{"id":3600,"date":"2026-07-21T12:33:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T04:33:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/others\/artpical-raphael-dynamic-iem-experience-tds-review\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T15:55:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T07:55:13","slug":"artpical-raphael-dynamic-iem-experience-tds-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/media-coverage\/artpical-raphael-dynamic-iem-experience-tds-review\/","title":{"rendered":"ARTPICAL Raphael Dynamic IEM Experience – TDS REVIEW"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A few months ago, we introduced the ARTPICAL \u00d7 GothamProAudio collaboration piece, The Other Shore Silver Wing, and also saw their flagship models at various exhibitions. However, just as the Shenzhen show was wrapping up, we were about to leave when we ran into Tingfeng Fengfengzi \u2014 “Have you heard about ARTPICAL’s new IEM?” “Not the Satan, the white one.” That’s when we realised we had missed something again. Fortunately, the colour preview campaign started shortly after, and coincidentally, the three colours I was most personally interested in turned out to be the actual production versions. As ARTPICAL’s current most accessibly positioned IEM, can it maintain the brand’s signature intricate craftsmanship while also impressing in terms of both technical performance and tonal character?<\/p>\n\n

Package & Accessories<\/h5>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

The packaging of the Raphael is quite minimal, significantly smaller in size compared to the brand’s higher-end models I remember. The sleeve directly features the signature colourway “Frost Flame,” with a layered white and red overlapping effect. Inside, the accessories include a carrying pouch, three interchangeable plugs, and six pairs of eartips.The carrying pouch is a zip-up case with moderate crush resistance, featuring a suede-like surface finish that feels good to the touch. The interior isn’t particularly spacious\u2014apart from the Raphael set, there’s only room for a compact dongle DAC. That said, the build quality is excellent.The eartips come in two types, six pairs in total: three pairs of grey bullet-style tips and three pairs of translucent white wide-bore tips\u2014fairly standard fare.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
Design, Fit & Acoustic Structure<\/h5>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

The Raphael is available in three colourways: “Frost Flame,” a white shell with red accents; “Dark Gold,” a black shell with gold (closer to orange) accents; and the one we have on hand, “Sakura Snow.” The Sakura Snow colourway focuses on a light pink outer shell combined with a silver inner structure. It doesn’t have the high contrast or bold dramatic flair typical of ARTPICAL’s traditional colour schemes; the tone is somewhat different, which is one of the reasons we voted for this colour at the time.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

The outermost layer of the shell is made of high\u2011transparency resin, while the complex inner structure serves partly as decorative design and partly as the ventilation structure for the rear of the dynamic driver. Beneath the connector socket, you can see dense internal tubes in the same colour, and this entire intricate design is made possible by ARTPICAL’s well\u2011established multi\u2011layer 3D printing process (which the brand refers to as the 4th\u2011generation 3D crystal\u2011like printing technique). It looks like two layers of wings enveloping the inner structure\u2014appropriate, given that Raphael is widely known as an archangel, which fits this imagery. The front cavity is CNC\u2011machined from aluminium alloy, with an anodised sandblasted surface finish. The entire 3D\u2011printed rear shell essentially interlocks with the metal front cavity, as if the wings are “growing” from the rear end of the front shell.The shell is moderately sized\u2014not particularly compact for a single\u2011dynamic IEM\u2014and the inner side has been shaped to accommodate the ear’s anatomy. The cymba concha area is fairly full, which may cause some pressure for users with shallower cymba conchae. The concha cavity area is occupied by the metal front cavity and fits relatively snugly. For users with smaller ears, the fit feels quite full; for those with medium to large ears, it sits securely and stably. The shell thickness is not excessive, but given the resin material, side\u2011lying wear is still not recommended.The nozzle is integrated with the front cavity, medium in thickness, and relatively short, making the included eartips easy to install. There are two vents on the shell surface: one on the metal front cavity and another beneath the connector socket, clearly connected to the internal 3D\u2011printed tubes. The passive isolation of the Raphael is decent, with no noticeable pressure\u2011equalisation issues.<\/p>\n\n

