Compared to PMG Audio Apx SE (Review Link)
PMG Audio Apx SE is the newest as well as a very strong contestee that would compete with First Light. Both IEMs have their own strengths, and while overall have a similar sound signature if looking at the very basic scale, the differences are still significant. The bass of First Light is more meaty, groovy, and masculine, so the bass generously fills up the ground atmosphere with greater thickness.
On the other hand, Apx SE’s bass is more revealing in texture and more resolving. The sub-bass is also relatively linear in thickness. The satisfaction coming from the thick bass groove is more pleasing on the First Light but for the satisfaction based on clarity and resolving resolution, Apx SE has the upper hand.
First Light has a more v-shaped sound, hence the vocals are relatively placed behind – but this is different from other typical v-shaped IEMs due to its different sound target that pursues itself as an “IEA”.
Continuing on PMG Apx SE vs. R&W First Light
While the vocals are placements are recessed than the Apx SE, the front-back depth of the vocals is more fulfilling, making the vocals full-bodied not only in a two-dimensional way but giving a 3D experience, so the way that First Light presents the sound is a lot different from conventional IEMs. Hence they prefer to describe First Light as an “In-Ear Auditorium” than simply an in-ear monitor or an earphone (meanwhile we’ve titled our Apx Amber review as the in-ear auditorium!)
The overall sound of First Light is darker, warmer, and more analogous. While it’s not sufficient to fully encapsulate First Light’s sound in a few paragraphs, First Light is more genre-dependent (has higher performance for tracks with instruments, classical, jazz, live-recorded tracks, etc). It still sounds fabulous in modern genres like pop or non-live music, yet nonetheless, that’s the case. For the genres that are well suited to First Light, it simply dominates the Apx SE.
But as said, the genre-depending, which means First Light also comes with a higher chance of polarizing in satisfaction due to personal preference. Meanwhile, Apx SE is much more of an all-rounder when it comes to genres and personal preference, and it handles evenly well for various genres as well as the general ears.
Compared to Rhapsodio Supreme V3 (Review link)
The Supreme V3 is Rhapsodio’s flagship IEM sporting a single extremely powerful, proprietary MST driver. This was a fun comparison as Rhapsodio went all the way with their capabilities for engineering and tuning the MST driver, whereas First Light defied the MST structure and re-engineered and created their new driver called R-ESTDD.
While I was initially surprised by Supreme V3’s stellar bass performance and still am, the First Light puts itself above Supreme V3 when it comes to the extension, scale, and fullness of the bass. The extremely large bass packed with utmost density from First Light offers great sensation with every bass punch and groove it releases.
Of course, the unique presentation of First Light mentioned earlier is what also differentiates with the Supreme V3 – though the V3 also does an incredible job for the soundstage. If you’re more keen on enjoying a headroom that an IEM would usually provide but one that heads for maximum performance, Supreme V3 would fit better. On the other hand, if you want a thick, fuller-bodied, gigantic sound and are treble-shy, the First Light would be a better choice.
Continuing on Rhapsodio Supreme V3 vs. R&W First Light
Supreme V3 does a noticeably better job revealing the texture details for the mid-highs, leading to a more resolving vocal and treble that focuses on revealing the fine grains and strands of upper-frequency details. The V3’s vocal tone is also neutral-bright and has a more agile response. The mid-range is also more linear than First Light’s, offering neutral-thick vocals.
First Light has a much warmer, darker, and more solemn timbre and temperature compared to Supreme V3. Meanwhile, Supreme V3 has a more neutral sound and balanced temperature. The bass quantity is lesser than that of First Light (more because First Light offers extreme bass presence).
While both IEMs have just about the same level of treble performance, the listening experience would be completely different. Supreme V3 reveals crisp, clear trebles that introduce to you “sharp but not sharp” trebles, or very resolving and technical but not piercing trebles. Meanwhile, First Light’s trebles are the complete opposite in many aspects, having a darker tone, lesser in quantity (while being extensive), and desires a smooth, creamy texture.
If you desire crystal-clear treble, then Supreme V3 would be the one to go. Meanwhile, if you are treble-shy, or Lastly, while these two IEMs are very different in sound signature, they still share one common characteristic: they are picky on genres. Supreme V3 is ideal for instrumental, classical, jazz, pop, and most modern genres but not treble-heavy or treble-aggressive genres such as rock.
Instead, Supreme V3 is still one of the very best that even outruns First Light for realistic instrumental details and reverbs of string instruments. Similarly, First Light is more fit to classical and genres that consider atmospheric details and holographic tracks, though not ideal for tracks that you want clean-cut and sharp mid-highs such as J-pop.
Verdicts: An Irreplaceable, Timeless Innovation as an In-Ear Auditorium
There was a solid reason why Ross&Wing stated First Light as an In-Ear Auditorium, and they have every reason to call it as it is. It took me a while to understand First Light’s sound. In fact, at the earliest stage of listening to First Light, I wasn’t so impressed with its sound considering what I was expecting to listen out of this IEM. Well, at least I took this as an “IEM” and not an “IEA”.
However, the more I tune into First Light, I’ve realized my initial reluctance towards its sound was due to my decade-old perception of “how an earphone should sound”. First Light didn’t sound how an “earphone” should sound, and I was trying to squeeze First Light into my understanding of an IEM, meanwhile First Light is going for a completely different sound target and presentation – an “in-ear auditorium”, or at least an “in-ear speaker”.
Once realizing this and listening to First Light ‘as it is’, I started to truly appreciate how it sounded. It didn’t stop at a mere appreciation but an eye-opening experience that introduced me to how an in-ear could sound, or how an in-ear could be tuned to desire something beyond how a typical earphone would usually sound and have been sounding so far.
Sure, First Light may not be everyone’s cup of tea due to its unique sound target as an IEA (In-Ear Auditorium), especially if you’re highly into appreciating the general IEM sound where the vocals and trebles would sound next to your ears whispering with vibrant transparency.
Yet then again, listening to First Light’s gigantic, thick, and extremely holographic sound that fully fills the sound from back to forth is an addictive charm of First Light, and once you start acknowledging this charm, it’s hard to go back, just as I did. If you’d like a portable speaker-like or an auditorium-like presentation that could be created just within your ears, then First Light would be an irreplaceable, timeless in-ear product.
