Smabat ST-10 Review – The Earphone Earbud

Pros —  Meaty sound with a healthy low end unusual for an earbud; good depth; pleasant sound image; interesting design.

Cons — Recessed mids; some technicalities could be improved.

You find a series of photos of the Smabat ST-10 on our blog HERE.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Smabat ST-10 is distinguished from the usual Sennheiser lookalike earbuds by its over-ear fit and a much fuller, juicy low end triggering a meaty, homogenous sound. It should appeal to people who like an in-ears sound but not an in-ears feel.

INTRODUCTION

Much has been written about the Smabat ST-10 and I refer the attentive reader to the 10 or so existing reviews. I’d like to present you with distilled and condensed information focusing on the relevant features of this earbud.

SPECIFICATIONS

Product Name: Smabat ST-10 metal earbud
Model: ST-10
Type: Earbud
Impedance: 45 Ω
Sensitivity: 115 dB/mW
Frequency Range: 10-22000Hz
THD: <1% @ 1 KHz
Plug Interface: 3.5 mm
Cable Length: 1.2 m ± 5cm
Colour: Green
Plug Type: Line Type
Interface: MMCX connector
Drive unit: Single 15.4mm dynamic drive unit
Price: $99 (at the time of this review)
Purchase Link: NiceHCK Audio Store

IN THE BOX…

…are a fine pleather case, three pairs of screens, a largely textile-coated cable, the ear pieces, and a manual.

PHYSICAL THINGS

The earpieces are made of metal and plastic and appear to be sturdy. They certainly feel like quality between the fingers. The cable is old-school textile-coated up to the splitter and has a chin slider as well as memory wires for over-ear wear.

The Smabat ST-10 have a different fit compared to regular earbuds in that the cable is being worn over-ear and the hold is maximized by memory wire. First, I had real fitting problems, but this was my inexperience with the design. In fact, with foams added, the earpieces stayed firmly in place and were firmly held in place by the memory wire. Isolation is, of course, minimal: you still hear the doorbell while grooving.

The Smabat ST-10 were easily driven with my iphone SE but the sound improved substantially with the AudioQuest Dragonfly dac/amp. With the earpieces uncovered, the sound was aggressive so that I settled for normal-thickness foams. Sound will vary according to foams used, keep that in mind when reading the next section.

TONALITY AND TECHNICALITIES

JK’s tonal preference and testing practice

What strikes me is that the Smabat ST-10 have much more bass and sub-bass extension than any earbud I have listened to. The low-end is in fact the dominant sound element. It provides a decent, visceral, but never overwhelming punch right from the bass/sub-bass transition and contributes to a meaty, substantial, big, and clean image. Yep, the Smabat ST-10’s sound is warm without being thick, as opposed to being analytical and sterile. A mid- bass hump is missing (bass is fairly linear). Nevertheless is the bass boosted quite a bit above neutral, its decays pretty naturally (with the Dragonfly and the foams used), but it smears somewhat into the lower midrange. And while this boosts the low voices, it pushes the higher voices back, which helps create a good depth. Regardless are voices not “overly” distant. Upper midrange and lower treble stay fairly flat which saves us from shouty, splashy high voices and instruments, sibilance, and hardness…all fairly smooth and relaxed up there. Speech intelligibility is very good despite the recession. Treble picks up above 10 kHz which adds to the good air but also a sizzle to some cymbals.

With the Dragonfly, the soundstage has both a decent width and a good depth. The sound is natural and organic. Other technicalities such as clarity, layering, separation, imaging etc. remain so so. The Smabat ST-10’s sound works best when seen as an entity: a meaty sound and good punch leading to lots enjoyment (outside of analytical listening). The Dragonfly cleans and smoothens the image, broadens the soundstage, and it contributes to a slightly overdone but always pleasant, punchy, and amazingly contained and textured (sub-)bass that leaves a pleasant sensation in my ears (despite some lack of overall detail resolution). And I am not known as a bass lover. In summary, the Smabat ST-10 is distinct from budget earbuds such as the ISN Audio Rambo [review], NiceHCK EBX [review], or the “old Sennheisers” by having a bigger body that is mainly fed by an unusually lively low end.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The Smabat ST-10 is an earbud for people who don’t like their ear canals intruded by silicone/foam tips, but who want an over-ear fit for optimal hold on the go. Sound wise, they cater to listeners who appreciate a full-bodied, warm sound with a well-extended low end that comes close to a dynamic-driver earphone. The right amplification produces a smooth and homogenous image that leads to a satisfying, engaging listening sensation. Upon first testing, I was rather skeptical of the Smabat ST-10, but with foams and Dragonfly, these sound fabulous to my ears.

DISCLAIMER

The review unit was supplied by the NiceHCK Audio Store for my critical independent review. Thanks to Jim and also thanks to Smabat for quickly resolving a technical issue. The frequency response graph was kindly provided by Head-Fier ClieOS.

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