Sound Raised To X
Ratings
Pros
- One of the best sounding TWS I’ve tried for this price.
- Versatility.
- Great ergonomics, low weight and very good fit.
- Bluetooth V5.3, 3 sound modes, gaming mode with 60ms latency.
- 4 GoerTek HD microphones.
- Excellent price/performance ratio.
- Tuning plus HiFi.
- 50h battery life with charging box, 10h with one charge at a time.
- Can be connected to two sources at the same time.
Cons
- Connection problems on some systems (Amazon FireStick, Fiio BTA30 Pro).
- Too many options to remember all commands.
- Touchpad operation is not the best, hard to find the frequency for consecutive touches and the touch-sensitive spot on the outer side.
- There is no possibility to switch off/on the TWS by tapping.
- No possibility to enter pairing mode by tapping.
- It seems that the battery life using LDAC and medium/high volume is clearly inferior.
Purchase Link
Link to the WEB
Introduction
Rose Technics, the portable audio brand established in 2012, persists with TWS technology. And now it is bringing an improved Rose Ceramics X model to the market. Aesthetically very similar to the previous version, almost identical. The new model is equipped with the first-generation Planck transducer unit, which incorporates a rear resonant cavity. It features a high-grade carbon nanotube diaphragm and a 1.5T dual Tesla magnetic circuit system. They are equipped with independent headphone decoding and amplification modules, paired with the Cadence Tensilica HiFi 5 DSP chip, and are also LDAC compatible. Utilising the SOC Noise Cancellation Algorithm, Hybrid ANC Technology and Noise Cancellation Structure Cavity, these headphones achieve a profound noise reduction of 55 dB over an ultra-wide frequency range of 4000 Hz, effectively eliminating 98.7% of everyday noise. Ceramics X features a windproof, self-contained physical structure design. In addition, it achieves IPX5 water resistance. A single charge provides 10 hours of playback time, 50 hours with the charging case. Just 10 minutes of charging provides 10 hours of music playback. With 4 GoerTek silicon crystal microphones and powered by AI neural network noise cancellation algorithms, this headset effectively eliminates background noise interference for a crystal clear face-to-face calling experience. In addition, the Gaming mode will achieve an unnoticeable latency of 54ms. Let’s see if all these features are that great in the review below.
Specifications
- Audio format: LDAC/AAC/mSBC/SBC.
- Playback time: 50H.
- Charging time: approx. 40Min.
- Noise control: Hybrid ANC / Transparent.
- Interface type: USB-C.
- Bluetooth version: 5.3.
- Driver unit diameter: 10 mm.
- Impedance: 32Ω.
- Frequency response range: 20 – 20000Hz.
Packaging
The Rose Ceramics come in a small white cardboard box, whose dimensions are 101x101x32mm. On the front side there is an actual picture of the charging box with the headphones floating as if they were coming out of it. There is a semicircle that goes under the lid. On the base is the model name, in the top left corner is the LLR (Lightning Latency Reduction) and ELO (Equal Loudness Contour) logo. In the upper right corner is the LDAC logo. On the back side are the product features and Rose’s data.
The box is opened by gutting a strip of die-cut cardboard. After removing the box there is a white plastic tray containing the charging box inside a small bag of the same colour. After lifting the tray out, there is a cardboard box with two little boxes at the ends containing the silicone tips and the USB-C cable. The complete contents are as follows:
- The charging box with the two TWS.
- The two TWS Ceramics X.
- Four pairs of black silicone tips, sizes XS/S/M/L.
- One USB charging cable (Type-C to Type-A).
- One instruction manual.
- Warranty certificate.
On this occasion there is no additional box to protect the charging box, so the contents are just the right size, although there are 4 sizes of silicone tips.
Construction and Design
The design is the same as the Ceramics model, only the colour of the charging box and the headphones is different.
