Introduction

If you are anything like me, then "Raptgo" might have made you lose interest already. I saw the name briefly last year with another of its IEMs, and had dismissed it as just another random Asian brand since there was no real information about the company. But then came along this seemingly magical 14 mm sized planar magnetic IEM driver, a version of which we saw on the 7Hz Timeless and the equally impressive LETSHUOER S12. Suddenly, everyone was trying to get their hands on this driver tech, and a couple of other planar magnetic IEMs aiming for a slice of that pie are coming up. Raptgo, as it turns out, is the in-house brand of Minami, an OEM brand established in 1995 that has been involved with products sold by Sennheiser, Bose, CORSAIR, Harmon Kardon, Oppo, and many others. So there are now two different reasons for some interest in Raptgo and their Raptgo Hook-X set of in-ear monitors.


Want two more reasons to read the entire review? The Raptgo Hook-X is an extremely rare set of open-back IEMs, such as the 64 Audio Duo we saw recently, and it is the even rarer set considering it is open-back with planar drivers. Audeze is the only other company I am aware of that made such products, but none of those left a lasting impact in the consumer world. The fourth reason is that the Hook-X is a hybrid set with not only a long-range planar magnetic driver, but also a piezoelectric (PZT) driver to handle the higher frequencies. This would be my first time listening to a set of headphones or earphones with a PZT driver, which certainly had me agree when Linsoul kindly offered TechPowerUp a set for review. So let's see if these reasons add up to make for a set worthy of purchase as we begin our detailed examination with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

It was during the unboxing section that I realized the Raptgo Hook-X wasn't just another re-branded set of earphones, with carefully designed packaging that has a multi-layered approach throughout. The product box is of average size for IEMs and comes in a plastic seal to set the tone. It's otherwise quite gray, with the front having shining lettering that goes from dark to light depending on the incident light. This includes the Raptgo logo I had to take from the packaging in the absence of a company website or other branded online materials. The product name, driver configuration, and a simple render of the IEMs are here too. An exploded wireframe view of the IEM internals provides more information on the back, where Raptgo indeed being part of the Minami technology company shows. All this is on an external sleeve that is slid off the inner box easily.


This inner box is similar with an all gray color scheme, and the Raptgo logo with contact information is on the front and back. This box too has a two-piece construction with a lid that lifts off to reveal the actual contents inside. There is a wax paper sheet on top with another Raptgo logo—hope you are keeping count here—to keep the items clean, with the two IEM shells in a thick foam sheet with machined cutouts to snugly hold them in place. A thick, textured cardboard pamphlet contains the paperwork consisting of a multi-language user manual and product warranty card. The user manual is a primer for those new to IEMs and walks you through the installation of the cable with the IEMs and how to properly insert them into the ears.


The other accessories are in separate compartments below the two we just saw, and every single items is adorned with more logos—Raptgo is looking to compete with ASUS ROG in this regard! The smaller of the two boxes contains six individual plastic zip lock bags, with the first three containing six silicone ear tips each. This means we get a total of 18 ear tips with the Raptgo Hook-X, split into sizes S, M, and L. These are all Spinfit-style tips in that they have an internal rotary pivot for the outer flange to better work into your ear canal for a more secure fit, but I otherwise can't really tell you what the differences between the white bore, black bore, and cyan bore versions are since they all look and feel the same!


The other three plastic bags from the smaller accessory box contain the modular cable connectors: 2.5 mm balanced TRRS, 3.5 mm single-ended TRS, and 4.4 mm balanced TRS plugs. These are gold-plated for added oxidation resistance and have metal housings in a matching gray color that seems to be a powder-coated finish on aluminium, and the Raptgo logo is once again seen on each of the three connectors. The mating point has four pins and a sculpted plastic exterior that no doubt fits into a matching insert on the cable. We saw a version of this implementation with the ThieAudio Smart cable included with the $1,500 ThieAudio V16 Divinity. However, these are substantially smaller, lighter, and thus also more practical for IEMs.


The storage case is where things do not feel as premium after all—it is relatively cheap-looking and feeling. It's also gray, albeit a different shade, and the Raptgo logo with the company name makes another showing to cement the branding in your head. The zipper slider also seems somewhat fragile. That said, I wasn't expecting a weather-resistant zipper mechanism. The case opens up to reveal a secondary compartment on the inside for spare tips and cable plugs, and perhaps even a portable DAC/amp or dongle. The cable is in the primary compartment, which has a felt lining to keep the contents safe, and the case is large enough to accommodate the IEMs with the cable and installed ear tips quite easily.