Review - Seek Real Audio Airship

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Also available on YouTube in Spanish: Acho Reviews YouTube

The Seek Real Audio Airship have been sent to me by Linsoul in exchange for the publication of this review. As usual, they have not made any requests or comments and I will do my best to be unbiased in this review. Saying that, it is always good to consider the fact that I have not had to purchase these IEMs with my own money.

I will leave below a non-affiliate link to the Airship via Linsoul, something that I always do in these cases.

You can find the Seek Audio Airship on Linsoul here: https://www.linsoul.com/products/seekreal-airship?variant=42849389314265

Intro…

Let me start off by saying I have absolutely no idea who Seek Real Audio are. When I received these IEMs from Linsoul, I had seen the name a couple of times on forums but I really hadn’t paid any attention. They arrived in a box with a couple of other things that Linsoul sent me and it was pure coincidence that I picked them up first.

I did a quick search of the brand online and other than recent comments and a few reviews, I really didn’t find much. As usual, I refrained from reading any of the reviews as I try to keep any expectations (good or bad) at a minimum, when possible of course.

So, basically, when I started listening to the Airship, the only thing I knew was that they are available on Linsoul for $179 and that they feature a single 10mm CNT driver. That’s obviously not much info, which is actually just the way I like it, at least before I get to listen to them for a while and form some first impressions.

Since then I have obviously put them on the measuring rig, otherwise I wouldn’t be including a graph in this review, but other than that, I still have basically no information about these IEMs or the company itself.

Presentation…

The presentation and contents of the Airship is nothing to complain about. Ok, there is nothing unexpected inside the box but at the same time, the accessories that are included cover the necessities and are of good quality.

The box is inside a cardboard sleeve that shows a spaceship beaming people up, with the phrase “we can hear more possibilities” shown in the top corner. The artwork is lighthearted and original, it is not what I would call “elegant” but at the same time, it at least avoids some of the artwork found on many sets lately.

Upon opening the box, things do look a bit more elegant, with the IEMs sitting in a soft foam cutout, with a nice (faux) leather storage case below. The case is nice and large, without being huge, sporting a good quality finish in black.

Also in the box we get the cable, which I will mention in a moment, a set of foam tips, 3 sets of silicone tips, spare filters for the nozzle, the usual warranty card and other paperwork.

While I think that they could have included more tips, it is also true that usually people will only use one set out of the box, or maybe not even that, as many people will like aftermarket tips of their choice. Personally I found that the medium silicone tips included fit and worked well for me.

Build & Aesthetics…

The shape of the Airship is similar to that of IEMs like the Aune Jasper, although smaller. The nozzle is also not very long, which could prove to be a fit issue for some people. In my case, I find that they fit me perfectly and are probably one of the most comfortable IEMs that I have worn in a long time. The size is small enough to actually fit inside my ear, without anything sticking out, and the nozzle, with the stock medium tips, is exactly the correct length for them to seal perfectly and be very comfortable. Obviously this is going to be different for everone.

The aesthetics are simple but not boring, with a few geometrical shapes and lines that break up what would otherwise be a simple oval. For some reason, the aesthetics remind me of something I am used to seeing from Fiio, just in a different shape.

The build quality also seems to be decent. They are completely metal shells which are very light weight, meaning that (combined with the comfort) I can just forget that I am wearing them.

The included cable is simple but again it of decent quality, with metal hardware (except for the 2.Pin connectors) that are finished in a colour that matches the IEMs. It is a non-braided cable, with a white interior covered by a clear rubber finish. Based on the overall gunmetal grey finish, I would personally have gone with a grey coloured cable rather than the white but that is just a comment rather than a complaint. It is not a spectacular cable but it is more than adequate and swapping it would be a personal choice rather than a necessity.

Sound…

(Note: As always, tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open them in the streaming platform of your choice for reference).

My usual process for testing IEMs (or headphones) is that I just used them for 4 or 5 days almost exclusively (while at work), listening to all kinds of music, as my tastes change a lot depending on my mood. After that period, I will spend various hours listening only to my test tracks (which can be found here by the way) and form my detailed impressions, doing any comparisons at the same time.

In the case of the Airship, I took them to the office as usual and when I hit play, it just so happened that my test track list was playing. I must say that I was instantly impressed by the Airship and I actually spent all morning listening to my test tracks.

But I am getting ahead of myself, so lets start, as usual, with a graph of the Airship in comparison to my personal preference target:

(all my measurements can be found and compared on achoreviews.squig.link)

I have said it before but I am going to repeat it again… My target curve is really only as a guidance and sometimes things that follow the curve may still not be enjoyable to me and other things that deviate from the curve will actually be pleasurable. The latter is the case with the Airship.

