Akoustyx, In-Ears & The MS4 – CanJam SoCal 2019

After launching five new IEM’s just last year at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, Akoustyx is still riding high on the wave created by their own unique lightweight IEM design and custom fitting kits. Universal IEM’s aren’t for everyone, but they could be with the fitting kit from Akoustyx.

Showing at CanJam were many models from the Akoustyx product line-up, which include the R110 IEM that uses a single balanced armature to cover all ranges. However is was the NEW MS4 prototype that caught most of my attention. The MS4 is a new reference flagship IEM using a dual-magnet magnetostatic driver and dynamic driver in hybrid configuration. Which all use the custom fit molding kit, which results in a tighter, more comfortable fit, and isolation over just about any other universal IEM in this price range.

The fact that the MS4 uses a dual-magnet planar driver when most well above this price range are still using single-sided planar drivers, is telling to what Akoustyx is looking to do. Possibly up-end the market with a more capable and affordable product.

In their particular configuration, the planar driver is smaller and almost configured in what would look like a concentric driver formation. Allowing the planar to function from 1.5K upward, while bass frequencies are tackled by the capable dynamic driver mounted behind it.

The MS4 isn’t production ready yet, and a lot of that has to do with a smaller and lighter weight body on the horizon. Exciting things are to come from Akoustyx in the future as I think they are on the right path, and with a testing ground in their partnership with the US military, I can only see their trajectory rising. Imagine for a moment that you are jumping out of an airplane, you probably want the lightest weight, tightest fitting, and best noise isolating IEM available right? Well that’s what Akoustyx has been working to develop.

by Eric Franklin Shook