Softears Enigma (Animagus’ Take)

Eye catching design with high musicality!

PROS: Excellent craftsmanship, build and finish, extremely light shells, warm fuller take on VDSF target, good laid back signature with organic tonality and timbre, nice soundstage with good instrument definition, excellent unboxing experience, two good stock cables, nice big leather case and good quality variety of ear tips.

CONS: I would’ve liked more mid-treble and air up top, lesser fullness in lower-midrange and less of the mid-bass boost. Not the best technical performance against the segment leaders.

The product was provided to me free of charge for the review in exchange for my honest opinion.

About Softears.

Softears is Moondrop’s sister company. They share a lot of R&D and manufacturing assets while remaining companies that run their business independent of each other. As per what I’m told, Softears’ CEO was an automobile engineer by education who joined Moondrop after completing his studies. Moondrop’s founder, Herbert invested in him to create a no boundaries, no budget restrictions R&D brand, Softears, to see what could be achieved if money was no object. If you haven’t noticed, Moondrop’s IEMs like Blessing2 and S8 use Softears developed drivers for the reference quality midrange they are particularly known for. We previously reviewed their flagships RS10 and Cerberus in a dual review here, their 5BA warm-reference oriented RSV here, their entry level 1DD+2BA hybrid Volume here, their premium 1DD Twilight here and their 4BA studio reference oriented Studio 4 here.

Links – Softears Enigma (Official dealer – Musicteck).

Specifications.

Drivers : 2DD + 6BA + 4 EST
Impedance : 10Ω @ 1kHz
Sensitivity : 121.5dB / Vrms @ 1kHz
Effective frequency response : 20-20kHz (IEC603184)
Frequency range: 8-40kHz (1/4’freefield, -3dB)
THD : <1%@1kHz
Housing : 5-axis machining of aluminum alloy with reinforced material anodic oxidation

Unboxing Experience.

Unboxing Softears Enigma is an experience that exudes luxury and meticulous attention to detail, reflecting the craftsmanship and premium nature of this flagship in-ear monitor (IEM). The Enigma arrives in a substantial, artistically designed box adorned with intricate patterns and the prominent “ENIGMA” branding. The top of the box features the Softears and Effect Audio logos, hinting at a collaboration. The packaging’s design is both mysterious and inviting, setting the stage for the premium experience that follows.

Upon removing the top cover, you’re greeted with a meticulously organized interior. The first item is a premium leather storage case, crafted from vegetable-tanned top-layer cowhide leather with a soft felt interior. This spacious case includes a removable partition divider, allowing for customized storage of the IEMs, cables, and accessories. It’s designed more for travel than pocket use, emphasizing practicality and luxury.

Beneath the leather case lies a unique eight-cube puzzle box. This interconnected assembly unfolds into a 2×4 configuration, with each cube housing different components of the Enigma set. This innovative presentation adds an element of discovery and engagement to the unboxing process, showcasing Softears’ creativity and attention to detail.

Contents of the Puzzle Box.

As you explore each compartment of the puzzle box, you’ll find –

Softears Enigma IEMs: The earpieces feature a futuristic faceplate design, exuding a sense of sophistication and advanced engineering.
Effect Audio Collaboration Cable: A premium cable resulting from the collaboration with Effect Audio, known for their high-quality craftsmanship. The cable is designed to complement the Enigma’s performance, ensuring optimal audio fidelity.
Standard Softears 3.5mm SE Cable: A regular stock cable, likely featuring a 6N OFC 4-conductor design with soft wire wrapped in all-black shielding. It includes compact aluminum hardware and color-coded connectors for ease of use.
Eartips Selection: A comprehensive collection of eartips, including:
- Clear medical-grade sticky silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- Softears’ own U.C. eartips (S/M/L)
- Grey cap with black core silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- Soft foam eartips (S/M/L) This variety ensures a comfortable and secure fit for different ear shapes and preferences.
Cleaning Accessories: A cleaning brush tool to maintain the IEMs, along with double-mesh protection pockets with drawstrings for additional storage options.
6.35mm Single-Ended Adapter: An adapter for use with various audio equipment, enhancing the Enigma’s versatility.
Aluminum Mold Display: An aluminum mold of the left shell, showcasing the manufacturing process and the precision involved in crafting the Enigma. This unique accessory serves as a testament to the engineering prowess behind the IEMs.
Magic Folding Cube Puzzle: A fun and interactive 8-piece magic folding cube puzzle, adding a playful touch to the unboxing experience. It reflects Softears’ commitment to providing not just a product, but an engaging journey.

