Introduction

Softears, formally known as Softear Acoustics, is a Chinese IEM brand that was conceptualized in 2014, with a studio started in Shenzhen in 2017 before moving to Chengdu in 2019 where it operates an independent R&D lab and its own production facilities—not too different from FiiO's industrial park that we visited recently. If some of this sounds familiar to you then you are probably too involved with IEMs and may need to take a break for your own mental health. Jokes aside, some of this story is also shared by MOONDROP, arguably the most famous IEM brand among the younger audiophiles today. Both MOONDROP and Softears operate out of the same industrial park and share some resources too. I understand that MOONDROP's CEO invested in Softears early on with the goal of helping the latter be a higher end, R&D-centric brand that puts out more premium products. In return, MOONDROP might use a Softears-developed driver in its IEMs or have some Softears personnel help with the R&D and manufacturing of some products. Softears is even considered as a sister brand of MOONDROP in this regard, although it operates fairly independently when it comes to its own products. This is also why I've had no issues getting MOONDROP samples in for review, yet had to wait until today for our first Softears product review.

One of my goals attending the Shenzhen International Audio Show recently was to finally meet Softears. The brand had a booth at the show—in a completely different section from MOONDROP, for anyone wondering—and had a few different products for people to try out. The Enigma, which is Softears's new flagship, immediately got my attention and it was easily one of the best IEMs I've tried at the show. Understandably, Softears was reluctant to send out the expensive Enigma for review, but they did offer the brand's previous release in the form of the Studio4. This set released in March 2023, making it almost ancient in a world where IEMs release and get discontinued within a calendar year at times, if not sooner. However, this is part of what makes Softears different from the norm—its IEMs have a longer product life cycle and get supported far beyond your typical IEM brands even contemplate. This also means any Softears product has undergone a longer R&D phase too, with a clear purpose that needs to be fulfilled before it is deemed ready.


The Studio4 is a four balanced armature driver set that is developed with studio recording, music mixing, and stage monitoring in mind. It's effectively an IEM analog of the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO we saw recently, and has a different role to play. Yet it has quickly become a favorite among audiophiles for its sound signature and tuning to where you will see the Studio4 near the top of many reviewer/influencer ranking lists, and it often gets recommended by the average IEM enthusiast too. I heard the Studio4 at Shenzhen and was immediately interested as a result of its comfortable fit and clean, yet engaging sound. Knowing that show floor conditions can be tricky, I of course agreed to their offer of a review sample to be able to try this out under familiar conditions. Note that there is also a newer "Starry Version" of the Studio4 that released recently, using clear resin shells and a sparkly blue faceplate, which seems to be exclusive to HiFiGo as of the time I write this review. Both versions should be otherwise identical elsewhere, including the sound which matters more, so this review should be representative of either in those metrics. Thanks to Softears for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp, and let's begin this review with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

The Softears Studio4 ships in a relatively tiny product box, even for IEMs that are already on the smaller side when it comes to transducers. It's a fairly simple design too, going for a white background with the brand logo and product name on the front in addition to a note on the driver configuration used. A sticker on the back confirms the product and its serial number, which in this case comes marked as a demo unit. We also see contact information for Softears here, and then we realize this is merely an outer sleeve that you can slide out from either side to reveal a more generic white cardboard box that simply comes with the Softears logo.


Open the box to reveal the storage/carry case right away, which we will get to shortly. Underneath is a separate layer containing the accessories, with Softears providing a multi-language warranty card + instruction manual going over the use and maintenance of the IEMs as well as how to connect the IEM cables if you are new to using them. We also get a 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm (1/4") adapter for use with more professional gear in a studio, for example, along with a lanyard and a cleaning tool that accompanies a branded soft microfiber cloth to further help keep the IEMs pristine after use. Softears also provides three sets of silicone ear tips inside a rolled wax paper bag, and these come in sizes S/M/L as seen above. It would have been nice to see more ear tips in the box, especially seeing how we get less expensive IEMs offering more included ear tips these days, but at least these feel reasonably well-built and generally comfortable. The cable also comes in this accessory layer, although we'll take a closer look at it on the next page.


The storage/carry case for the Studio4 is in line with the whole studio use theme, with Softears opting for function over form. We get a durable hard plastic case with a label on the top for branding. A large latch on the front helps keep the contents secure, and we see this black case also has internal seals to make it waterproof and more resistant to spills/accidents too. Inside is foam lining and a soft layer in the main compartment for added protection, and we then see the IEMs come individually wrapped inside two soft fabric drawstring pouches. There is enough room in the case to have the IEMs with installed cable and ear tips too, but not much more beyond this. This isn't a pocketable case unless you have cargo shorts/pants, and it's more something you chuck inside a larger bag or backpack for use on the go.