The Xcape Impressive Edition, hereafter referred to as the Xcape IE, is meant to possess a more audiophile-friendly sound signature than the Xcape v1 and Xcited models. Claimed to require 200 hours of burn-in to settle into its intended sound, the IE is warm and smooth, with an emphasis on the mids and lows. The bass is more impactful than with the Xcited although depth is fairly similar. Attack/decay times are a little slower and the low end tends to linger somewhat. Low notes produced by the IE are somewhat soft in character, so those looking for crispness will probably better off with the Xcited. That said, out of the five <$100 Sunrise and HiFiMan IEMs Ive heard, I think its safe to say that the IE is the most impactful overall. Despite being rather full-sounding, the bass still carries good detail and texture and doesnt bleed up. As such, it should appeal more to the average music listener without offending fans of the more analytical HiFiMan earphones and the Xcape v1.
The mids, similarly, are lush and smooth, but detailed. The IE is not nearly as dry-sounding or textured as the original Xcape and remains far smoother than the Xcited all the way up. Its note presentation has a pleasant thickness to it and remains slightly soft in nature. Expectedly, leaner-sounding in-ears such as the RE0 and MEElec CC51 have slightly better clarity while the warmer IE sounds more full and sweet. As with the CC51, one of the Xcape IEs greatest strengths lies in its ability to provide a warm and generally pleasant sound signature without compromising detail.
The treble of the IE is slightly laid-back compared to the midrange. It is not necessarily rolled off but just doesnt have the effortless presence of the Xcited or RE0. Instead, the top end is soft and gentle, accompanying the bass and midrange but never becoming a focal point. As before, smoothness is top notch and it takes very high volumes to coax the IE into sounding harsh. Presentation is impressive as well the IE is more layered and three-dimensional than the old Xcape but not quite as wide or airy as the brighter-sounding Xcited. While not as unique as that of the Xcited, the presentation of the IE is more realistic and draws less attention to itself. Soundstage width is slightly above that of the RE-ZERO and MEElec CC51 and the depth is better than that of the Xcape v1. The earphone is equally adept at conveying both distance and intimacy and doesnt get congested despite its greater thickness and softer note presentation. Imaging is good as well but the dynamics of the IE tend towards the softer side of things. The Xcited and Xcape v1 can both do immediate and explosive a tiny bit better than the IE. In general, compared to the v1 Xcape, the IE makes gains in layering and dimensionality at the expense of sounding a bit more intimate on the whole. It is a sweet-sounding earphone and a pleasant listen, although those looking for something with an analytical edge will probably want to stay away.
