Rose Technics QT9 MK3 Review – My New Favorite IEM Under $200
Rose Technics QT9 MK3 comes with its five-driver hybrid setup on each side. Rose Technics has equipped the QT9 MK3 with a high-performance dynamic driver and four premium quality balanced armature drivers, they produce high-resolution sound with exceptional clarity and details.
Rose Technics has equipped the QT9 MK3 with its third-generation 10mm Tesla-Grade dynamic driver unit. The driver features a liquid crystal diaphragm with a high-strength magnetic circuit.
The Rose Technics QT9 MK3 features a combination of four high-performance balanced armature (BA) drivers in conjunction with a dynamic driver (DD) unit. This configuration allows the BA drivers to deliver exceptional clarity in vocals and instrumental sounds.
Rose Technics has refined the acoustic design to address issues related to harmonic distortion, phase discrepancies, and various technical challenges associated with the different driver types housed within the QT9 MK3.
Using the QT9 Mk3 is a fantastic experience each time. The ear shells are designed with great care for comfort. They are made with advanced 3D printing technology. Rose Technics has used medical-grade resin for the shell and added a face cover made of 7000-series aluminum alloy.
To get the best performance with the QT9 MK3, Rose Technics bundles the set with a high-purity 5N OCC single-crystal copper cable. This cable has MMCX Connectors and a 3.5mm termination plug.
Features
- Five Driver Hybrid Setup.
- Four High-Performance Balanced Armature Drivers on Each Side.
- One 10mm LCD Tesla-Grade Dynamic Driver Unit.
- Ergonomic Comfortable Design.
- MMCX Connectors.
- 5N Singler-Crystal Copper OCC Cable.
- 7000 Series Aviation-Grade Aluminum Alloy Face Covers.
- High-precision 3D Printed Medical-Grade Resin Material Ear Shells.
Technical Specs
- Impedance: 18Ω.
- Sensitivity: 104dB.
- Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
- Termination Plug: 3.5mm.
- Connector Type: MMCX.
- Weight: 30±5gm.
- Price: $185.99
I would like to thank Rose Technics for providing me with the review sample of QT9 MK3.
Unboxing
The QT9 MK3 has one of the best/rich box content that I have seen for a long time. They even included a dongle DAC for customers that don’t have any 3.5mm audio output port around. A nice touch.
- QT9-MK3 IEMs
- Dongle DAC
- 6.35mm to 3.5mm Adapter
- A Pair of Dual Flange Eartips
- A Pair of Memory Foam Eartips
- 3 Pair of Silicon Eartips
- 4 Pair of Ear Nossal Filter
- MMCX Assist Tool
- Earphone Case
Sound
The QT9 MK3 is a dynamic, engaging, and fun IEM that also demonstrates strong technical capability. It’s a crowd-pleaser with its excellent bass response, crystal clear vocals, and nicely detailed instruments, presenting a fairly balanced signature with a pronounced focus on the bass region. The QT9 MK3 produces a rich, natural midrange performance and also provides a nicely extended treble response.
The QT9 MK3 produces some of the most impactful yet clean bass available in this price range. The QT9 MK3’s presentation is exciting from top to bottom, supported by solid tonality, a wide stage, and accurate imaging. It’s a compelling all-rounder that continually seduces you to listen more.
Bass
The lows of the QT9 MK3 are a highlight, characterized by deep, impactful bass reproduction that is not only heard but also felt. The QT9 MK3’s tuning offers substantial energy in the low range, creating a stimulating sensation for bass-dominant genres like hip-hop and EDM. It produces a strong, hard-hitting bass response which showcases exquisite details and a tight, controlled overall lower-end response.
The lows are well-controlled, detailed, textured, and surprisingly fast, avoiding any muddiness or boominess. In rock and metal, it expertly accentuates kick drums and percussive elements while maintaining balance across instruments and vocals. The QT9 MK3 has one of the most impressive bass presentations.
The quality of the bass here is exceptional. It’s tight, restrained in all the right places, and forward exactly when it needs to be.
Midrange
The mids have a bit more energy, also, though the impact is much less compared to the bass. There’s a bit more energy heading into the upper mids than give strings, female vocals, footsteps, and gunshots more edge and bite. It’s a minor shift, but side-by-side, it’s noticeable and makes this a better fit for instrument-driven music and gaming. Vocals for music are slightly forward but aren’t colored by the bass. They’re crisp and natural.
The QT9 MK3’s midrange is clean and linear, offering a mostly neutral reproduction of instruments and vocals. The mid-bass/lower midrange gets a small boost from the bass region, therefore adding warmth and body to the midrange, enhancing musicality, and improving the instrument’s body.
The QT9 MK3 also features a slight elevation in the upper mids, giving string-based instruments, female vocals, and cymbal-like percussions more edge and bite, enhancing the overall resolution and sense of dynamism. Apart from the mid-bass part, the midrange is quite impressive.
Treble
The QT9 MK3’s treble is vivid and energetic, delivering sparkle and crispness without inducing fatigue or sibilance. It beautifully reproduces high treble, with effortless extension to the top octave. The resolution and transparency in this region are impressive, ranking among the best in the thousand-dollar price bracket.
The high-end of QT9 MK3 is energetic. Rose Technics leaned into a tuning which creates a sound that’s resolving. The highs are elevated, stopping just short of sibilance. Cymbals and upper harmonics resolve beautifully usually reserved for the background, and pop forward surprisingly. It’s crisp, detailed, and etched in its presentation.
While some may find the treble emphasis a bit exaggerated, it adds an extra layer of resolution and vibrancy, benefiting a majority of popular genres. The excitement and vividness of the QT9 MK3 are attributed to both its bass and this particular range.
Overall, the QT9 MK3’s hybrid sound is a fun-focused, crowd-pleaser tuning that also excels in technicalities which we are going to talk about next.
Technicality
The QT9 MK3 maintains a strong technical capability. Demonstrating excellent agility and control. It handles crowded stages, and complex passages with multiple instruments very well due to its airy and spacious presentation, maintaining clear separation between instruments.
Its presentation feels dynamic, vivid, and full of energy, offering an immersive experience that appeals to a broad spectrum of music genres.
Despite being a detailed IEM, the QT9 MK3 is surprisingly forgiving. It does not over-emphasize the imperfections of your sources or tracks. It features a wide and well-defined soundstage, positioning instruments in a relaxed manner, with ample space between them, making it effortless for listeners to track or focus on each one individually.
Sum-Up
To sum up, the Rose Technics QT9 MK3 stands out as a remarkable choice for any audiophile, offering an immersive and dynamic presentation across various genres. They have adjusted the tuning to deliver a rich, organic sound that will complement different genres of music with tight bass, smooth midrange, and detailed treble region.
The QT9 MK3 excels in technical performance while providing an enjoyable listening experience that captivates the listener with every track.