The charging box is made of glossy metallic coloured plastic. Its dimensions are 62x44x25mm. At the bottom is the USB Type-C socket for charging, as well as a button to reset the TWS. It is available in three colours, dark grey, metallic grey and white. The model under review is metallic grey. The case is in this colour although the TWS are simply grey. The headphones are also hard plastic, but matte. Both have touch panels on the outside. On it you can read the brand name and see the brand logo in the centre. There is a hole on the edge of the crown of the outer face. This is the microphone hole. Although near the base of the mouthpieces there are two more elongated holes that could be microphones. The capsules have a hybrid shape between a sphere and a cylinder. Their shape is crescent-shaped until the split, while the inner side shrinks rapidly. On the inner side are the charge connectors, which are two, the inscribed channel letter and a further hole. The nozzles are very short and transparent. They are protected by a fine dark mesh. It has two diameters, the lower one is 4.6mm, while the upper crown is almost 6.1mm. Its entire length is very short, about 3.5mm.
There seem to be no external changes in the new X version. It looks like the changes are on the inside, with that high-end grade carbon nanotube diaphragm driver and a 1.5T dual Tesla magnetic circuit system. They use separate headphone decode and amplifier modules, the Cadence Tensilica HiFi 5 DSP chip and are also LDAC compatible. In addition, it achieves IPX5 water resistance.
Adjustment and Ergonomics
Rose specifies that their ergonomic design has been based on more than 70 iterations and that more than 2000 ear canal profiles have been used. Actually, their design is very compact, they are a bit stubby, but they fit me very well. Although the mouthpieces are very short, I could say that the large tips fit me very well, which is unusual, given the unique morphology of my particularly wide ear canal. However, the sound obtained with these tips, as well as the fit, grip and seal, is excellent, something I didn’t expect. With a very low weight, their shape fits very well and they are very comfortable to wear for hours on end.
Operation and Connection
The Rose Ceramics X uses Bluetooth v5.3 and the formats are LDAC/AAC/mSBC/SBC. The operating range is not specified this time, but may be less than the 15m range of the previous model.
The Rose Ceramics X allows pairing with two sources at the same time. The system for doing this is described in the manual. I tested it with my mobile phone and the Fiio BTA30 Pro at the same time and it worked correctly. This allowed me to listen to music connected to my PC via the Fiio BTA30 Pro used as a DAC and to take calls with my smartphone when necessary.
This time it seems that the Rose APP has been improved (version 3.0.6 4068) and I managed to connect to both Ceramics models with it. You can see that the X models have more options than the previous model. Via the APP you can see the load of each TWS, activate the different noise cancellation modes (Noise Cancellin, Wind Noise, Normal, Transparency). You can also choose between the three tuning modes (Super Master EQ): Pop, HiFi and Rock. Game Mode can be activated to reduce latency to 54ms. The communication protocol (LossLess Audio Protocol) AAC/SBC or LDAC can be selected. Dual connection can also be activated, but it does not support LDAC mode. It is worth noting that you can connect to the APP without disconnecting from the Bluetooth source, it seems to use a different channel. The APP can also be used to perform a firmware upgrade. At the time of the review TWS are using version 29. But there are other sections of the APP that allow you to customise the capsule controls. You can specify which function each capsule can perform with one, two or three presses. You can also choose the language of the TWS from English and other Asian languages.
It says that on a single charge the Ceramics X can last up to 10 hours. What is true is that if they are connected to the APP the battery life is much shorter, as well as the volume used also implies a higher cost, as well as the Game mode.
The power and listening volume is higher than the previous model.
The list of functions is as follows:
- Volume +: one touch on the right capsule.
- Volume -: one touch on the left capsule.
- Previous song: three consecutive taps on the left capsule.
- Next song: three taps in a row on the right capsule.
- Play/pause: two consecutive taps on any capsule.
- Voice assistant: four consecutive taps on the right capsule.
- Reject calls: two consecutive taps on any capsule.
