In today's article, Marcus reviews the Rossi&Wing First Light, a new Summit-Fi hybrid universal IEM with 10mm R-ESTDD and six DBAA drivers. It's priced from $5690 for the standard edition and up to $7700 for the limited Founder's Edition.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or status. I appreciate Rossi and Wing and Luminox Audio for your support.
Click here to read more about Luminox Audio Products we have previously reviewed at Headfonics
Please note that this article follows our latest developments. Scoring Guidelineswhich you can read in more detail here.
First tests of Rossi&Wing
Summary
The Rossi&Wing First Light is a premium in-ear monitor that delivers a powerful, warm and dense sound. A tuning with a strong focus on wide, textured notes that blend perfectly with a cappella, bass and rhythm vocal sections.
Advantages
Powerful and articulate bass response
Mid-range timbre with soft sound
Attractive cable design
Cons
It may be too relaxed in the upper mids for some.
Competing high-end IEMs offer greater tonal contrast
It's a bold move to launch a completely new brand with an IEM that costs over five thousand dollars.
That's exactly what Taiwanese and Californian Rossi&Wing have done here with their debut release First Light, a hybrid universal IEM priced from $5690.
Although Rossi&Wing is officially a business entity, it consists of two components. The first is “ROSSI,” a group of unnamed R&D experts responsible for creating the First Light IEM, and the second is Zephon Wing, the man behind the company’s mission and marketing philosophy.
First Light is positioned as part of Rossi&Wing's initial series called the Celestisium Series and is tuned in cooperation with Lexi Chen and Herbert Guo, two renowned Taiwanese classical music concertmasters (string instruments).
It has several editions with different price structures ranging from $5,690 for the standard edition to $7,700 for the limited-run handcrafted Founder's Edition.
The TLDR is a hybrid IEM with a powerful and rounded sound signature, smooth in the highs and with an even harmony in the mids, with good vocal presence and exceptional bass weight.
Does it have everything you would expect from an IEM? At this price, it should, but even at a low price we are seeing more and more competition.
How exactly does First Light perform against other heavyweights like PMG Audio ApxEars of vision FonixAnd what about 64 Audio's long-running flagship, the Fourte? Find out in my full review below.
Characteristics
The Rossi&Wing First Light as a complete package is not one but two unique contributions from the company.
Rossi and Wing
First up is Rossi&Wing’s Universal IEM. It uses a 13-driver hybrid setup comprising an innovative 10mm R-ESTDD (Rear Electrostatic Dynamic Driver) for the lows (and highs) and 6 sets of dual BA drivers for the mids and highs with what Rossi&Wing calls a proprietary CMB or Custom Matrix Blend 3+1 crossover.
The “+1” is exclusively handled by the 10mm R-ESTDD, a unique electrostatic and dynamic driver combined into a single component.
The EST component focuses on the treble and lower-mid regions, overlapping with the 6 DBAA and extending from the sub-bass to the upper treble, helping the R-ESTDD with treble extension.
ESTDD is not a new technology, but by placing the EST behind the dynamic driver instead of in front in a passive mode, the EST becomes active.
The dynamic driver is then tuned with a focus on low-end dynamics to achieve that punchy, robust presentation that dynamic driver fans know and love.
The First Light has a 13.5 Ω impedance with a sensitivity of 113 dB/mW at 1 kHz, giving it a more than reasonable drive profile and should pair well and sound optimal with a quality dongle or DAP.
Luminox Audio
The second contribution is the Morningstar R2216 cable designed by Luminox Audio, who we have talked about on numerous occasions before for their cable creations, such as the Luminox and Tri-Light.
Sold separately for $690, this cable features a specially created 4-wire 26AWG + 25AWG coaxial geometry consisting of three different types of copper. It is also finished with a distinctive and artistic set of barrels and connectors.
Technically there are two cables that come with First Light, but the Vortex “ANA-VISHUDDHA” is only available with the 30 Limited Founder’s Edition sets and is not sold separately.
Design
The First Light cases in this sample are the special edition with an elegant combination of black and gold details.
The standard version comes in black and silver only, while the Special Edition offers the option of black and gold, and silver/silver for the faceplate. The Founder's Edition includes an additional silver and teal option to match its exclusive Vortex Ana-Vishuddha cable.
The design and construction utilizes a combination of CNC machined aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and brass materials and is completed with a 3D printed contoured resin finish.
The main shells are coated with a dense layer of fine sheen that gives them a lustrous shine when examined under light, as opposed to a dull black appearance when placed away from the light.
