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A keen audiophile and hobby photographer, Berkhan is after absolute perfection. Whether it is a full-frame camera or a custom in-ear, his standpoint persists. He tries to keep his photography enthusiasm at the same level as audio. Sometimes photography wins, sometimes his love for music takes over and he puts that camera aside. Simplistic expressions of sound in his reviews are the way to go for him. He enjoys a fine single malt along with his favourite Jazz recordings.

21 Comments

  • Reply March 31, 2018

    Kyle

    Hey great review! I have the ibasso’s but I was wondering which tips do you like using on them best. I was either going to buy the spinfits or the spiral dots. I don’t really like any of the tips that came with the headphones.

    • Reply April 2, 2018

      Berkhan

      Thank you.

      I don’t like the SpinFits. They make the isolation worse and bass response is somehow sucked out with them. Spiral Dots are good.

      I used it with comply foams and some generic silicone tips.

      • Reply April 7, 2018

        Ricardo Pinheiro

        In the photos you are using generic silicone tips? Wide bore?

        Great review btw, couldn’t believe the sound the deliver and the build quality for such a good price

        • Reply April 11, 2018

          Berkhan

          Yes, some generic tips I used. Thank you.

      • Reply April 8, 2019

        Cuba

        What size (series) of foams did you use? 400 or 500?

  • Reply April 7, 2018

    Fredrik Parapat

    wow nice review. i am surprised you didn’t compare to 1More triple driver since both of them same price. I think ibasso win on cable side, cause it replaceable.

    • Reply April 11, 2018

      Berkhan

      Thanks. Never heard the 1more.

  • Reply April 15, 2018

    Hans

    Hi Berkhan, have you heard the Pinnacle PX/P1 before? Curious how these 2 single DDs compare 🙂

    • Reply April 16, 2018

      Berkhan

      I listened the P1 just briefly but I liked the IT01 more 🙂

      P1 sounds off the tone and a little bright as far as I remember.

  • Reply April 17, 2018

    HUGO SILVA

    Ibasso is better tham Simgot EN700 PRO? thanks

    • Reply April 17, 2018

      HUGO SILVA

      Ibasso IT01

      • Reply April 23, 2018

        Berkhan

        No idea about the Simgot, sorry.

  • Reply April 28, 2018

    Lawrence

    Nice review, have ordered a set of the Basso’s to try. Will maybe pair with a mmcx bluetooth adaptor also (Simgot APT2) , as phone du jour no haz headphone jack, sigh.

  • Reply July 28, 2018

    Mical

    Measurements?

    • Reply July 30, 2018

      Berkhan

      I think you can find them around the internet can’t you?

  • Reply February 7, 2020

    SSergey

    Hi! Thanks for your review. I have IT01 and I absolutely love them. Considering the price, it was probably my best hifi purchase. I had a few other more expensive IEMs which didn’t give me as much joy as these ones.
    I have some extra funds now and I am looking to upgrade my IT01. Just to get a bit more clarity and details. Could you give me some suggestions? I love IT01’s tuning so I am looking for a similar sound signature. Is IT04 a natural choice? or are there any better options (Fiio FH7)?

    • Reply February 10, 2020

      Berkhan

      Thank you too.

      Yes, the IT04 would be a natural choice for you but I find the FH7 a little more successful as you can see in its own review.

      • Reply March 11, 2021

        dog

        thanks for the great test. which type of sony player is in the second picture?

  • Reply March 9, 2020

    Luis Daniel Bencomo

    For the same price would you get iBasso IT01 or Shozy Form 1.1?
    Please note, I like bass better than anything else .

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