Rose QT9 MK2S Review (2) – Something Different
Pros — Decent build
– Good amount of accessories
– Good sub-bass rumble
– Treble sparkle
– Good imaging and staging
– Good separation
Cons — Thin lower mids
– Upper-midrange glare
– BA timbre
In this Article
INTRODUCTION
Those who have been following the Chi-Fi scene for a while would surely have come across Rose as a brand, and their penchant of cramming sizeable amount of drivers in an inconspicuously tiny shell.
The Rose QT9 MK2S is no different, and they sport a 1DD + 4BA configuration in a shell that’s small enough to sleep while wearing. In terms of driver config, Rose Technics competes well with the peers, but that alone does not ensure success in this cut-throat market.
Let’s see if the QT9 MK2S can carve a spot for themselves in the hyper-competitive mid-range IEM space.
Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Rose Technics was kind enough to send me the QT9 Mk2s for evaluation.
Sources used: Sony NW-A55, Questyle CMA-400i
Price, while reviewed: $250. Can be bought from HiFiGo.
PHYSICAL THINGS AND USABILITY
PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES
Rose supplies two hard-shell cases in the QT9 mk2S packaging, with one containing accessories and the other containing the IEMs and the cable. The packaging itself is fairly minimal and compact.
Supplied accessories include: 4 pair of silicone tips including 1 pair of double-flange tips, 1 mmcx removal tool, extra nozzle filters, and a quarter-inch adapter. The cable has a fabric sheath and 6N OCC copper core. Not the best in terms of ergonomics, but at least the core config with 6N OCC copper seems nice on paper.
BUILD QUALITY
Rose went for a pseudo-custom fit design with the QT9 MK2S.
The transparent resin-shell has a metal faceplate with Rose logo on it. There are three vents in total. One vent near the mmcx connector, and two more vents underneath the Rose logo on the faceplate. This heavily vented design allows the dynamic driver to move more air than a sealed design.
The mmcx connectors are fairly robust, though the IEMs would spin if rotated with some pressure. I did not notice any rattling or looseness in connection. The resin shell is also free from bubbles and noticeable imperfections, though I have seen better finishes on more expensive IEMs.
COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT
The low-profile is perfect for those who like to sleep wearing their IEMs, though that is something I do not recommend for safety reasons. The IEMs can be too small for large ears though, so you may have trouble finding a good seal if your ear-canals are large.
SOURCE AND EARTIPS
Most of the review was completed while pairing with the Questyle CMA-400i. Sony NW-A55 was used when listening to the QT9 MK2S on the go, alongside the stock cable and Spinfit W1 tips.
DRIVER SETUP
Rose combined a 10mm dynamic driver with Knowles FK30018 and FK30019 dual-BA drivers. The BAs have Knowles dampers within the internal tubing, so kudos to Rose for properly implementing these BA drivers.
The dynamic driver also has over 1Tesla of magnetic flux density, which basically translates to better sense of bass slam and impact (when tuned as such).
TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES
The general sound signature of the QT9 MK2S can be described as mildly V-shaped, with thinned out lower-mids, boosted sub-bass, and extra focus on upper-mids and lower-treble.
The thin lower-mids get slightly veiled by the decaying sub-bass notes, making this the weakest spot of the QT9 MK2S’ tuning. The bass itself has nice body and rumble, and should satisfy those who need extra bass “oomph”. Mid-bass texture is somewhat lacking, but makes up for that with noticeable punch.
The upper-mids are mostly within control, though the subsequent 6kHz peak makes them sound strained in higher-pitched vocals, especially in tracks with less-than-ideal mastering. The lower treble peak also caused some fatigue for me in long listening sessions, as I am particularly sensitive to that region. Your mileage may vary.
Upper treble is characterized by a small bump near 13kHz and later some more emphasis near 15kHz. Not the most airy-sounding IEMs in this price bracket, but cymbal hits resonate longer than on IEMs with poor extension.
Imaging was precise for the most part, though lateral imaging left something to be desired. Stage width and depth was above-average, but falls behind category leaders.
Macrodynamic punch was good, while microdynamics were about average. General resolution is somewhat hampered by that clouded lower-mids, but in energetic tracks you can pick out most of the subtleties in the recording.
SELECT COMPARISONS
The Moondrop Blessing2 costs slightly more than the QT9 MK2S and comes with a similar 1DD + 4BA config. Moondrop opts for a paper-cone diaphragm vs the LCP diaphragm on the Rose IEMs.
In terms of build, the Blessing2 is “chunky” and can cause fit issues and discomfort for those with smaller ears, whereas the Rose will cater well to those with small ears. I’d say both have similar build quality. Moondrop has a more elaborate internal structure with the Blessing2, while Rose went for a simpler venting mechanism for the dynamic driver.
In terms of sound, bass is nimbler on the Blessing2 with less impact and sense of rumble. QT9 MK2S give a more palpable sense of rumble with better slam. Lower-midrange is thin on the Blessing2 as well, but doesn’t get as clouded as the QT9 MK2S due to more conservative sub-bass boost.
Upper-mids are even more prominent on the Blessing2 and brings vocals a lot closer to the listener. Fortunately, shoutiness is mostly avoided barring the most intense of high-pitched vocals. Lower-treble is where the differences become more apparent again, with the QT9 MK2S having less sparkle in treble due to the dip between 4-5kHz.
Upper-treble is somewhat reserved on both, but I think the QT9 MK2S slightly edges out the Blessing2 here. Staging is slightly wider and deeper on the QT9 MK2S, while the Blessing2 have more precise imaging with accurate positional cues. General resolution is also better on the Blessing2.
For the extra bucks, Blessing2 indeed out-resolve the QT9 MK2S. The Rose IEMs strike back with a more physical bass response and more comfortable fit. If you find the fit of the Blessing2 an issue and need a more robust bass response, the QT9 MK2S are viable alternatives.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Rose QT9 MK2S is a solid offering and gets most of the tuning right. The treble tuning may be a miss for those with extreme sensitivity in that region, and the fit might be challenging for those with larger ears. Other than those – you get one of the smallest 5-driver hybrid IEMs with good bass and generally competitive resolving capabilities.
In the larger scheme of things, the lack of marketing and Rose’s relative silence in recent years might be a bigger challenge, as new IEMs come up almost every other week and it’s difficult to filter out that noise for potential buyers. That being said, the QT9 MK2S is a nice reboot for Rose as a brand, and I look forward to their future releases that address the minor niggles.
MY VERDICT
3.5/5
PHOTOGRAPHY
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