To put it simply, I am IN LOVE with this iem. I have never called myself a bass head while I do enjoy bass, I have always concentrated more on a neutral or slightly above bass response. Rich and textured mids and extended treble (BA density with some air over extra airy is my preference) in the iems I have enjoyed most. Fei Wan comes to mind. I love that iem. I would re-buy it in an instant if I did not have to spend another 2k+ for a solid upgrade cable for it. But we are not talking about Fei Wan here. This is all about the King of Bass, The Fulgrim! It has converted me….into a bass head! My bass desires must have been buried deep within only awaiting the fury of the Fulgrim to unleash the beast of bass lust into my heart and soul.
The Fulgrim however, is more than just Bass. It is has clear and clean mids that are very linear with texture and definition and slightly forward giving Fulgrim a true W shape ( another preference point ). Treble that is extended and sparkling with a density that surprises me coming from EST’s. It is airy but not over done, more texture than air while not dull or blunted at all! Dimensionality is quite a surprise, many moments I have been startled with sounds popping out of the dark background unexpected and out of head. It is not hugely 3D, instead it has great layering giving immense depth of stage which keeps me engaged, another one of my preferences over a super wide and tall stage. I am a sucker for layering and separation. Fulgrim does not let me down. The stage width is not small by any margin but it is not a Traillii wide. Transients are quick and defined, not too sharp or too textured. Imaging is really good as well, not Mentor BCD type of imaging but much more natural. It has a live feeling to the sound. It will not sugar coat a recording. It is an energetic tuning, not for laid back listening imo. It reminds me a lot of my desktop speakers with more bass authority.
Going back to the bass, this is what everyone loves about the Fulgrim and it is a highlight, but I would not say it is what defines it. I would not put it in that box. The bass is phenomenal with body, depth, texture and dynamics. It punches, slams and rumbles with authority. The best part is that it’s defined, it stays in its lane, Never bleeding over to the other frequencies. To me this is quite a feat! I have never heard such bass with such resolution not only in the bass but across the FR. LX was my last bass head iem and I also loved that iem but it did have a veil and it did bleed into the mids and did not have the resolution of the Fulgrim, not even close.
I bought the Fulgrim blind but I have been doing this for 5+ years so I felt comfortable in that decision and I do not regret it. Is it worth it and should you buy it? that depends on what one is willing to spend and what you are looking for, its not the highest level of technicality/detail but I am not one to chase that dragon. After having APX SE which to me is one of the most resolving iems ever, it began to fatigue me with all the information, distracting me from the music and focusing only analyzing the sound. For me, that robbed me of the passion of music. I took a long break after that. Then bought a OG Phönix, the antithesis of the APX SE but still quite resolving. As much as I loved the thick note weight of the mids and density and sparkle of the treble, the BA bass started to bore me with its mid bass hump and slow decay lacking definition, so then I took another long break only having a modest single DD iem that I was gifted. That renewed my love for DD bass and DD timbre. So then comes Yu9 Que, Asteria and now Fulgrim with Ventura incoming once its launched here in the USA. A very long winded way of saying for me its worth the buy especially if you can get it used or “like new” from MT. I am thinking of writing a full review on it but I am awaiting some Eletech Stage tips to try out first. Personally, I have no issue with the design of the shell, I actually quite like it. Also I have no issue with the stock Aura cable. I know there is a new cable from Astral on the way called Luna that is supposed to really be great synergy with Fulgrim.
