DethonRay Tender 1

disclaimer:   The Dethonray Tender 1 was loaned to me by HifiGo for review.  I was in possession of the Tender 1 for roughly 3 weeks before sending it on to the next person in line and have no financial interest in Dethonray or HifiGo.    For more information on the Tender 1 see Dethonray’s website or to purchase the Tender 1 visit Hifigo.

 

Unboxing / Packaging:

Dethonray products typically arrive in understated packaging and the Tender 1 follows that trend.  A simple black box with an almost clothlike texture with silver Dethonray name, logo, and slogan on the top and a sticker on the side saying Tender 1 are the only identifiers on the packaging.  If you didn’t already know what the Tender1 was, the box certainly wouldn’t sell you on buying this product as it has nothing that identifies it as an in ear or any specs listed anywhere on the packaging.   Opening the box continues an equal utilitarian theme inside with the earpieces nestled in a foam layer and everything else hidden beneath and everything else is not all that much.   The Tender 1 comes with earpieces, cable, two types of silicone tips (3 sizes each) and a set of foam tips.  No case, cleaning tools, filters, or other extras are in the package.  At this price point, a case is usually expected and perhaps even a modular cable system or spare cable for balanced use.   What accessories are there are of good quality true to Dethonray’s usual.

 

Build/Fit:

The Tender 1 earpieces are CNC machined aluminum in a semi-custom shape that is then hand-polished and CMF treated to apply the gorgeous Sky Blue or Jazz Black finish (Dethonray’s terms) before the silver badge is applied to each face plate.    Dethonray even started the design process by testing different alloys and using a higher than normal density alloy in order to get the best sound and least resonance and reflection.  The body of the Tender 1 is fairly shallow so it sits in the ear and the nozzles have enough forward and upward rake to allow fairly deep seating and good isolation.  there are two vents on the shell one on the underside just behind the nozzles on the main flat of the inner surface (seen just above the R/L indicator in pictures below).  The other vent is between the nozzle and mmcx connector on the top side of the shell.   I didn’t have any issue with obstruction of either port during listening but the position of the port on the under-surface may be worth some care in positioning for different sized ears as I can see potential for obstruction.   I had no issues with long wear as size is mid-sized and the Tender 1 is thinner in key areas than many in its class.  I was surprised at how well the Tender1 fit as it ranks near the top of iems I have tried in overall comfort which tells me Dethonray really did their homework as a lot of season makers don’t do as good a job of shell design as the Tender1 even after many more attempts.  It is hard to believe this is a freshman effort.   Isolation is also quite good as the heavy alloy, deep seating and vent positions all work to let very little outside noise in.

 

Internals:

The heart of the Tender 1 is a 10mm planar magnetic driver that is hand selected and paired before installation in the shells.  This level of detail is what I have come to expect from Dethonray as Anson ( the proprietor)  is as obsessed with audio quality as any of us and wouldn’t have it any other way.    Nominal impedance is listed as 22Ω with a sensitivity of 93 dB/mW and a rated maximum power of 10mW.   What is pretty telling is even at that maximum input power the Tender 1 has a maximum distortion of 1dB.   I tried a number of sources with the Tender 1 including the DTR1, the Kann Alpha, the Questyle M12 dongle, and the Sony WM1A to get a feel for what it paired well with and how much power it really needs.   I find the impedance and sensitivity on planar drivers are sometimes a bit deceptive in that they often need more potent sources to really come to life.     Of the sources I tested, the best were the DTR1 and Alpha while the worst was the M12 Questyle (it goes into low power mode due to the impedance and needs high power mode due to the sensitivity but has no manual option to switch it)  followed by the WM1a which also has lower output power than either of the better choices listed.    The Tender 1 should be thought of as requiring a solid amplifier to do its best unless using a potent source.

 

Cable:

The stock cable is litz woven silver strands from the jack to the splitter and then a fairly loose twist from splitter to mmcx at the top end.   Fixtures are high-polished stainless with gold plated jack and mmcx connections.   The splitter is a pinched barrel shape in matching stainless without a chin slider present on the cable above it.    The Jack is of the straight type with a short strain relief and at the opposite end the cable has pre-formed hooks without memory wire.    The MMCX connectors are clearly labeled with blue and red bands for ease of indexing.   Overall its well made and a good match to the Tender 1.   Worth noting this cable is pure silver and not silver plated copper which does account for a portion of the cost of the Tender1.