Design, Fit & Acoustic Structure<\/h5>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

The cable is made of copper with a silver\u2011plated finish. Below the splitter, it adopts a 2\u00d72 coaxial twisted structure. The cable is moderately thick overall, relatively soft, and exhibits some self\u2011tangling.The detachable cable system uses a 0.78mm 2\u2011pin flat socket design, with the recess flush with the shell. The cable terminates in a 2mm small raised plug with an anti\u2011misalignment groove, and the earphone is compatible with both raised\u2011pin and flat\u2011pin cables. The stock cable pins fit with moderate tightness.The interchangeable plug system is based on a 4\u2011pin structure with an anti\u2011misalignment groove and a screw\u2011lock mechanism, offering moderate insertion resistance. The package includes both 3.5mm single\u2011ended and 4.4mm balanced plugs, and this time also features a USB\u2011C digital audio plug, supporting up to 384kHz \/ 32\u2011bit Wave PCM decoding and 48kHz \/ 24\u2011bit microphone input ADC \u2014 though the stock cable itself does not come with a built\u2011in microphone.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

The Raphael is equipped with a 10mm dynamic driver featuring an LCP (liquid crystal polymer) composite diaphragm and a PU flexible surround.With an impedance of 32\u03a9 and a sensitivity of 101.1dB\/mW, the Raphael is an IEM that requires a certain amount of driving power, yet it is still relatively easy to achieve adequate volume. Even the included USB\u2011C plug can drive it to a good loudness level, so we will exceptionally evaluate its sound based on the stock plug first. For analogue connections, we recommend starting with balanced outputs from dongle DACs like the Dawning 2 or Octave. As for tonal pairing, it is advisable to avoid sources that are overly cold in character.<\/p>\n\n

Sound Description<\/h5>\n\n

Based on the stock USB\u2011C cable for digital connection, with the included white translucent wide\u2011bore eartips.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Bass quantity is moderate to slightly on the higher side, with sufficient thickness and controlled fullness. Elasticity is good, and sub\u2011bass extension is decent. Attack and decay are moderate, with a slight amount of lingering reverb. The sense of bloom in atmospheric rendering is minimal, with only a mild richness. The low\u2011frequency performance of the Raphael carries considerable energy and thickness, yet it does not come across as overly focused or aggressive. Unlike many new dynamic driver IEMs in the 500\u20131000 yuan price bracket, it maintains a good deal of bass relaxation without sounding loose\u2014a balance that has been well struck. Instruments with fundamentals in the lower midrange exhibit a slight forward tilt.In the midrange, vocal positioning is relatively close, with a slightly larger mouth size and a fair level of refinement. The presentation places slightly more emphasis on vocal texture than on definition of note outlines, with sufficient thickness. There is no strong bias toward male or female vocals; it suits voices that are not overly coarse. Grain is retained to some extent, and overall smoothness is reasonable. The tonality leans slightly warm but not excessively so, and combined with the larger mouth size and energy\u2011focused approach, the Raphael is well suited to the vocal expressions commonly found in hard rock. Laryngeal placement is moderate, with breath sounds slightly elevated in proportion. Mouth sounds and similar details are mildly forward, and sibilance is also slightly retained\u2014perceptible in some extreme tracks, but not completely smoothed over. Overall vocal transparency is good, with a slight touch of added brightness.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

