Brand: ARTPICAL
Model: Satan
Type: Wired In-Ear Monitor
Price: 8999 RMB
Technical features: 2 dynamic drivers + 4 balanced armature drivers + 4 planar drivers, 10 drivers per side hybrid architecture
Appearance features: Red and black colour scheme A sense of power and mystery with Flames of Hell red and black three dimensional lines interwoven across the entire shell A septagram logo is located at the centre of the faceplate The plugs pins and metal hardware also feature corresponding styling and design
Other features: Stock 6 core 4 strand completely independent shielding 6N monocrystalline copper cable Same cable used on the limited flagship Blood Bathed Angel
Sound overview: An exciting sounding IEM with high tension that emphasises definition of note outlines The balance and listenability hold up to scrutiny while the tuning offers both a premium feel and excellent versatility
One sentence review: The new generation representative of high quality exciting sounding IEMs under the 10,000 yuan price point
ARTPICAL is one of the domestic Chinese earphone brands most obsessed with build quality and design From its debut with the stunning Michael to the later Lucifer Blood Bathed Angel and The Other Shore Silver Wing created in collaboration with GothamProAudio it has consistently surprised audiophiles with its form factor texture and details In terms of sound it can also be described as a brand that focuses on being distinctive and unique From the grand and magnificent sound of the Michael to the cohesive and powerful presentation of the Lucifer and then to the clean and wide soundstage of the Blue Planet almost all of ARTPICAL s main models feature unique tunings that do not follow the crowd Even the limited flagship Blood Bathed Angel which did not hold back in its tuning delivered an ultimate exciting sounding IEM with extreme extension at both ends and overwhelming full frequency energy So when it comes to the new main model Satan which sits at the same tier as the Michael and under the 10,000 yuan price point everyone is indeed very curious about its sound performance
The image of Satan is the King of Hell in Western religious mythology Originally an angel holding an important position in God s heaven he later fell and became a demon becoming the ruler of hell In different story systems the relationship between Satan and Lucifer is either that of master and servant or different names for the same entity at different stages but the common thread is that both are angels who fell from light into darkness ARTPICAL s new flagship model Satan a 2 dynamic 4 balanced armature 4 planar hybrid follows the above setting in both form and sound You can think of it as an upgraded version or the complete form of Lucifer while its sound style combines some characteristics of both Lucifer and Blood Bathed Angel resulting in a high quality exciting sounding IEM with prominent power and definition of note outlines where the fundamental thickness is solid density is excellent and the overall presentation is grand and majestic
The outer packaging box of the Satan has a strong visual impact Although the size is not very large the bright red patterns paired with the dark black main body create an overwhelming sense of mystery The top cover also features a round transparent red window with a septagram logo through which you can vaguely see inside the box After opening the internal structure is similar to that of the Michael with the earphone body cable and eartips placed in separate compartments The shell contour of the Satan is basically the same as that of the Michael and Blood Bathed Angel but the appearance and colour scheme have been redesigned The red and black patterns of the Satan cover the entire shell rather than being limited to the faceplate extending from the front all the way to the nozzle creating excellent visual tension The artistic design of red flames symbolising fire and ash has a strong three dimensional visual feel with the flames and ashes intertwining At the centre of the faceplate is a small circular septagram logo with the earphone s pressure vent in the middle Additionally the nozzle mesh of the earphone is also designed incorporating the ARTPICAL logo demonstrating great attention to detail
The stock cable of the Satan is a 6 core 4 strand completely independent shielding 6N monocrystalline copper cable If memory serves this is the same cable handed down from last year s limited flagship model Blood Bathed Angel only with the colour changed to brown red to match the Satan s appearance The plugs pins and splitter of this cable also feature targeted unique designs The metallic feel is strong and the round slider of the splitter when retracted fits with just the right damping into the splitter which is a small ingenious touch The Satan comes stock with white wide bore eartips and grey narrow bore eartips The narrow bore eartips have memory foam inside offering excellent elasticity and sound isolation performance Additionally the Satan earphones themselves come with a pair of transparent liquid silicone eartips but because my ear canals are smaller using these short nozzle long umbrella eartips causes them to protrude too far out of my ears so the other two types work better for me
From a configuration standpoint the driver architecture of the Satan has been significantly upgraded compared to the Michael which was at the same price point two years ago The dual dynamic drivers 10mm and 6mm plus four Knowles balanced armature drivers plus four new type balanced armature style micro planar drivers show notable improvement in raw technical performance whether measured by driver configuration or actual listening experience On the other hand if the Michael created a sense of grand cathedral like presence then the Satan tears the roof off that hall The even larger soundstage and powerful treble performance whether in style or sound quality approach those of the Blood Bathed Angel The scale of the Satan s soundstage framework is exceptional The wide width deep depth and grand height are second to none among IEMs under the 10,000 yuan price point This expansive sense of spatial presentation is the first highlight of the Satan s sound Secondly within this massive soundstage the Satan delivers very clear sound layering massive information quantity and rich detail retrieval At the same time thanks to the dual dynamic drivers the overall dynamic headroom and transient response are at an excellent level for the price point delivering very satisfying results when reproducing large scale classical orchestral works
