Hi All,

Today we are having a look at 64 Audio’s current top of the line offering, the Tia Fourte. To put it simply, these are amazing IEMs. Should I end the review there? I could, but no. Lets go a bit deeper.

All sorts of technical jargon exists about the “Tia” system that I could include that I don’t fully understand, but I will just tell you the following. The “TIA” system is awesome, and translates into to helping create some of the finest IEMs I have heard, regardless of price. I would recommend going to http://www.64audio.com to read further about the “Tia” system if you are interested, as it is quite interesting. As I shared in the previous post, all three of the “Tia” IEMs that I have heard have different sonic attributes, but manage to be very impressive in their own ways. Not all of them are my preferred sound signature, but that doesn’t mean that they are not all equally capable. 

When your Tia Fourte arrives, you are greeted by a large box emblazoned with a larger than life photo of the IEMs on the front. Perhaps this box is unnecessarily large, but at least your IEMs won’t get lost. 

Upon opening the box, you are greeted by the IEMs themselves, their carry case, a very small selection of ear tips, and the cable. The accessories included with the Tia Fourte are lacking in quantity and quality. The cable does its job but is plain and boring at best. The carry case is also very plain albeit useful in its interior layout. The included ear tips are superb, and are both the best foam and silicon tips I have used yet. However, there is only one pair of each size, and only two types in general. For an IEM of this price, this is unacceptable. The presentation and included accessories should be much grander and plentiful. However, thankfully the Tia Fourte makes up for this spartan presentation, by being the best IEM I have ever heard. 

In terms of tip selection, I would recommend using the included foam tips. Not only are they the best and most comfortable foam tips I have used, they take a tiny bit of the edge off the high of the Tia Fourte, whereas the silicon tips make the highs more pronounced. I do find the silicon tips more comfortable than the foam tips, but the foam tips do produce the best sound with the Fourte, so I would recommend going that route. 

For my personal taste, the Fourte is a tiny bit bass light, but I do listen mostly listen to electronica and do prefer a fairly robust bass response. I’ve tried bumping up the a couple of decibels via EQ with the Fourte, and that brought the bass response more in line with my personal preferences. However, I could and would definitely listen to the Fourte without EQ, as they aren’t terribly bass light. Most listeners will find the Fourtes bass to be completely fine in the stock tuning, I just happen to enjoy a bit more bass than most. The bass on the Fourte seem very textured. There is a lot of detail present. It is certainly not a one note bass experience, and the sub bass is very pleasant.

I can see the mid range of the Tia Fourte being a problem for some people in that they aren’t super lush and warm like a pair of LCD-2 or similar. The mids are very detailed and do not sound sucked out in any way. They certainly don’t sound hollow. However, the transition from upper mids to the treble does seem a bit incoherent, and could be improved upon should there ever be a Tia Fourte 2. 

The Highs of the Tia Fourte are both their strongest point and the weakest point. There is a fair amount of treble. If you are treble sensitive, these would not be a good choice of earphone. There is so much air, space, and detail to the treble. It really is impressive. I think that the treble on the Fourte is what contributes to its amazing soundstage.

The soundstage is the widest I have heard from a pair of closed back earphones. Not as wide as the LCDi4, but close. A tiny bit wider than the Hifiman RE2000 Gold, but with more depth. They have very precise imaging. 

I can see why some people don’t enjoy these earphones as they definitely have their weaknesses. However, for my ears, their strong points are very strong. I definitely recommend giving the Tia Fourte a try if you can. If you try them and like them, go for it, they are very good IEMs. However if you try them and aren’t convinced, there are other fish in the sea, so don’t get caught up in wanting “the best.” If you can find a pair of these on the used market, or a good deal from a retailer, they are hard to not recommend, should you enjoy their sound signature!

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this review!