In terms of instruments, most also lean slightly towards texture over definition of note outlines. Among string instruments, the violin, guitar, and viola have somewhat larger imaging, with a certain emphasis on the details of bowing and plucking. The cello’s body does not feel particularly compact, occupying a slightly larger proportion of the space. Brass instruments have a good sense of presence, and instruments like trumpets that require brightness have a slightly enhanced brilliance. Woodwinds sound fairly natural with a decent amount of thickness. Instrumental harmonics are relatively abundant and prominent. Among percussion, the kick drum has a prominent presence, the snare decays at a moderate pace, and cymbals have an appropriate level of brightness with a mild metallic character, while harshness is kept under control.Overall treble brightness is slightly on the brighter side, with energy concentrated mainly in the transition from the upper midrange to the treble. There is a noticeable peak in the ultra\u2011high frequencies, and extension is decent for a dynamic IEM in the thousand\u2011yuan bracket, with roll\u2011off starting slightly early but not overly fast.The soundstage is moderate in size, with boundaries that are not overly emphasised. Both width and depth open up to some extent, though the depth seems slightly more pronounced. Combined with an appropriate sense of “height,” the Raphael presents a space that leans slightly oblate to spindle\u2011shaped. Separation between vocals and instruments is good, and overall coherence is acceptable. Resolution is fairly good among new dynamic IEMs under 1000 yuan, with a noticeable emphasis on “analyticalness.” Dynamics are good, and transient response is decent.<\/p>\n\n

Based on balanced driving with the stock cable, with the same eartips, meeting the power requirements for proper driving.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The definition of note outlines becomes more focused, the warmth of the tonality is slightly reined in, and the forward projection of mouth sounds is reduced. This results in vocals and string instruments sounding more refined, while the bass feels closer to the expected elasticity and solidity of a high\u2011rigidity dynamic driver. In my opinion, the overall three\u2011frequency balance remains essentially unchanged between the two tuning approaches, but both are well\u2011executed in terms of overall coherence.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
Genre Versatility<\/h5>\n\n

In terms of genre adaptability, based on the USB\u2011C digital connection, the Raphael delivers an energetic and lively presentation for most pop tracks. It handles a wide range of pop\u2011oriented material\u2014particularly Western pop and J\u2011Pop with a pop\u2011rock lean\u2014quite well. For Anisong, the compatibility is decent, though we would recommend using analogue drive for better results. In the broader rock and metal categories, it performs relatively well with hard rock and pop metal subgenres. For electronic music, it’s best to avoid subgenres with particularly high BPM that place heavy emphasis on drum transient response; otherwise, it holds up fine. In the acoustic category, jazz tends to sound slightly brighter, and small\u2011to\u2011medium ensembles featuring wind instruments are worth trying.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

For new wired earphone products rated KT MARK Level IV and Level V, we will provide two to three corresponding recommended tracks to help you quickly perceive some of the characteristics and advantages of the earphone. For the ARTPICAL Raphael, the TDS recommended track examples are as follows:Mike Shinoda – FineThree Days Grace – So Called Life<\/p>\n\n

Overall Impression<\/h5>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

As the most accessibly positioned IEM in ARTPICAL’s current lineup, the Raphael does not compromise on craftsmanship. It retains the complex 3D\u2011printing techniques used in the brand’s higher\u2011end models, and from the early colour scheme research, it seems that many people actually preferred this less flamboyant design direction. Its tuning leans towards rock music, while its technical performance remains solid for a sub\u20111000\u2011yuan earphone. It is a characterful IEM with no obvious weaknesses, and it is well worth trying\u2014whether from a design perspective or in terms of sound quality and versatility.<\/p>\n\n

KingTsui, TDS Studio.<\/strong>July 2026<\/strong>It’s a TDS production.<\/strong>All content is independently created; please do not plagiarise content, copy the writing structure, or otherwise infringe. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n\n

\n

Source: TDS Audio Experience<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n
View Original Article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few months ago, we introduced the ARTPICAL \u00d7 GothamProAudio collaboration piece, The Other Shore Silver Wing, and also saw their flagship models at various exhibitions. However, just as the Shenzhen show was wrapping up, we were about to leave when we ran into Tingfeng Fengfengzi \u2014 “Have you heard about ARTPICAL’s new IEM?” “Not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3599,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,33],"tags":[64,104,185,188,187],"class_list":["post-3600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-coverage","category-new-arrivals","tag-artpical","tag-hifi","tag-185","tag-188","tag-187"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3600"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3601,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3600\/revisions\/3601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gothamproaudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}