Closer Examination

The Lime Ears TERRA ships with a two-strand cable that comes with a fixed 4.4 mm TRRRS balanced termination, and there really is no mention of the source termination anywhere in the Lime Ears website, which feels like a huge omission and runs the risk of upsetting some people if they are not ready for it. Then there's the part where you might have seen earlier reviews where the TERRA comes with a green-colored cable, only to be confused with the copper-looking cable seen above as well as in all retail units following an initial small batch. As it turns out, Lime Ears partnered with Singapore-based cable maker Effect Audio for the TERRA. The green-colored cable could be seen as a pre-order bonus perhaps, if not also for the first few orders after launch, following which we get this cable which honestly does not match the vibe or aesthetic of the TERRA at all. Given the attention to detail paid so far with the product box and the storage/carry case, I don't know why Lime Ears went this route. Perhaps there wasn't much of a choice left in this matter, and Effect Audio selling some higher priced TERRA IEMs + Effect Audio cable bundles doesn't help things either. Then there's the part where this cable, which uses copper conductor, has again very little information provided about it, only for us to find out it's on the stiffer side with more cable memory than I'd like to see. The hardware is all metal in gunmetal gray, although the cable cinch/chin slider is quite useless as it just falls back and never remains in place. The two thick strands are then split into one per channel, with pre-formed ear hooks closer to the IEM side where we see standard 0.78 mm 2-pin connectors. A blue/red dot on the connector housing helps identify the left/right channel, respectively. The metal plugs come gold-plated for oxidation resistance, but overall I am left dissatisfied with the stock cable in both function and form.


It's a good thing then that the TERRA IEMs are the very first thing you see in the box, as they are quite impressive and more than shift your impressions back into the positive side. The TERRA shells are made of aircraft-grade aluminium, and uses 5-axis CNC machining for precise forming too. We are used to seeing this aluminium grade in keyboards from mainstream brands such as Corsair, yet it's a rarity in the audiophile world. While the aircraft-grade term is more for marketing purposes there, at least with the TERRA we find a benefit in terms of the shells being extremely light and yet plenty durable to the point where you will barely notice them in the ears. Indeed, this is the first thing most people commented on at trade shows, having come to expect metal shell IEMs to weigh more than resin shell ones, and certainly not on par with injection-molded thin plastic shell IEMs when it comes to mass. This also enabled Lime Ears to fit a heavier driver inside, as we will soon see, while still keeping things lightweight! The shells are given a semi-ergonomic shape to better fit in your ears, are on the smaller side of average for added comfort, and have a light green anodized finish that is really nice to look at in person and way harder to photograph accurately. Don't worry if you see some photos elsewhere make these shells look brown in color, it's just poor color correction there.


While the shells are attractive and yet still decidedly on the clean side, the faceplates are anything but. Lime Ears has opted for polymer impregnated synthetic opal (PISO) faceplates on the TERRA, more specifically a multicolored mosaic patterned Bello opal that goes from shades of green to brown similar to how leaves change color with the seasons. There are specks of blue and red visible from certain viewing angles too, but this is a set that is eye catching without being garish in any way—I am a big fan and my partner, who is far more trustworthy when it comes to fashion and aesthetics, agrees this is a pretty looking set of IEMs. The faceplates have soft curves all around and are slightly inset in the shells, although the gaps between the two are only really visible under a macro lens. The TERRA and Lime Ears branding completes the picture, as we move back to the shells to see these use two pieces that are fit together, with the top section containing the faceplate and the bottom one having the 2-pin connectors that are flush with the shell surface. The inner side will have the serial number on it, with this demo sample being marked accordingly. A look from the side also shows the shells are not thick either, and the nozzle is machined out of the same aluminium piece as the bottom shell section. It comes out at a gentle angle and is long enough to fit into ear canals securely, although note that it is 6.25 mm wide and could pose some fit/comfort issues if you have narrow ear canals. There is a metal filter fitted on the end of the nozzle to help prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber. Do try the ear tips provided and see what works best for you from a comfort and seal perspective, and there is a defined end point where the bores fit into. I do wish there was a retaining lip/notch in the nozzle to help keep the ear tips in place, although these stock tips are going to be a struggle to fit over the larger nozzle in the first place. Between this and the Spinfit W1 not always guaranteeing the most isolating fit, I would highly recommend tip-rolling if you find any comfort or seal issues with the stock tips.


The next step is to attach the provided cable to the shells, which fits easily into the recessed 2-pin connectors as seen above and remains there with a friction fit. The cable does have flush-mount 2-pin connectors at least, so it doesn't jut out of the IEM shells as with some other IEM/cable combinations we've seen before. I still think it should have been a better cable in the box though, and this combination only works aesthetically from a specific viewing angle where the faceplates look orange.