Clavelon Delta's Review - A does It all IEM

 

General/Build/Packaging/Comfort

This is my first time hearing about this brand, Clavelon. So, I guess it's safe to say, it is a relatively new brand in the market. The overall design and packaging does have a cyberpunk look/feel to it. If you’re interested, this is a snippet of the brand’s story from Linsoul “The name "CLAVELON" is derived from the Spanish word for "Carnation," symbolising enduring faith and everlasting love. Meanwhile, "CLAVELON" signifies strength and greatness in Cantonese slang, embodying our mission: to create high-quality products that deliver both outstanding sound and contemporary style for music lovers and those who seek a high-quality, fashionable lifestyle.”

The packaging overall is very good, the bundled cable definitely looks very high quality and the only gripe I have with it is the lack of a storage case, other than that, overall it is good. The build quality of Delta itself is very solid, the unit feels very sturdy, but the triangular geometry shape might not be for everyone in terms of comfort and fit, but personally I don't have any issue with it as the shell itself is not big, so it is fine.

Gears used for this review

• Aune S9C

• ROG Ally Z1 Extreme 3.5mm Out

• Clavelon Delta Stock cable and Eartips

• iBasso DX180

Foreword

My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression 

The Delta’s sound signature is leaning towards a warmer profile, U shaped tuning to my ears. Timbre is overall quite natural with relatively good note weight across the frequency range. It does quite well for most of the genre in my library (Pop, Rock, Jpop, Classical, OST)

Bass

• Bass on the Delta is not lacking by all means, It is punchy has good quality bass with sufficient quantity, but certainly not a set where i would recommend to basshead

• It has good textures and body to it, doesn’t sound loose and thin

• Mid bass has good slam and punch to it, listening to Metallica’s Lux Aeterna is very pleasing as every hit on the drum be can felt

• Sub bass is transition to mid bass is quite smooth, it definitely rumbles but doesn’t go that deep

• The speed is also excellent on the Delta, handling complex tracks with ease without sounding muddy and bleeding into the mids

Mids

• The midrange is good with sufficient note weight, not sounding thin and vocal positioning is not too forward nor laid back

• Female vocal has good energy to it and good texture

• Male vocal that has low baritone voice such as Zhao Peng retains the warmth and texture to it, it doesn’t sound thin at all, very pleasant experience

• The upper mids are never shouty, but the downside is that the female vocal does have slightly lesser bite

• Slightly recessed in the mids, but not really a deal breaker

Treble

• Treble response on the Delta is not that energetic, more on the smoother side but certainly not dark sounding

• Good amount of air and presence and contributed to good sense of staging and imaging as well, resolution is very good for the asking price

• Detail retrieval is good and i can hear the nuances distinctively without having to try hard, an example of such track is Faye Wang’s 旋木，the finger slides from the guitar can be heard easily

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage for Delta is good for the price, good sense of width, depth, a little lacking in height but very good overall. It is quite spacious sounding, listening to orchestral or live tracks is very enjoyable

• Imaging is average, why do i say that? Instruments can be pin pointed for non complex tracks, when it gets busy, it will be a little fuzzy in terms of imaging

Driveability

• The Delta is not hard to drive, any mid range dongle will do just fine

• It doesn’t really benefit much from amplification based on my testing

• Pairing it with iBasso’s DX180 tilts the overall spectrum to the slightly warmer side with a thicker note weight, whereas on the DX180, it is not as warm but quite dynamic overall 

Comparison (Simgot EW300)

• The tuning of Simgot’s EW300 is more on the harmanish side, overall note weight i would say they are more slightly thinner and more energetic

• Soundstage is just slightly out of your head compared to Delta which has a wider and bigger perception of stage, imaging is more or less similar

• Mids are forward on the EW300 and the upper mids might be perceived as slightly offensive for those who are sensitive in this region

• Mid bass on the EW300 is punchy and more focussed on mid bass rather than sub bass, extension is slightly better compared to Delta

• Treble is slightly more energetic on EW300

• EW300 is easy to drive and scales with better source, similar to Delta, but doesn’t benefit much from amplification based on my listening impression

Final Thoughts

I have a very positive experience with Delta and I definitely look forward to trying out their upcoming products from the brand when I have the chance. Delta is a solid product overall that offers good sonic performance, at the same time, showcasing the brand’s tuning direction that they’re going for, exciting times ahead i would say.

With all things considered, this is not to say that Delta is perfect and without flaws, or perhaps i shouldn’t say flaws because i’d be instilling my own preferences instead of properly reviewing the IEM itself, i would say if the treble can be slightly more energetic and at the same time it will not sound harsh ,it would make the overall listening experience more “musical”. All in all, the Delta is definitely worth recommending.

*Delta is being sent over for the purpose of this review. I thank Linsoul for the opportunity as always. I am not influenced in any way to produce this review nor do I receive any monetary compensation.

Head over to the Linsoul’s store link if you are interested in getting a pair!

Calvelon Delta - Non Affiliated Link