Closer Examination

I was quite impressed with the cable that comes with the Raptgo Hook-X, and the modular connectors are a big part of it. Cables such as these usually cost $50–$100 by themselves, and making one specifically customized for an IEM is even more of a flex from the OEM of Raptgo and its parent company. The color scheme reminds me of a green and black Dodge Viper, and there is more of that to come down below. I suppose I went in expecting more gray, but found it continuing the design language in the metal housings with green accent rings. As anticipated, the source end only comes with an insert, and it is a push-fit into any of the three balanced or single-ended connectors depending on your source. This then leads to the conductor, which is Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) silver-plated high-purity copper in multiple strands twisted and contained inside a coaxially shielded insulation. There is then the green and black sleeving on top to make for two individual wires in total—one per channel—that a low profile splitter with a matching cable cinch splits. We see Raptgo branding multiple times here, and the cable cinch is fairly functional, retaining its position most of the time courtesy the thick cable strands. The only part where it feels like an afterthought is the transparent plastic sheathing on the other end; it looks cheap compared to the rest of the cable. The IEM connectors are 0.78 mm 2-pin to no doubt please most people, with subtle green accents, and L/R markings for the left and right channels respectively. I found the cable completely non-microphonic and easy enough to re-shape despite the bulkier nature relative to other IEM cables.


Hundreds of IEMs are released each month now, and I can't recall a single one going this bold neon green and gray route. Thankfully, it's not as stark as the page one title image might suggest. Instead, as with the cable above, the green is an accent trim all around the face plate. For uniformity from sample to sample, the shells are 5-axis CNC-machined aluminium—alloy or otherwise. Raptgo says the shell housing was "software designed after a large number of simulation experiments to match the typical ear angle and wearing experience," which in itself is not unique. But we see a semi-custom ergonomic design nonetheless, which should help comfortably fit the IEMs in the ears. The green trim is also metal to the touch, as is the face plate grill. The Raptgo Hook-X is an open-back set with several punched holes in the face plate for non-restrictive airflow to the drivers. This is extremely rare to begin with, and the combination with a planar/PZT hybrid driver configuration makes this an absolute unicorn with a neon green horn.


A closer look at the face plates is as close to the drivers as you will get, and both drivers are closed off to an extent courtesy the magnets on the planar driver and piezo elements on the PZT driver. So it's not a case of these drivers being completely exposed to the elements either, although I would not use them outdoors, if only for peace of mind. Also, there's is a "To VSG" on the plastic seal over the product box on the back, which I didn't bother showing thinking it was just their way of marking review samples to different media personnel. But I then realized it went beyond that as it was engraved on the side alongside the company and product name and L/R markings. As far as I can tell, no option for such laser engravings on retail units exists, which would have been nice. So it does appear to purely be a means to get some brownie points from the media, which I acknowledge while clarifying that it won't impact the review itself. That aside, we see side-mounted 2-pin connectors on a protruding section of the shells, which should work well enough with the cable for a flush fit. There's a single vent on the inner side, and we see a short, angled nozzle machined out of the same aluminium as the housing. The stubby nozzle has an OD of ~5.4 mm at the widest point, which includes a retaining lip to keep the ear tips in place. A metal mesh is placed on the end of the nozzle to prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber.


Three types of silicone tips in three sizes each come with the Raptgo Hook-X, and the colored bore section perfectly fits on the nozzle between the shell and lip on the end. This allows for the pivot point to be positioned just at the end of the nozzle, and you can thus orient the nozzle entrance at the base of your ear canal with the ear tips angling inward to better fit your ears. Once again, it is a case of the accessories and IEMs designed to work well with each other as opposed to just randomly sourcing generic parts and putting them together. I still can't tell you what the difference between those three types of tips is, but do try them all out to get the best-possible fit, including different sizes for both sides if your ears are not equally sized or shaped.


Regardless of which tips you go with, the next step is to connect the cable by carefully identifying the matching channels and orienting the ear hooks around your ears naturally when connected to the IEMs. Doing so is extremely simple since you just push the two pins on the cable connectors into the female receptacles on the IEMs, with a friction fit keeping them in place. The green and gray color scheme combined with no exposed gap makes for a cohesive design that is easily identifiable as the Raptgo Hook-X without it looking gaudy. Now, simply connect to the source using your preferred plug option, and I did try all three using a combination of a few different balanced and single-ended sources. I know there are many who prefer using IEMs throughout, but I like to use over-ear headphones when sitting down and IEMs on the go. I paired the Hook-X with all the tested portable DAC/amps to date and personally like the cleaner profile and handy EQ options of the Qudelix-5K as the source, in turn paired to my phone or laptop.