Review: StereoPravda SPearphone SB-7

Packaging and Accessories

The SPearphone SB-7 normally comes in a stylish box with a set of accessories as you can see on the website. The version I have actually doesn’t have any as it was handed by me by Misha when the High End show was closing. My SB-7 sample came in a cool looking cigar box and that’s it.

I’m perfectly fine with that though and I actually use a Pelican 1010 case to transport the set wherever I take it to.

Build Quality & Design

It’s clear that the SPearphone SB-7 is special and the build quality, because of its unique design, can’t be compared with our regular set of IEMs of CIEMs.  Some may say the SB-7 looks weird because of the creative use of heat shrink and the length but it at the same time is exactly what makes it so cool. It might be a bit weird in the beginning but the looks actually grows on you and I personally find these extremely cool.

Build quality wise there aren’t any remarks from my end, though you’ll have to keep an eye on the tips to make sure they stay in perfect condition so they don’t rip off. In that case you’ll have to send it back to Russia for maintenance or do the swap yourself.

Fit & Comfort

To be honest, the SPearphone SB-7 for sure aren’t the most comfortable IEMS. At the same time you will get used to the design and the way you have to wear them and insert them into your canals.

For me the best use was when listening to music in the couch where you don’t move a lot. It’s not really a matter of comfort when moving, but it’s more about keeping  perfect seal when you’re not sitting still. And without perfect fit, the sound quality will drop very fast.

Get the fit correct however and the SB-7 will impress you with its high end sound quality. Getting this fit right however isn’t the easiest thing to do, certainly in the beginning when you’re still learning on how to use them. Therefor the SB-7 comes with a manual just on how you have to use these and how you have to insert them into your canal to get the best possible sound.

This is the first time I actually see the point of a “how to use” manual, though once you know how to use them, you won’t need it anymore. Even when you’re used to wearing the SB-7, they will never be very comfortable but StereoPravda is serious when they claim “no gain – no pain”. This is sound before comfort, be aware.

Specifications

– NON-user replaceable one size-fits all universal silicon tip;

– SEVEN Balanced Armature drivers per channel, all drivers share the same axis;

– custom Pravda32 connecting cable specially designed for this model by Chris Sommovigo;

– audiophile-grade matching resistors by Vishay;

– mini-jack’s TRS-part by Furutech;

– impedance: 15 Ohms;

– the connecting cable’s length (left earphone to the mini-jack connector): 1.2 meters.

Source Matching & Fit

I have found the SPearphone SB-7 to be very dependent on the source used and it was more miss than hit but the fit still is the most important.

At home, my favourite source for the SB-7 is the Chord Electronics Dave DAC/AMP, but I realize this isn’t something everyone just has laying around. As a matter of fact, the first time I listened to the SB-7 was when it was hooked up to StereoPravda’s DACCA which Misha carries around with him and I haven’t managed to make the SB-7 sound as good as it did with that amp. (Yet DAVE comes very close)

I advise to use the SB-7 with a powerful, clean and neutral source that can keep everything perfectly in control. At the same time if you want to make the SB-7 sound more warm or bass heavier, then you really should select a source that has these specific characteristics. The SB-7 is very transparent and it will show you what exactly your source is bringing to the party.

Sound

It’s fairly easy to describe the tonality of the SB-7 and if you’ve read the intro then you know the SB-7 is neutral, precise and flat. The SB-7 was made to deliver the truest, uncoloured and balanced sound as high end audio is supposed to do. This section is based on the SB-7 and Chord DAVE combo.

From bass to treble, nothing is hyped or put upfront and you get a very linear frequency response, although the driver count of the mids and treble is audible in the way the music is represented. Differently said, the bass delivery is rather on the low side, yet it is oh so qualitative but more about that in a bit. Transparency levels, as mentioned are very high and the SB-7 will show you everything there is to hear, if your dac and amp are up for it.

From bass to treble you get a very spacious, linear and at the same time coherent presentation with excellent separation. The SB-7 never sounds overly airy or isolated (frequencies) and the background is as black as the night. The SB-7 also never picks up unwanted noise from any of my sources and the cleanness and clarity are exemplary. Other areas where the SB-7 really shines are with its extension and decay, it just doesn’t get much better than this. The sound stage width is impressive and the SB-7 sounds quite “open” and expansive for a BA design. It extends more above than below though. There is a very important but however:

With a enormously strong technical earphone like the SB-7 you really owe it to yourself to use top quality sources and amps or you just won’t get the best out of it. At the same time this doesn’t worry me as the SB-7 clients most likely have several high-end sources to their availability.

The SB-7 doesn’t struggle with anything or any kind of music, it’s always perfectly in control and doing what it does best: impress with its technical qualities. And those it has by the heaps.

The part on sound continues on the NEXT PAGE of the review

4/5 - (30 votes)
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Lieven is living in Europe and he's the leader of the gang. He's running Headfonia as a side project next to his full time day job in Digital Marketing & Consultancy. He's a big fan of tube amps and custom inear monitors and has published hundreds of product reviews over the years.

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