Current testing methodology is v1.2
$12.10
10 g
IPX4
It’s my first time writing a review and trying out a pair of earphones from Lafitear. Its unusual shape and the included cable intrigued me so I expected a lot from it.
I checked out some user reviews online of the Lafitear LT1 and some were promising while some weren’t. So I thought why not give it a shot?
I think the LT1 was released some months ago, and this review will tell you whether my expectations were met or not. Let’s get to it.
Lafitear LT1
Affordable and durable IEMs with good sound quality.
TL:DR;
The Lafitear LT1 is an IEM with two different drivers in each earbud.
Looking at its design, it gives audio hobbyists a great impression because of its see-through shell which features the wirings and two different drivers.
For an IEM that’s under $10, it has its pros and cons. While its sound quality is mediocre, it has a warm-to-dark sound signature that’s unusual for IEMs at this price point.
Overall, I think the Lafitear LT1 is a decent choice, but I don’t like its veiled sound when listening at high volumes.
The Specs
- Driver: 7mm & 8mm Dual Dynamic Driver
- Cable: 3.5mm Line Type
- Cable Length: 1.2m
- Frequency: 20 – 20,000Hz
- Impedance: 20Ω
- Sensitivity: 115db
What’s in the Box?
- Lafitear LT1 Earphones
- 3 x pairs of silicone ear tips
- Modified detachable cable
Stuff I like
- Minimal-to-no sibilance
- Warm sound signature
- IPX4 waterproof
- Affordability
Stuff I like less
- Veiled sound
- Lacks clarity and details
- Recessed mids
- Muddy bass
Where to get it
Comparable products to consider
The QKZ CK8 is a great choice if you’re into IEMs with weird shapes but offer great performance.
The Moondrop Quarks comes in a classic earbuds style and shape and offers good quality sound for under $15.
Review Metrics
First Impressions
The Lafitear LT1 comes in a side-loading box that’s much bigger than KZ and QKZ boxes.
The box features an image of the LT1’s black variant with a minimalist design and accents, while on the back, you’ll see the product specifications and features.
Upon opening the box, you’ll see the earphones presented on a thick Sintra board. There’s also a guide printed on semi-enclosed thick paper that covers the rest of the box.
Despite having bigger packaging than other brands, the Lafitear LT1’s inclusions are the typical ones that you’d get from most earphones in the same price range: just the cable and a few pairs of silicone ear tips.
Build Quality
Regarding the build quality, I don’t find any issues with the Lafitear LT1’s material and design.
I got my LT1s in a clear variant, which exposes the wirings and drivers inside. Not going to lie – this IEM looks decent and professional.
I accidentally dropped the earphones a couple of times, and to my surprise, there are no cracks or scratches on the shell. This pretty much tells you how durable they are.
The cable that came with the LT1 looks identical to the one on the SGOR Venus. The only difference is that the LT1’s cables look like it’s made of copper.
The plug also looks similar to an MMCX, but if you look closely, it’s actually not an MMCX. I checked online to find out what it’s called. I found a very similar product on eBay and Ramble Audio.
This type of plug isn’t commonly used with IEms, so take good care of your LT1 cable because it may be difficult to find a replacement if it gets broken.
Fit and Comfort
The Lafitears LT1’s fit and comfort are quite good if you have medium-to-large-sized ears.
It came with three pairs of ear tips in different sizes, with the medium ones pre-installed.
At first, I had difficulty putting it in my ears because of its weird shape, and I didn’t know the perfect angle to wear it.
Now, I have a trick to put it on securely – I just pull my ears slightly and insert the earphones. This trick creates an excellent seal and vacuum effect in my ears, which is also a factor for noise cancellation.
The pre-formed ear hooks aren’t that tight, and it’s a good thing for me because tight ear hooks hurt my ears when worn for long periods.
Sound Quality
I’ve been using the Lafitear LT1 for a week now, and I sensed a warm sound signature with a slight emphasis on the mids section.
