ROCK's brand new Mubow provide an excellent build quality, on par with brands like Xiaomi, with the braided cable and metallic parts with matte finish. The sound, however, is on the average side, being quite mid-centric, but the overall sound is somewhat discolored and darkish. Although these earphones have a decent bass response, it's nowhere as impressive and deep as Zircon's or Y5's bass. So far, ROCK appears to be unable to beat their first and most popular earphones.
ROCK Mubow (RAU0567)
ø10mm Dynamic Driver
$10~$15
3.0/5.0
Pros
- The mids are nicely pronounced, making a great experience, especially for watching movies.
- The bass response was improved over the old Mula.
- Unbeatable build quality and a generous use of quality materials.
- Extremely comfortable to wear.
- Although the plug is not angled, it is far more durable than the one you get with Zircon.
- The cable comes perfectly straight out of the box. Well done, ROCK.
Cons
- They lack in brightness and clarity in comparison to Mula, having a darkish tone and harsh reproduction of the upper-mids.
Package & Accessories
Package:
Soft paperboard
Ear Tips - Single-Flange:
S+M+L*, black, ø5mm bores
Pouch:
Fabric, black, generic
- While both the S and M-sized tips have a shiny and grippy texture, the L-sized tips actually have a generic matte texture and are not as grippy.
Build & Materials
Housings:
Metal + plastic (matte), ø4.5mm nozzles, no strain reliefs
Remote:
Metal, triple-button
Y-Split:
Metal, stiff strain relief
Cable:
Fabric + TPE, 121cm, extra-soft, straight
Plug:
Metal, straight, short, soft strain relief
Comfort & Fit
The angled design, along with the grippy ear tips (specifically the S and M-sized ones, the L ones have a generic soft texture), make a perfect seal out of the box and hold the earphones firmly in place, never felt discomfort with these. ROCK nailed it with these even more than with Zircon when it comes to comfort.
With that being said, unlike Y5, the thickness of these earphones might make some ears a little bit irritated.
Lows / Bass
Moderately pronounced bass response, a bit sluggish but has enough depth to enjoy just about any type of music. Although the bass is deep enough, it lacks a punch and tends to be slightly unstable, which has some effect on the consistency of the mids. In other words, deep bass can make the mids a bit bouncy.
Mids / Vocals
The mids sound quite nice for clean vocals and instruments. Very pronounced and upfront. However, when trying out some more complex music pieces, it is evident that the mids are darkish than expected and high-pitch sounds have a harsh tone. Vocals could sound a bit unstable when deep bass content is present at the same time, i.e. hip-hop music.
Highs / Treble
Unlike the mids, the highs are quite recessed and lack their natural tone, hense the slight harshness of high-pitch sounds. Granted, you can expect sibilance-free sound, but the lack of detail and precision make the highs not so pleasant.
Frequency Response
Exposed bass vents:
Sealed bass vents:
Published on 2017-07-05 17:58:51 (GMT)