The unboxing of the Softears Enigma is a luxurious and thoughtfully curated experience. From the artistic outer packaging to the innovative puzzle box presentation, every element is designed to captivate and impress. The inclusion of high-quality accessories, such as two cables and the premium leather case is very welcome. This unboxing not only introduces you to a flagship IEM but also immerses you in the artistry and meticulous craftsmanship that define the overall Enigma package.

Build Quality.

The Softears Enigma is a nice blend of advanced materials, precision machining, and a unique design philosophy. With its tribrid configuration of 2 dynamic drivers (DD), 6 balanced armature drivers (BA), and 4 electrostatic (EST) drivers, it utilises a combination of innovative internal structures and premium external materials – the shells are crafted from high-quality aluminum alloy and and are finished with a reinforced anodic oxidation process, adding an extra layer of protection and a smooth, sleek texture. The matte black colour of the shells, with its smooth rounded surface, provides a minimalist yet sophisticated look.

A standout feature of Enigma’s design is its faceplate, which incorporates an artificial sapphire glass “eye” with the Softears logo subtly printed across the top. The eye is surrounded by a carefully carved futuristic pattern, adding a sense of mystery and elegance to the overall aesthetic. This unique design ties into the “Enigma” theme, reinforcing the sense of intrigue and sophistication. The flush-mounted 2-pin cable socket adds to the sleek profile, ensuring a clean and modern look while maintaining the robust build quality. Together, the materials, craftsmanship, and attention to detail make Enigma a beautifully crafted piece of audio equipment.

Coming to fit, the IEMs fit comfortably inside the concha of the ear, offering a secure fit despite their slightly protruding shape. Each shell weighs approximately 9g, offering a lightweight feel despite the complexity of the internal driver arrangement. The nozzle is of an average length, ensuring a comfortable insertion depth for most users.

Cables.

The Softears Enigma comes with two cables: a premium Effect Audio collaboration cable and a standard Softears 3.5mm single-ended (SE) cable. Each cable is designed to complement the Enigma’s performance while providing a durable and high-quality experience. Here’s a breakdown of their build quality:

Effect Audio Collaboration Cable – The collaboration with Effect Audio, a renowned name in the cable industry. The cable uses a high-purity hybrid material, combining silver-plated and copper conductors. Terminated with a robust 4.4mm balanced plug, the connectors are crafted from aluminum. The cable is lightweight and ergonomically designed, with minimal microphonics but isn’t the most supple cable. TBH, I think Softears should’ve done better than this cable considering Enigma’s asking price as I’ve seen manufacturers do much higher quality, much more premium looking cables at this price point. I also think that the cables doesn’t really go well with Enigma’s design language.

Softears 3.5mm Single-Ended (SE) Cable – This cable features 6N oxygen-free copper (OFC) conductors. While not as premium as the Effect Audio cable, it offers fairly good quality, goes well with the design language of the IEM and is much more supple. The all-black shielding gives it a sleek, understated look and its soft texture makes it easy to coil and store. It is terminated with a compact 3.5mm gold-plated plug and the aluminium hardware is lightweight and sturdy, with color-coded markings on the connectors for left and right channels.

Sound Analysis.

Graphs are measured using an IEC60318-4 (IEC711) setup. You can compare all the graphs on my IEM Graph Database here – Animagus Squiglink.

