Alclair Audio Curve Quick Review

Alclair Audio Curve Quick Review

Thanks to Alclair for the sample.

Brief:  Alclairs not custom, not monitor.

Price:  US$250 or about £163 before HMRC gets you.

Specification:  Err, it’s a dual BA.

Accessories:  Err, a little case, a carabineer and 3 pairs of Comply’s

Build Quality:  Very nice.  Cable is very nice, jack is too and the buds look nicely finished.  Plus they have a removable cables if you do manage to kill them.

Isolation:  Very good.  They are BA’s so while they aren’t Ety’s they are easily good enough for long flights or a daily Tube commute.  Learn to use your eyes when out or you’ll get yourself run over sharpish.

Comfort/Fit:  Given their shape I’m sure they can’t work for everyone.  They just can’t.  However for me they were pretty awesome.  Perfect fitting and could wear them all day long with no issue.

Aesthetics:  Weird, I like them.  A bit action seeking but I’m okay with that.

Sound:  I love these. Love them, LOVE THEM !!!!!!!!  They are marketed as “monitors” erm, yeah but no, they really aren’t monitors.  They are rather light in the treble, way boosted in the bass and have stunning mids.  I mean if the bass was dialled waaaaaaaaaaay back I could think them monitors, like the SE420.  As they stand their bass is way too big to called monitors but from a purely personal point of view, this is not something I’m having a problem with.  The bass, huge yes but its BA bass, not dynamic, flabbing all over the place bass.  Sure for a BA it’s a little less taut than the most nimble but the trade-off is its so gorgeously smooth, with just the faintest hint of softness.  It’s so billowy and flawing and sumptuous like a cascade of gently melted chocolate.  Bloody good chocolate too!  The bass and the mids are just glorious wonders.  The mids are on the chocolatey side, a little rich for breathy artists perhaps.  The treble too, while retaining great amounts of detail it isn’t readily thrown in your face.  It’s rather reserved like a faint citrus note swirling in that chocolatey molten goodness.  It’s there but subtle so you may not instantly have it fully articulated before you.  Like Susan Wong’s version of “Umbrella” it’s all about the subtlety.  Heading to more vigorous stuff and the large but still BA bass means it can ratchet things up to thumping levels and still dance on a pin head.  It can roar out you with its big warm mass of sonic yumminess.  Dark weighty bass, mids rich and superbly articulate with a light sprinkling of treble to top things off.

Value:  Easily my fav in production dual BA.  Isolates superbly and has gobs of incredibly talented bass, with creamy lush mids.  Whats not to love?  I’d pay it in an instant.

Pro’s:   BASS.  Mids are just glorious.  Super easy on the ear treble.

Con’s:  Bass really is a bit over much.  Treble light for some.