The almost unfair sense of spatial presentation that the Satan delivers comes with a relatively clear bright and transparent tonality and a lower level of lower midrange fullness In other words you will not get a thick weighty or powerfully prominent listening experience from the Satan and this is something you need to understand before making a purchase To be honest I was quite conflicted about this at first A distinctive and individualistic style is a good thing but for an 8000 yuan high end IEM to take this spacious route with prominent aggressiveness at both ends as an exciting sounding IEM the risk is quite high If not handled properly the sound could become unlistenable and completely fail However after I plugged the Satan into a PD20 and listened to YUI s album CAN T BUY MY LOVE I immediately shut up The midrange and lower midrange of the Satan use a rare approach to ensure its own listenability
In the past I have heard many earphone models that also had a huge soundstage outstanding resolution clear treble and excellent extension but in such a sound framework the midrange thickness imaging three dimensionality and control of sibilance and harshness often could not hold up to scrutiny thereby negatively impacting the overall sound evaluation The ARTPICAL Satan does not suffer from this Although it is not a thick sounding IEM nor does it pile on a strong sense of energy in the lower midrange and even though you can still hear sibilance when listening to some Japanese female vocals it cleverly sets up a soft landing buffer zone in the transition from the midrange to the upper midrange When those clear voiced highly talented male and female singers hit high notes or when wide range instrument performances transition from the midrange to the treble the Satan presents a kind of gentle devil like approach using slight softening to reduce those overly explosive bursts of energy instead making them delicate and smooth during the transition From an imaging perspective the vocal imaging of the Satan is not overly thin or slender but maintains basic body and thickness along with a moderate sense of proximity These are very important for core midrange vocal and instrument reproduction ensuring that the Satan does not sound thin dry or lean in presenting these musical elements Instead it delivers a fleshy healthy and three dimensional midrange performance occasionally even using its excellent resolution and separation to boost the sense of fullness When listening to male vocalists with excellent singing skills such as Jacky Cheung and Tengger the Satan delivers a solid and straightforward sound that truly tests the performer s skill The detailed presentation of throat sounds tongue sounds and breathing is very satisfying Female vocal performance is relaxed warm and ethereal Although sibilance can still be uncontrollable with Fish Leong such a queen of sibilance overall the female vocal presentation of the Satan remains commendable and even somewhat enchanting
The bass of the Satan is not as fierce as one might expect It does not even have an obvious metallic or clangy feel Although the sub bass extension is good it is not top tier under the 10000 yuan price point What truly impresses me is the sense of surface area or envelopment of its bass which is perceived by our hearing organs in the form of a surge coming from all directions This can easily move you when listening to movie soundtracks ACG or other tracks with high bass content At the same time the Satan s bass has full elasticity and well controlled decay with progressively transmitted low frequency energy making it easy for you to hear the emotional expression of the performers
The treble of the Satan is extremely brilliant and even on some neutral or lean sounding sources it may occasionally feel overly aggressive in terms of treble presence This actually depends on the treble control capability of the player or amplifier Devices such as the iriver PD20 Lotoo GT2 Fiio M27 and mub5 can handle this issue well When properly controlled the Satan s treble is well organised and orderly with abundant definition of note outlines excellent resolution and extension that reaches beyond the sky delivering a brilliant treble listening experience Although there is some coloration and a very small amount of smoothing over treble harshness such treble does provide positive aesthetic stimulation and instrumental music lovers in particular may very well appreciate this
Finally despite its 10 driver 3 type 4 way crossover configuration the Satan itself does not have a high power requirement The reason it sounds better on flagship DAPs than on lower priced sources is mainly due to better control and refinement rather than pure output power or current By the way on the PD20 the L current setting sounds better than M or H Therefore I personally recommend that audiophiles pair the Satan with their best DAP or dongle DAC to unleash its maximum potential through the sound quality enhancement of the source
At the end of the day the sound of this new flagship IEM from ARTPICAL does not actually present the chaotic disordered or unruly side of the Lord of Hell But its sharp treble definition of note outlines excellent low frequency power and grand soundstage truly demonstrate the strong power and forceful characteristics of Satan If anything its sound is more like a hymn from hell blending top tier sound quality definition of note outlines soundstage and treble performance under the 10000 yuan price point while still achieving victory in overall listening enjoyment on top of such a distinctively characteristic sound framework
Source：巡洋艦3rd