Enigma has a fuller bodied, mid-bass oriented W-shaped signature that sound like an enhanced version of Twilight/Twilight Ti but with a tri-brid config consisting of 2DD+6BA+4EST instead of the single DDs that they were. They’ve avoided the temptation to go their usual reference tuning way and instead tuned a signature that will resonate with audiophiles looking for a fuller bodied take on reference-neutral tuning, something they’ve been doing more of lately. There are pros and cons to such a tuning. So, let’s dig in deeper…

Bass – The bass is boosted much above neutral – mid-bass as much as sub-bass. This results in a warm presentation that is slightly exaggerated but possesses punch and depth. It pushes tracks to have more body and presence but without veering into excessive warmth. The sub-bass is tactile, providing a solid foundation to the lower end of the spectrum but never becomes overwhelming. Even though the mid-bass is boosted much above neutral, something I’m always wary about adding mud to the mixes, Enigma is able to avoid bass bleed fairly well, allowing for a fairly controlled and punchy response. Whether you’re listening to bass-heavy genres like EDM or more nuanced acoustic music, Enigma’s bass remains articulate, well-defined, and devoid of bloat. I feel it’s a bass that enhances, rather than dominates.

Midrange – Enigma’s lower-midrange is for fans of fuller sounding signatures. Vocals, both male and female, are presented with a natural timbre but with slightly fuller than neutral body. There’s an organic richness to the sound that makes you feel connected to the music but with the already fuller mixes can also result into some mud and them not sounding as clean as reference IEMs. Boosting the 250-500Hz region always results in a bit of mud with mixes that already have quite a bit of that region emphasised. The upper-midrange ear gain is very well done and has a reference quality to it, presenting the instruments with accurate tonality and forward definition. Where it does really well is reveal intricate details without sounding clinical whether it’s the grain of a vocalist’s voice or the subtle texture of strings in a jazz ensemble. Enigma captures the positioning of instruments in complex compositions quite well even with a fuller bodied presentation which generally aren’t as precise sounding.

Treble – Enigma strikes a balance for laid back listening, leaning towards warmth. The lower-treble has a dip in the 4-8kHz region and another one in the 10-15kHz region, which results in Enigma’s warmer than neutral, laid back signature. It’s fairly extended post 15kHz and the overall tuning never crosses into sibilance or harshness even in the harshest songs. Contrary to what one would imagine considering a warmer, laid back sound, stringed instruments and cymbals shine and shimmer but don’t ring out unnaturally. It also has fairly good sense of space due it being airier than something like the Harman IE 2019 target. For my preferences, I would’ve liked a more linear treble balance with a bit more bite, sparkle and air mixed in to balance the mid-bass boost and fuller overall signature but even with a warmer than reference signature, Enigma handles stuff like the subtle decay of a violin or the upper register of a piano quite well. There’s a transparency in the treble range that enhances the overall sense of realism, adding layers of depth to the listening experience.

Technical Performance – As far as soundstage is concerned, Enigma doesn’t strive to push the boundaries outward like something like the PMG Audio APX. The soundstage is intimate in the larger scheme of things but with impressive depth and good imaging. It doesn’t throw instruments far and wide, but rather positions them in an accurate and believable way within the mix. The depth of the stage is also worth mentioning – whether you’re listening to a live performance or a carefully produced studio album, the Enigma places the listener in the heart of the music, never feeling detached or artificially enhanced. It’s of course not a detail monster due to it having a laid back signature, which most other flagships try to be and this is where it might fall short against the competition when most people with a reserved budget for a flagship would want one IEM to do it all.

Comparisons.

Softears Twilight.

Both IEMs share Softears’ house sound, but Twilight leans warmer and is more laid-back. Twilight delivers a more relaxed bass, with greater emphasis on mid-bass warmth. The Enigma’s bass is tighter and more focused, with better detail. Twilight’s mids are thicker and more coloured while Enigma’s mids are cleaner and more linear in comparison. Twilight takes a smoother approach to treble, while the Enigma offers slightly better extension and detail without becoming harsh. Enigma has a more precise and layered soundstage, while the Twilight’s stage feels slightly narrower but maintains a cozy, intimate feel.

Elysian Annihilator.