Starting from the lowest notes, as I always do, the subbass of the Airship is present in both quality and quantity. I know that I say that I am not a fan of overly present bass, although the mid bass is usually where I suffer, if the set does keeps the subbass clean and articulate, then I enjoy it. I have used the Airship for quite a bit of hip hop and have obviously also put it through the usual “Chameleon” test, finding that the subbass response is very good, not quite excellent but certainly above many other sets in a similar price bracket, managing to keep things clear and concise while still offering a large presence in the rumbling frequencies.

Moving into the midbass, this may be where I am most impressed by the Airship. It is not the tuning that impresses me, as it is quite a bit above the presence I like and enjoy in this region, it is the way it deals with this additional presence. While there are many IEMs that are slightly over my preferred quantity in the midbass region, giving a warmth to the low end of guitars and basses that I actually like for some genres, there are many more that are way too much for my tastes. This is something that I actually find tiring and I find myself literally having to either switch music, reduce the bass, or even just give up on the IEMs.

Looking at the graph, I would place the Airship in the category of “way overdone for my tastes”, yet I don’t find it to be the case when listening to them. This is one of those cases where the graph doesn’t always relate to the experience. Yes, there is quite a bit more midbass that I would prefer, of that I have no doubt, but it doesn’t come across as tiring or make me want to take the IEMs out.

There is a clarity and definition to the midbass notes, as with the subbass, that is very impressive in my opinion, making the majority of my music enjoyable, even with the extra bass. For example, “No Sanctuary Here” by Marian Herzog feat Chris Jones, is a track that needs a decent amount of midbass to sound impressive but at the same time is easily overdone and drowns out the rest of the frequencies, the Airship give it (more than) enough quantity to be impressive yet do not make the bass take control more than it should.

I find that the Airship goes from doing a great job of presenting EDM, such as “Sun is Shining”, without being overly bassy, to reproducing “Elephants on Ice Skates” with authority but without bloat. If I had to complain, it would probably be more related to the pluck of the bass guitar in “Elephants on Ice Skates” than the bass notes themselves, but that is higher up in the range.

Moving into the mids, there is not really a bass bleed as such but there are times when certain notes seem to carry over just a little too much. This is not a regular occurence but on certain tracks that are busy around the 200Hz to 300Hz mark, it can overshadow the mids a little, due to the slight dip around the 500Hz mark.

As we move up to the higher end of the mids, there is a nice smooth slope that reaches up to the 2.5kHz mark, keeping it’s presence up until another peak just below the 5kHz mark. Now, I have said many times that I am sensitive to peaks at 5kHz but as with the bass, I do not find it to be irritating on the Airship. It’s true that it isn’t really a sole peak at 5k, more of a general presence between 2kHz and 5kHz, and this may be the reason for it not affecting me as much as it does on so many other sets, but I find the upper mids and their transition into the lower treble to be quite smooth and without giving the sensation of being harsh.

A lot of the music I listen to has female vocals and I find that the Airship do a great job of keeping voices present but without adding any harshness or pushing them too far forward. Even with female voices that are often too harsh on many sets, such as Beth in “Don’t You Worry Child”, still remain fairly smooth and do not become shouty and, well, irritating (at least no more than usual 😉 )

Climbing up to the higher end of the frequency range, there is a good extension and a nice sensation of air and breathing space. Many single dynamic driver IEMs suffer from lack of extension in the upper ranges, especially in the lower price categories, the Airship is actually a set that is above average in this regard.

Sibilance is also kept in check, without it being eliminated, meaning that sibilant recordings will still show up but the usual “Code Cool” test does keep Patricia Barber within the range that I feel is normal for her vocals in this song.

Soundstage is also above average for a set of IEMs. Ok, it is not a huge space around you, like the sensation you will get from certain open back headphones, but it does create a nice space around you, with a good image placement and good details to go along with it.

Listening to live performances, such as “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” or “Free Fallin’”, the Airship give you a nice sensation of space on stage, making them a pleasure to listen to. The same goes for tracks like “Strange Fruit”, where the layers of vocals are clearly identified and easily appreciated. The same goes for “I Concentrate On You”, where the vocals are the center of attention yet the details in the background are still clear, giving the track the effect that it deserves.

Conclusion…

I think that if you have made it this far, I don’t really need to say that the Airship are a good set of IEMs, not just for their price but in general. I have really enjoyed listening to them and would have no issues using them as my daily drivers. Do they replace my beloved S12, which are at a similar price tag, I have to be honest and say that I could probably be just as happy with the Airship for my general daily listening as I am with the S12. They are actually tuned very similarly and I do feel that the Airship have actually got more detail than the S12.

There is no doubt that I think that the Airship are worth their price tag and the only thing that I would be worried about when recommending them is fit. For me personally they fit fine, I find them extremely comfortable, but everyone is different.

I am going to leave it here as I feel I have made my opinion quite clear. As I mentioned in a previous review, I have a case that holds 6 sets of IEMs that are my usual go to sets and I think that I need to clear a space in it to award it to the Airship.