 

Sound:

 

Bass:

The Tender 1 has good sub-bass extension and good texture which is not very common in sub-bass as it tends to be sort of monotone below about 35-40Hz.   To my ear there is good rumble but the Tender 1 isn’t a basshead model as the attack and decay are fairly fast and the result is a cleaner somewhat leaner feel to the bass than the low end grunt of a dynamic.  It gains in character what it loses in weight for me and is a good trade off.  Mid-bass is a bit more weighted and has good slam and warmth and again an emphasis on detail and texture rather than overall quantity.   The bass is more similar to models with balanced armature lows than dynamics but has a more natural tone that BAs often lack.   The transition from mid-bass to lower-mids is clean without bleed or obstruction and enough warmth to please those looking for a natural tonality.

 

Mids:

Readers who have followed me for any length of time will know I love good mids and the Tender 1 has become a love affair for me.  The lower mids have great texture, detail and weight with male vocals having a realism rarely seen at this price and guitar growl having good weight and edge.    Strings have great tonality and this is one of the best I have used in the sub-$1000 class for string quartet performances as the tonality on Cello and Violin are both spot on with enough energy to really sound natural.   Female vocals do take a step forward from the lower mids and may be a little too much for some as while not shouty, they do sound like they are standing on the very lead edge of the stage at times and you are in the front row.     Overall great textures and tonality if the upper-mid push could be a touch less so.

 

Treble:

The treble shows a conscious tuning decision to be more smooth than aggressive which will make it somewhat divisive in nature.   the lower-treble has good energy and detail but as we move up the detail level drops back a bit as does the overall quantity.   At best it sounds very polite and won’t offend the treble shy in the least, at worst it may be heard as a bit veiled or lifeless.  Snare rattle has a good edge but is not quite as crisp as some others at the price and cymbals lack enough energy to sound entirely realistic.   There is some air at the top but it left feeling a little closed in and it definitely lacks sparkle as a result.      This is a tough line to walk as sparkle turns to sizzle very quickly but here I think it is a bit too conservative in the tuning and could use a touch more emphasis.

 

Soundstage / Imaging:

You knew there had to be a down-side right?   The soundstage on the Tender 1 is probably that.   Not that it is terrible, but narrow and shallow  which can result in some oddity while seating large ensembles or orchestras.   Instrument separation and stereo separation are quite good which save the Tender 1 from feeling too congested, but it is hard to ignore the lack of depth to the stage and the fact that voices are closer to the listener on the Tender 1 than on most of its competitors.   Imaging is good but because of stage dimensions is not quite what it could be.     Overall, it isnt terrible, but it doesn’t quite live up to the rest of the technicals.

Dethonray has now made a habit of making products that are better than expected.  First it was the DTR1 Prelude DAP that while the UI is fairly basic sounds as good as some DAPs costing double and triple the price I own a DTR1 and a WM1A and Kann Alpha and would pick the tone of the DTR1 against either of them in a grudge match.   Likewise the Honey was an impressive effort and now the Tender 1 becomes Dethonray’s first in-ear and is better than a lot of companies much more senior efforts.   Anson has proved that before a product leaves his shop it will be right and the Tender 1 fits that profile.  While the sound may not have universal appeal, those of us that appreciate jazz, classical, and strings will find it among the best available without spending a good bit more.   From the lows up the technicals and tonality are fantastic and what it lacks in absolute impact it makes up for in texture and detail.    I also have to commend Anson and Dethonray on creating a planar in-ear that doesn’t command a ridiculous premium just because it uses a specialty driver.    Way too often companies add a tariff to anything with planar or electrostatic drivers just because they can.  Dethonray offering the Tender 1 at a more realistic price may force others to follow as the Tender 1 should sell as many as Dethonray has time to make.   Its a great listen for some genres and a good one for others and makes me want to here whats next from Dethonray.