The Annihilator’s tuning is highly technical, with an energetic treble and precise mids, while the Enigma leans towards a warmer and fuller take on Annihilator kind of tuning. The Enigma trades the sharp precision of the Annihilator for a smoother and more forgiving presentation. Enigma’s bass has better texture and a more organic feel, whereas the Annihilator’s bass is tight and detailed but lacks the same level of warmth and impact. The Enigma’s mids are lush and emotionally engaging, contrasting with Annihilator’s thinner yet hyper-detailed mids. Annihilator’s treble is sharper and extends further, providing more air and brilliance at the expense of being occasionally fatiguing. Enigma’s treble is smoother and less forward, ideal for long listening sessions. Annihilator has a larger and more expansive soundstage, while Enigma feels more intimate, with superior imaging and a more natural instrument separation.

Empire Ears Odin.

Odin’s signature is a typical W-shaped take on Harman target, with a powerful bass and elevated treble, while Enigma opts for a warmer take on the same. Enigma is easier and more laid back to listen to whereas the Odin grabs your attention with its bold dynamics. Odin’s bass is visceral, especially in the sub-bass region. Enigma’s bass, while not as overwhelming, offers better texture and control, blending more naturally into the mix. Enigma’s lower-mids sound fuller because of the boosting in the 250-500Hz, while Odin’s lower-mids are slightly lean, with a cleaner and more clinical delivery. Odin’s treble sparkles with energy but can border on being sharp with certain tracks and depending on the unit you have as I’ve found significant unit variation between different batches. Enigma delivers a smoother treble that prioritises easy listening over brilliance. Odin has a grander and more cinematic soundstage, but Enigma edges it out in imaging precision and layering.

Lime Ears Anima.

The Anima and Enigma share a musical and balanced approach, but the Anima tilts towards coloured while Enigma feels more refined in comparison. Enigma’s bass is fuller and more authoritative, with a focus on mid-bass boom. Anima’s bass is tighter and more textured, offering a cleaner transition to the mids. Enigma excels in accurate ear gain/upper-midrange which results in it sounding more linear and natural. Anima’s treble is crisper and more detailed, while Enigma takes a softer, natural approach, favouring smoothness. Enigma has a slightly more intimate and natural soundstage, while the Anima offers better depth and air, making it feel more expansive.

Kinera Loki Emerald.

Loki Emerald is a vibrant and slightly V-shaped IEM, focusing on bass and treble energy. In contrast, the Enigma is more balanced and mid-centric, with a smoother overall tonality. Enigma’s bass is punchier because of the mid-bass boosting while Loki Emerald delivers quicker bass impact and rumble boasting superior texture and speed. Enigma outshines the Loki in mids, offering a more natural and emotive presentation. Loki’s mids, while engaging, take a slight backseat in its tuning. Loki’s treble is sparkly and forward, which can occasionally become fatiguing. Enigma’s treble is warmer, more controlled, providing an easier listening experience. Loki has a wider soundstage but less depth compared to the Enigma, which offers a more three-dimensional and immersive stage.

Conclusion.

In the ever-growing world of high-end in-ear monitors, the quest for sonic purity and precision has never been more competitive. Enigma takes a more holistic approach to create a warm leaning IEM that combines good detail retrieval with a warm, fuller, balanced sound profile. Enigma offers a listening experience that’s rich in texture and depth with a nuanced performance that’s immersive in a more grounded intimate way. It’s an IEM that doesn’t shout for attention and even with its warmer, fuller tuning, it ensures that you experience every part of the musicality with clarity and resolution. It’s by no means a perfect IEM and I have my own complaints and nitpicks with it – I would’ve liked more lower, mid as well as upper-treble along with lesser fullness in lower-midrange and less of the mid-bass boost. The thing is that the flagship segment is getting more and more competitive and I personally find the more neutrally tuned IEMs to be more versatile and work for a wider audience than niche IEMs like the Enigma. But that doesn’t take away the strengths it has one bit. If you’re an audiophile who appreciates a musical presentation and is looking for a pair of IEMs that combine technical ability with emotional engagement, the Enigma should be in the audition list. In a crowded market where ‘flavour of the month’ IEMs often push for similar signatures, Softears Enigma reminds us that coloured, flavour full IEMs deserve some spotlight too.