- Accept calls: two taps in a row on any capsule.
- Game mode: four consecutive taps on the left capsule.
- Activate/change noise cancelling mode: long press on any capsule.
The lower button at the bottom of the charging box allows you to reset the TWS. To do this, it must be pressed for 10-15s.
It should be noted that the Rose Ceramics have touch panels on the outside. They have a medium sensitivity, which has not improved in this respect. So you have to tap with the right frequency in order to be able to perform consecutive touches. You also get verbal notifications in English, about some actions, such as mode changes, when switching on or when entering pairing mode or connecting. The voice is very quiet, as usual, and the diction is unintelligible. The functionality to turn the TWS off/on by tapping has disappeared, nor is it possible to enter pairing mode by this tapping method. I have found pairing with some devices such as the Amazon FireStick or the Fiio BTA30 Pro to be problematic. The Fiio in particular is very difficult to pair with. Furthermore, it seems to remember the last pairing with a device and seems to want to reconnect to it even though it is unable to do so. Specifically, it seems that the connection with the Firestick is permanent, despite unpairing it, the moment I open the charging box it reconnects to it, preventing the connection with the Fiio. In order to work properly, I had to forget about the connection with the FireStick and carry out a very specific procedure with the Fiio. It should be said that with mobile phones or devices that have a screen the connection is easy.
It has a game mode in which the latency reaches 54ms. I have to comment that although Game Mode is activated, when paired with the Fiio BTA30 Pro or Amazon’s FireStick, there is clearly a higher latency. Paired to my new Xiaomi 13T this latency is much lower and you no longer notice that lag on something as simple as YouTube videos.
The LED on the charging box is colour coded to indicate the charging of the charging box as well as the charging of the TWS.
- Red: battery below 30%.
- White: battery between 30% and 70%.
- Green: battery above 70%.
Sound
Profile
The profile of the Rose Ceramics X has changed with respect to its predecessor. If normally the profiles of Bluetooth IEMS are a bit strange, this time the Xs have a frequency response in HiFi mode that is much more realistic and closer to other IEMS. It even comes close to very famous planars and other very good conventional models. Its profile in HiFi mode resembles a balanced V, almost a soft W. There are hardly any differences between the HiFi and Rock profiles, only that the Rock mode has slightly less treble. The biggest difference is in the Pop mode whose frequency response is closer to more Bass-Heads IEM levels, as the sub-bass is emphasised and the upper mids and treble are reduced. In this mode the vocal response is lost and I don’t quite understand why it is called Pop. Be that as it may, it is another more differentiated profile that may have its followers. But the real virtue of these IEMS is the HiFi mode profile and, above all, the increase in power and volume compared to the previous model, which makes the sound much clearer and closer to a wired IEMS. And this is not at all gratuitous coming from a person like me who has never had any sympathy for the sound coming from a TWS.
The following sound impressions I have taken into account using the Fiio BTA30 Pro connected to my PC in LDAC mode and HiFi response.
Bass
The first word that comes to mind when describing the Ceramics X’s bass is surprisingly natural. It has a fairly compact, dry and tight bass, with a more classic behaviour of a normal dynamic IEMS in the same price range. They may not be the fastest and their decay is not stellar. But their sonority and behaviour is realistic and without artefacts. It doesn’t feel coloured and doesn’t suffer in the worst conditions of dirty, unfiltered bass. In these cases it is capable of a simple, but very effective tracking, bearing the weight of the bass and not making any glitches that turn the bass into meaningless muddles. On the contrary, they are quite faithful and defend themselves with great authority.
The bass has a good point of depth, without being predominant in the mix, but having a wide prominence, a good representation that is never polarising. Their level is a little above neutral, something I like, with a very well achieved presence and an excellent reproduction for the price and, above all, for an IEMS TWS.
