Its been quite a while since we’ve caught up with 64 Audio. The company has undergone some changes since it first opened its doors (initially named 1964Ears) but founder and CTO Vitaliy Belonozhko is still at the helm of the WA-based IEM company. Our initial review of their first 6 driver model shot up to 71k views and became our #3 review video of all time, if that’s any indicator of the appetite for custom ever-increasing-driver IEMs at the time.
Both 64 Audio and the IEM market as a whole are a bit more established now. 64 offers a full, tiered line of IEMs that come in both custom and universal fit, and the upgrade path generally includes more drivers the higher up the mountain you go. Products are now also presented with a splash of marketing decor, technologies include “Tia” tubeless treble BA drivers and ambient vents called apex modules (short for air pressure exchange). Most of the company’s drivers are sourced from Knowles and at least one other balanced armature driver company abroad. The Tia driver is a Knowles variety but reps at NAMM were quick to point out that is a custom-made piece exclusive to 64, a growing trend for manufacturers in this category.
Of the entire current lineup the 12-driver A12t is the newest, recently released in November. It features a tubeless Tia-inclusive design for a $2k asking price. The rest of A# IEMs will get their “t” and a Tia tubeless high-end driver upgrade by April/March of this year. Good news for prospective buyers (and maybe less exciting for current owners), the estimated cost for the new model should be the same as the previous version.
The real headline at NAMM was the unveiling of a new hybrid called N8t, a first for the company in the custom form. The new custom/universal fit IEM is produced in partnership with Nathan East and will be supported by 8 drivers, one of which will be a dynamic. The dynamic driver will handle the low end, with the subsequent BAs handling everything else in proper order. The choice for the dynamic placement in the lows is most common, but other IEM makers have been known to move it upward to cover the mids on rare occasions.
The N8t should hit the streets around mid April for a approximate price of $1,500 (still TBD).