iBasso Epitome

The Epitome of Audio Journey!

PROs: very clean and clear natural tuning with a relaxed neutral tonality and mid-forward sound presentation, holographic level of imaging within the confines of the soundstage expansion that has more depth/height than width, great coherency of 12BA/8EST hybrid design, solid build with a comfortable and compact shell design housing 20-drivers, modular copper cable with 3.5mm/4.4mm/USB-C tips, and a bonus silver-plated 4.4mm cable.

CONs: price, neutral bass tuning (if you prefer more weight in the bass), high sound tuning dependence on eartips and cable selection, mild waterfall hiss with some sources.

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

Manufacturer website: iBasso. Available for sale from authorized retailers like Bloom Audio, including a suggested upgrade cable.

Intro.

We get spoiled by iBasso DAPs, amps, and dongles much more often than by their IEM releases. Of course, it makes sense, since everybody knows the iBasso name for its association with popular audiophile-quality sources. Yet they still have surprised us in the past with many IEM releases, often flying under the radar due to their lower prices compared to other kilobuck and multi-kilobuck releases. iBasso came close to that kilobuck price tag years ago with their IT07 flagship, which I still consider an underrated hidden gem. But now, 5 years later, they are back with a new flagship, Epitome.

This release surprised me in many ways, given the price, design, and tuning. Actually, I have to honestly admit that it wasn’t love at first “hearing” when I got it out of the box. That is why it took me a little longer to finish this review and to learn the lesson again: never judge an IEM before extensive tip and cable rolling! This review turned into an audio journey, with me revisiting several times to appreciate the potential of these IEMs fully. As a result, I decided to rearrange some sections of my write-up in a more logical way to help you follow in the footsteps of my sound analysis adventure. So, let’s get ready and go!

Unboxing/Accessories.

Any audiophile adventure starts with the first step: unboxing the product. This experience felt very familiar and similar to their IT05 and IT07 releases. The outer “layer” is just a plain, all-black cardboard box with iBasso Audio glossy print. Then, you are treated to a fancier jewelry like box with a vinyl exterior and suede inner lining. There was a separate cardboard box with accessories stored in the cover, and two cutouts in the main storage area: a round metal storage case with IEMs in one, and a yellow pleather case in the other.

This was the same metal (aluminum), puck-shaped storage container with laser-etched iBasso Audio across the top and a soft velour-lined foam insert under the cover, as you will find with IT05 and IT07. It makes a nice presentation, showcasing IEMs like jewelry on the display inside the foam cutouts, but it’s not as practical to carry it in your pocket, even with the foam insert removed. For everyday storage and on-the-go use, the included rectangular yellow case with a magnetic closure is more practical and provides plenty of room for IEMs and the cable.

In addition to the warranty card and a quick start guide, you will also find a ton of eartips, a total of six different types, most in S/M/L sizes, except for the foam pairs in M/L, all of which I will cover in a separate section. And then there was the cable, two pairs of it, actually. One is a 5N-purity Mono Crystal Copper cable with an interchangeable plug system, including 3.5mm SE, 4.4mm BAL, and USB-C with a built-in DAC. The copper cable is soft, lightweight, microphonics-free, with an all-black PVC jacket, 4 braided conductors, a gun-metal finish modular-plug housing, a compact cylindrical Y-split and chin-slider, a cylindrical connector housing with blue/red (L/R) marking and standard 2pin plug, and pre-shaped heat-shrink earhooks. The modular system uses a 4-pin socket with a threaded nut to secure the connection.

According to iBasso, a second cable was included as a complimentary gift. They refer to this cable as “new alloy cable”, using a special silver-plated wire, assuming SPC wire material since no more details were provided. This cable had 6 separate conductors and was dressed in a tightly braided black nylon jacket, very similar to PWA cables. So, you might have guessed, you would expect some microphonics when the cable jacket rubs against your shirt. It has a similar cylindrical connector housing with blue/red (L/R) marking and standard 2pin plug, and pre-shaped heat-shrink earhooks. But its gunmetal finish, 4.4mm plug housing, and Y-spit and chin-slider were custom-shaped, a bit hefty, solid, and more premium-looking.

Design.

Epitome’s 3D-printed shells use hypoallergenic medical-grade resin and an eye-catching sparkling effect that gradually changes as you rotate the shell. When viewed from an angle, the faceplate also creates a 3D effect. You do need to bring the shells to the light to see this, especially since the finish is darker, but it’s a pretty cool effect. Unfortunately, it is hard to capture it in pictures, especially since I was using my Galaxy S25’s camera.

Shell’s finish is very smooth, comfortable to wear, with a custom-like contour. 2pin sockets are non-recessed; a pinhole vent is next to them. I never experienced any air pressure while wearing these, and sound isolation depended on the eartips selection with its corresponding seal. The nozzle is metal, with 5 sound tubes exposed at the tip and no metal mesh to clog. However, if you have excessive earwax, you will have to clean them anyway, so I was surprised that no “poker” cleaning tools were included.

Under the hood, you will find a 20-driver hybrid design per shell, including 12 BAs and 8 EST drivers by Sonion and Knowles, portioned per 5-way crossover and routed to each sound tube. At first, I thought it was a typo when I read the spec listing 5 driver groups, but then I realized that each one had a dual driver. This is very impressive for such a compact shell design, at only 6.2g, and how they stuffed everything inside. The driver config goes as:

1 Dual Sonion Low-Frequency (bass) BA Driver
2 Dual Sonion Mid BA Drivers
2 Dual Sonion Mid-High BA Drivers
1 Dual High-Frequency Knowles BA Driver
4 Dual EST Sonion Drivers

I gotta give iBasso credit for stuffing so many drivers into such a compact shell design and, on top of that, creating a very coherent tuning. From what I heard, it took them a very long time, with multiple revisions to the design and tuning, until they got it right. More about the tuning next, but still, I have to give credit where credit is due. The shells do have some depth, sticking out just a bit. Still, the overall fit was just perfect, comfortably fitting in the concha area of my ears without any fatigue during extended listening sessions.