Comparison.

The sound comparison was done using Allegro with Silver+ cable, Crystal eartips, and LPGT source; volume matched in every comparison.

PS Allegro vs EE Odin (w/stock 1960 2w) – This was probably the first comparison that crossed my mind once I started listening to Allegro.  Both have a very similar wide open soundstage expansion.  Starting with the bass, Odin has a little more sub-bass rumble while Allegro has a stronger mid-bass punch.  As a result, Allegro bass has more impact while Odin has more depth.  Then, Odin has noticeably leaner lower-mids and more forward and elevated upper mids, while Allegro is the opposite with a more neutral quantity of lower mids and more balanced and less forward upper mids which results in Allegro having a fuller body more natural mids vs Odin having a more revealing forward mids/vocals.  Treble is very similar in comparison between these IEMs, but due to more forward upper mids in Odin, its treble is brighter, while Allegro with its more balanced upper mids takes some edge of its treble.  Allegro treble is still crisp and clear, but its perception is less fatigue and a bit smoother.

PS Allegro vs Aroma Jewel (w/FT) – Another very interesting comparison I was looking forward to.  The soundstage here is a bit narrower with Aroma and a little wider with Allegro.  Bass has a lot of similarities, from the level of sub-bass rumble to the tighter punch of mid-bass impact.  Lower mids are also very similar with a neutral quantity and smoother quality.  But starting with upper mids, they do vary in tuning.  Jewel puts more emphasis on upper mids presentation and then cuts the lower treble, while Allegro does the opposite, having more balanced upper mids which are not as forward as Jewel.  Then, more elevated lower- and mid-treble makes Allegro brighter and more vivid in presentation of upper frequencies.  The main difference in tuning between these two iems is in upper mids and treble.

Not too long ago I had a chance for a brief auditioning of Noble iems, took detailed notes and measurements.  As many of my readers aware, I’m not a big fan of doing comparison by memory, even when audition happened just recently.  But the more I was listening to Allegro, the more I realized about its similarities with some of these Noble IEMs, which I also confirmed in measurements.  While I wasn’t able to do a direct A/B comparison, I still think some of the people will find these notes useful.

PS Allegro vs Noble Viking Ragnar – can’t compare soundstage since for that you need a direct A/B comparison, but the bass presentation here is not too far off, with Ragnar having a bit more sub-bass while Allegro punching through with a bit stronger mid-bass.  Both have neutral lower mids, with Ragnar having just a little more body.  The big difference here will be in upper mids and mid-treble where Ragnar is a lot more elevated and forward with a noticeably crisper mid-treble which could sound harsher if you prefer more natural vivid upper frequencies like in Allegro.

PS Allegro vs Noble Kublai Khan – here, can’t compare soundstage either, but KK has a more elevated sub-bass rumble, while mid-bass is similar, and so does lower mids being similar as well.  Then, again, upper mids and lower/mids-treble will be more forward, more elevated in KK which makes it sound brighter, while Allegro will be crisp and vivid in upper frequencies, but not as bright.

Conclusion.

To say that I was skeptical about Allegro before receiving it for review is an understatement.  PlusSound is well-known for their cables, not IEMs, and you don’t know what to expect regardless of how impressive Allegro looks on paper or in pictures, and also considering its hefty price tag.  To my big surprise, I was greeted with a textured dual dynamic-driver bass punch, clear detailed BA mids, and crisp non-fatigue quad EST treble, all wrapped in a big soundstage expansion.  I was actually quite impressed with a mature level of sound tuning of these IEMs.  And even considering more vivid sound presentation which in some IEMs can be borderline harsh, in my extended listening sessions with Allegro I never found it to be fatigue.

And not just Allegro sound tuning, but I was also impressed with details of all-metal shell design and the included premium “+” cable along with their custom leather storage case.  Early adapters also got a bonus TWS-C cable with a matching premium cable to use Allegro wireless.  The fit of these IEMs could be a bit polarizing because of a shorter nozzle and bulbous inner side of the shell due to 3D printed acoustic chamber which dictates its shape.  That is the reason why you need to take your time to find the right set of eartips for a more secure and comfortable fit.  But once you get that squared away, Allegro can easily go head-to-head with other popular flagships!