Finally, in the very low frequency pure tone test is the surprise. The lowest note is truly realistic, with no undulatory character, but with a high physical and sensory behaviour that gives it a reliable and very natural sonority, at the same time deep and dark. With this behaviour it is no wonder that the bass is of such quality, even better than many IEMS with BA drivers that reproduce bass. With my mouth open.
Mids
I have to emphasise again that I like the profile of the Ceramics X. The male voices are slightly recessed, but retain a fairly acceptable prominence. Their timbre is realistic, very accurate and natural. The first half of the midrange is not dense but maintains a good level of base, body and physicality, but without being too generous, broad or prominent. It is above neutral, slightly warm but not dark or distant. This moves the profile away from a classic V and towards a more classic Harman profile, quite well implemented. The sound does not come across as dense, although these are not overly explicit or defined IEMS. They are technical enough, though, to offer a reliable and very adequate representation. Something that makes me forget that I’m using sub-$50 TWS.
The female vocals are a little further ahead in the mix, but I still consider the main virtue to be the organic, analogue realism with which things sound in this central range. Nothing sounds artificial, their timbre is natural, even rich, juicy and very enjoyable. There’s nothing spectacular, it’s slightly above neutral, but certainly the profile is very well implemented, even to cut back on sibilance. Being purists one could say that the midrange is a bit dry because the upper part of this range is a bit muted. But it is safe and still clean. It may lack brightness and a little more sparkle and liveliness. But I think that would have given it a poorer sound quality, because, perhaps, it would not have been able to match a good treble quality. So I think Ceramics X have done the best they know how to do, and in the right places, maximising their strengths.
Treble
Looking at the graph it is clear that the Ceramics X’s treble is somewhat limited, nuanced, even delayed. But, surprisingly, they work. They don’t explode in your face, but they are there, the treble is present and in a more realistic way than in other similar tunings. It is clear that the energy level is very controlled, that they are safe, but their sound is very efficient. It is possible that the double peak (the first one may be an artefact of the microphone, but there must be something to it) and the extension in the air zone have something to do with it, a lot, even. But the truth is that the treble is better than it seems, it is well represented in the mix and it gives the rest of the frequencies a realistic and quite rich in harmonics sonority and timbre. Perhaps the definition, the speed and the analytical capacity is not the best, it is true that the Ceramics X can suffer in very complex occasions, fast passages and syncopated treble. This can be the weak part. But music is not always like this and it is possible that we are reaching the limits of these excellent TWS.
Soundstage, Separation
The scene is predominantly frontal, but it is not too intimate as it has a good level of depth and laterality, without being 180 degrees. There is a certain level of height, while the positioning and image are more than decent. As there is not a very separate spatiality such positioning will not be explicit, but I find no fault and the elements are distributed in a smooth way, without overlapping, without sounding dense and with a certain level of air and separation that makes it quite pleasant and bearable. Macro detail is more than decent and is even easily perceived. Micro detail can be intuited if they are in close-up shots, but not expressed. But that feeling of ‘they seem to be there’ is enough in this kind of IEMS. I’m convinced.
Comparisons
Conclusion
Those of you who may have read me before may know that I am not a big fan of TWS. But testing the new Rose Ceramics X I see a glimmer of hope. First, because their output volume is higher than many other TWS and without audible distortion. Secondly, because this time the sound does remind me of the sound of IEMS with lower priced cable. They are still not at the same level, but I can openly say that I was pleasantly surprised, so much so that I believe there is room for improvement. The qualitative leap from their previous Ceramics model has been huge: more volume, more power, better tuning and much better sound. It also has other improvements, such as LDAC and better battery life, all in the same shape. Unfortunately, it’s not all positive, there are connection problems, something that could be fixed in future firmware updates, as it seems that the Ceramics X can be updated thanks to Rose’s improved APP. And I’m looking forward to it, as it would make them my reference TWS.
Sources Used During the Analysis
- Xiaomi 13T 5G 256GB.
- Fiio BTA30 Pro.
- FireStick Amazon.
