OK, it's been around 3 days since I got the A161s, and after around 50 hours of burn in, I do want to give some impressions to give you guys an idea of how they sound instead of leaving you in the blue
:
Bass:
What wows me the most is what is quantifully (is that a word? It is now) the least. The texture... beautifully delicate in every way possible. Subtle, but when present really creates a euphoric effect. However, the sub-bass bass does have a tendency to get lost behind the powerful mids which can take away from this experience. The impact is quite nice with these IEMs, however, it does lack punch (my definition of punch and impact may differ from yours; read on). Essentially, this means that you can feel all the impacts, but you can't hear them... You just feel the bass.
Mids:
Energetic, revealing, transparent. These describe the mids in a cinch. The mids are powerful and filled with energy. However, at times, unlike the ASG-1, they can have too much power to them (I hope this drops a bit with burn in). The midrange is vocal-focused however, so it will bring out all the energy in just about every single vocalist, male or female. Midrange detail is really great overall, and clarity is beautiful. Although the mids can be a bit too much at times, they technically are sound.
Highs:
Somewhat recessed in nature in comparison to the lows and mids. There is good sparkle and separation to them. They do carry energy of their own, but is overshadowed by the mids a bit. Detailing is good on them, but not quite as great as the detailing in the low end, or midrange. The clarity is good if you don't mind listening through the mids to get to them. Although the weakest link on the A161, the highs do carry great quality to them overall.