122 MACWORLD APRIL 2020
PLAYLIST REVIEW: ASTELL&KERN T9IEThe cable has a flexible plastic/rubber sheath
that easily conforms around your ears.over-the-ear headphones. And that
sensation isn’t confined to classical. I
found that pop songs like Prince’s “Purple
Rain” came across with a newfound
dimensionality.
The AK T9iE exhibit a superb
transparency letting you see deep into the
music. The experience is heightened by
the fact that musical notes are tight.
The headphones realistically brought
to life musical nuances and details such as
the echoing vocal decays on Rebecca
Pidgeon’s “Spanish Harlem,” Led
Zeppeliln’s “Ramble On,” or Lea Michele’s
“Run to You.” Vocals sounded completely
natural, tight, and detailed. I could follow
every last note into silence.
Bass through the T9iE is good and
tight. There is ample punch in the upper
bass, but I longed for a bit more oomph in
the lower registers. If that’s how you feel,
you might want to experiment with turning
your A&K player’s Amp Mode from normal
to high.and again I found myself closing my eyes,
tapping my toes, or moving my head to the
music. Like a Siren, the T9iE called me to
experience anew my musical collection.
The first sensation you’ll notice when
wearing the T9iE is the uncanny sense of
soundstage space, depth, and height. If
you’re a classical music lover (like me)
who has been disappointed in the way
in-ear monitors render the majesty of
orchestral works, then the T9iE will
astound you. Playing the LSO’s DSD
version of Mahler’s Symphony 6, I reveled
in the grand expanse of the orchestral
stage. The same sensation held true with
the LSO’s 24-bit/48kHz recording of
“Mars Bringer of War” from Holst’s The
Planets, conducted by Sir Colin Davis.
Instruments were clearly placed and
appropriately layered on a beautifully
constructed soundstage.
The cable has a flexible plastic/rubber
sheath that easily conforms around your ears.
Put another way, the headphones will
deliver the music with an immediate three
dimensionality that’s more characteristic of