Raptgo x HBB Hook-X Hybrid Planar IEM Review

mmorpg.com:

Influencer collaborations are the new hotness in the audio world, and we’re back with the Raptgo x HBB Hook-X , a re-tuned, custom version of the original Raptgo Hook-X we reviewed last summer .  It maintains the same hybrid planar magnetic/piezoelectric, semi-open back design but has been reworked with bigger magnets, better sound quality, and a brand new look. With its spacious and detail-rich sound, it’s a perfect choice for gaming and music alike. 

We would like to thank Linsoul for providing the sample for this review. 

The Raptgo x HBB Hook-X is one of the most interestingly designed and unique earphones on the market today. Like the original, it uses a hybrid design, but not in the “dynamic driver, balanced armature design” that we usually see. Instead, the Hook-X uses a combination of a 14.2mm planar magnetic driver and a 12-layer piezoelectric (PZT) driver. While planar IEMs have become more popular over the last year, PZT drivers are still very uncommon and offer their own unique sound character. Pairing the two is altogether uncommon, making this collaboration and the original Hook-X before it quite unique in the audio world. 

Planar magnetic drivers only recently made their way into mainstream IEMs and the hype around them is real and well-deserved. Planar magnetic drivers work differently than a traditional dynamic driver in an IEM. Rather than adopt a conical structure with a rear magnet like a typical speaker, planars use an ultra-thin, extra-large diaphragm that is stretched flat, traced with electrical filament, and held taught by magnets along its entire surface. This change in structure allows it to have more speed and less distortion for a clearer, more articulate sound. 

Piezoelectrics, on the