The standout accent is the faceplate with its intricate three-dimensional maze-like dome pattern and a gold-colored brass and stainless steel insert visible beneath.
I think Rossi&Wing are promoting the First Light as a “HiFi speaker” inside an IEM, and to be honest, the front plate and gold-colored insert remind me a bit of the front panel of a ribbon speaker.
This is a 2-pin connector model with the sockets flush with the top of the case and almost invisible to the eye, which is a nice touch considering there are many competing models with “thick” inserts and bare plastic connector blocks.
The casing is deep and slightly above average for a monitor's size due to a large internal resonance chamber. Due to the abundant use of metals, First Light's casings feel sturdy although relatively heavy, giving me a bit of confidence that they can withstand a knock or two or a small drop without cracking.
Comfort and isolation
Due to the size and relatively soft contour of the First Light housings, these monitors are tip-focused for passive isolation performance and overall comfort levels.
However, there is a trick to getting both aspects to work at optimal levels: don't push the speakers too far into your ear canal. Pushing them too far will create gaps that result in a loss of bass quality and depth, which is a key aspect of tuning the First Light.
If that happens, all you have to do is pull them back ever so slightly until the tips create a better seal. You'll know exactly where they are when the passive isolation noticeably jumps up a level or two.
There shouldn't be any effect on the overall stability of the monitor in your ear, but be aware that their above-average depth may cause the housings to stick out from your ear a little further.
Since they're hybrids, a level of venting is required for the 10mm R-ESTDDs to perform at optimal levels, but even so, I found the passive isolation levels of the First Light housings to be in the excellent category once I got the depth right in my ear canal.
Ear tips
With the First Light you get two sets of tips and both are single flange silicone with the key difference being the stem and materials: one uses a denser yellow stem and the other a more flexible black stem.
The hole sizes appear similar, but with the malleable stem, the softer opening widens a bit more when placed in the First Light mouthpiece.
These are the sets you need to use with First Light. The yellow stem tips sound a little less dynamic to my ear compared to the softer tips. I suspect you are getting a little more bore exposure and more canal depth with the softer tips, hence their fuller, more exciting presentation.
Serial cable
The Luminox Morningstar R2216 is a gorgeous looking watch that, despite the grandiose machining of the barrels, still offers a pliable and lightweight handling experience when in use.
The R2216 is a 4-wire 26AWG + 25AWG coaxial geometry with a mix of duolinear spiral strands of 6N silver-plated OCC copper, 4N silver-plated copper, and graphene-plated copper for the 25AWG side.
By default it is terminated with a 4.4mm Pentaconn connector and on the top end it has 0.78mm 2-pin connectors. There are no other options for 3.5mm, 2.5mm or 6.35mm connectors.
The barrel finish is an elegantly gold anodized machined aluminum alloy with clear marking on a shallow trapezoidal divider and a twist-finished plug barrel.
It has a chin lock and although it's silicone rather than metal, it fits snugly into the top of the barrel to create an attractive seamless design. Plus, it slides up and down the cable effortlessly.
The exterior is tightly braided with excellent cushioning, low microphonics and zero memory retention. It handles “like a boss” as they say.
If there is one criticism, it is the size of the strain relief at the base of the 4.4mm connector barrel. It is a bit of an eyesore and I would have preferred it to be inside the barrel rather than outside.
Packaging and accessories
Unfortunately, the First Light sample I was sent is a preview version and not the full package.
As far as I know, the Standard and Special Edition packaging will come with a wooden box, an autographed art book, a metal warranty card, and a leather bag similar to the one I have here. That should give it a bit more of a premium look compared to the spartan design I have on my desk right now.
The Luminox Morningstar R2216 cable arrived in the company's branded packaging, which is slightly different than the Rossi&Wing one. Again, this may not be the final packaging that will be released later this year.
You'll get a nice, reinforced brown leather case shaped like a disc. It's not much different in terms of dimensions and format from the usual disc-style leather cases I've started to see more and more on high-end IEMs. The finish and straps are excellent though, with real leather being used instead of synthetic.
Inside is a plastic grid-like insert to hold the ear tips, something quite similar to how 64 Audio organizes its tips.
The cable packaging also includes a small leather pouch and a small matching leather IEM organizer strap with additional marketing material related to the First Light experience.
Click to page 2 below for my sound impressions and recommended pairings.
Click on page 3 below to see my selected comparisons.
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