The LT1’s soundstage is also worth noticing as it has a nice width but it lacks depth, which you can expect with IEMs at this price point.
I also noticed a veiled sound while listening to high volumes. It has a mediocre separation which is typical with entry-level IEMs.
The LT1’s noise canceling does an excellent job of blocking most noises but it struggles to filter lower-frequency noises like my air conditioning’s buzzing sound.
Bass
The bass has its booms but is muddy at times.
The Lafitear LT1’s bass has a decent texture and thickness, even though it’s not the focus of this IEM. I’ll also add that its bass response is slow and tends to struggle with lower frequencies.
The sub-bass has power, making it noticeable in a track without overpowering the other sections. There are also instances where the bass may sound fuzzy, specifically when this section gets busy.
The mid-bass packs a nice punch, and you can feel it thumping around your head.
The only thing that threw me off a bit was that it slightly crosses the sub-bass region, which some people may not notice, but I do.
Midrange
I mentioned a while ago that this IEM emphasizes the mids section but retains its veiled sound.
The midrange section of the Lafitear LT1 gives listeners a weird tuning. It’s loud but it lacks clarity, especially in the vocals.
I think some people may like this type of tuning because it’s not fatiguing for listeners, which is great for long listening sessions.
Treble
Despite the Lafitear LT1’s recessed treble, it still sounded decent with some tracks. Considering its price, I didn’t expect that much on the treble delivery.
The treble has a nice amount of air to a safe level that doesn’t cause any sibilance in any tracks, especially in Alison Krauss’s singing since she sings with lots of S and T.
The recessed-to-neutral treble fits perfectly with the LT1’s sound signature.
Test Tracks
I tried the Lafitear LT1 with different songs to fully grasp its capabilities. Here are the songs I used and my findings.
- Hotel California by Eagles (Rock) – Regardless of the recessed treble, the 12-string guitar intro of this song had a pleasant timbre and almost kept the original sound of the guitar used. The neutrality of the bass complemented this track’s bass guitar and bass drum, but at the ending part of the song, the LT1 struggled a bit with the bass guitar’s continuous plucking.
- All My Life by America (Soft Rock) – The orchestral instruments in the intro didn’t overpower the vocals, but when the bass guitar came into the track, the mix became muddy. It was still tolerable if you’re not that into details. The instrumental part with the distorted electric guitar after the chorus was quite hard to listen to with the not-so-good separation, but the tambourine in the drum kit kind of stood out for me.
- Love is a Beautiful Thing by Theo Katzman (Folk / Indie) – There was hard breathing by the vocalist in the intro as he was plucking the guitar, but I think the sound engineer intentionally turned that up for the listeners to hear. The Lafitear LT1 made it much more evident, which is quite unsettling. There were parts of the song where the bass was overpowering which was a bit tiring.
Conclusion
The Lafitear LT1 is a good choice if you’re still somewhat new to the audio hobby and still discovering your preferred sound signature or tuning.
However, if you already have a preferred sound signature and it doesn’t say “recessed highs,” then the LT1 may not be a good choice.
What I like about the LT1 is that it’s not tiring to listen to. It has a decent bass even though it’s not boomy, a highlighted midrange section, and a sibilance-free treble section.
It has its highs and lows but considering its affordability, the Lafitear LT1 has the potential to compete with other IEMs at this price point.
Shaik, a college student, part-time musician, and proud fur parent. Currently pursuing his degree in architecture.
As a part-time musician, Shaik enjoys expressing his self creatively through music. Whether it's writing original songs or performing covers, music is a significant part of Shaik's life
This post was last updated on 2025-02-03 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.
There is a really similar iem in terms of price, design and tuning (it already broke just a week ago so I can’t confirm as accurately, but I think it’s tuned a bit better?)
It’s from a store named Newmsnr in Lazada, Shopee etc.
I’ll leave the item’s link below if you’re down to try, which I reccomend ??
https://s.lazada.com.ph/s.RTVOF
Thanks for the recommendation, Joshua! I’ll be glad to try it out sometime 🙂