Speedy Audio Products (Rise of the MK2), Breaking the Sound Barrier?

The audio community is quite diverse - it connects lives across multiple genres, industries, and backgrounds. To some it is historic, to others it is personal and to many it is a valuable addition to their lives. There are all sorts of experiences within this space, be that by design or application, in music production, audio-visual content production, equipment manufacturing or just as chill end users.

Hence, it comes as no surprise that this industry is tied very closely to technological advancements both in hardware & software. The Walkman, CD’s, MP3 Players, Streaming Services, Bluetooth Devices, Dolby Atmos, 360RA. These are to name a few widely known change makers in the audio sector.

We cannot always predict the next big thing, but it has always been interesting to observe the behaviors of manufacturers and companies tied to the audio industry. Nowadays, the differences between the likes of Apple, Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser & the rest are no longer just audio quality but convenience. Consumers have started to ask different questions to just - are they the best sounding?

Now importance is on, if they can seamlessly connect to my device? Will they get support for a long period of time? How are they for battery life? Do they meet my noise cancelling needs? Do they support the audio codecs I listen to? Are they comfortable? Can I just use one side at a time? Are they fatiguing to listen to? Can I leave them on and have something playing something in the background, but forget I have something on? Are the pads replaceable? How is the warranty/ guarantee? Are there known QC issues for this company? What are reviewers saying about these? What are my friends/ family using? Do they offer colors I am looking for? Are they fatiguing after use? Is the clamping force too hard or are the stock tips not to my liking? What are the EQ capabilities? Are they within budget, are they likely to go on sale and will they be the best option to purchase at the time? Is something better just about to come out?

To re-iterate, in the current audio market, a shift in emphasis has been made as to what the consumer expects and there has been an increase in competitiveness- not just from established players, but also from the emergence of seemingly new entrants bringing some form of innovation to market. No doubt, suppliers are also evolving their approach to meet new demands / grow in their space. Instead of throwing out new earphones, headphones, and speakers left, right and center– there has been a shift to revision oriented growth.

Where previously, the driving force was to throw enough stuff out there, hoping that something sticks, whilst simultaneously encouraging consumers to try something different. I.e., pushing out more units and having consumers buy multiple items from the same brand.

The current approach is to make a single or at least more limited number of items that are popular – setting a benchmark and creating new editions to build on those – specifically refinements via iteration e.g., via a MK2 or Version 2. This is the case with items such as the Thieaudio Monarch MK2, Unique Melody Mest MK2, Xenns Mangird Tea 2, Moondrop Blessing 2, Hifiman Edition X V2, Fostex TH900 MK2, Audeze LCD-5 (5th gen product), Devialet Phantom 2 & Empire Ears Valkyrie MK2.

This revision-oriented sales approach is nothing new. The same approach has been drilled into consumers from smartphones (e.g., the iPhone), laptops (e.g., the Alienware M15 R7), camera’s (Sony Alpha 7 III) and other tech spaces.

However, it is now being commonplace in the audio industry. Mainly as a result of the fast-paced growth of the industry. Instead of the traditional BA & DD setups, we are starting to see Electrostatic Drivers, Planar Magnetic Drivers, Bone Conducting Drivers and different hybrids. Companies are more eager to adapt to these new technologies, lest they be left behind. There is too much stuff now in the market, so to bring some memorabilia & rise above the flood of new products, companies are leveraging their best sellers to bring more refined products to market. In some cases – the launch window is very small between Gen 1 and Gen 2, with a much larger gap for Gen 3. The reason behind this, is it is easier to get first gen users onto a gen 2, especially if there is immediate feedback from fans and judging what competitors are doing, than to push users onto a fast 3rd generation. It also messes up the pricing and would end up not as profitable without a big enough jump.

The reason all of this is important to consumers is – it pushes innovation. More competitive products are being launched, brands are listening more to consumers to hear what changes they want in a MK2 or 2nd gen product. More technical expertise from heavier involvement of audio/ sound engineers and second opinions from reviewers or other parties also pushes up the boundary of what is possible. We are seeing products in the market we otherwise would not see and the budget market is where the biggest difference is being made.

An example of a market shifter that is cheap at £20, are the 7hz Salnotes Zero. These are surprisingly well tuned and capable iem’s, especially when considering the price. Even when comparing them to something more expensive at around the £250 (over 10 times the price), these do get out at least 75-80% of the same performance, in terms of tuning and detail retrieval. Which as some would agree, is a big difference, especially in something like audio – but you have to factor in the ridiculously low price point and astonishing bang per buck value you get from something like this.

It is indeed indicative of the industry direction. But it is not to say these don’t have negatives – these are fatiguing, they really push that driver to achieve the tuning and it does get overbearing over longer listening sessions. But it is a necessary trade-off, prioritizing performance to get these results at this price. The tips are not the most comfortable, they do offer a lot of different ones, but of course there is some cast-saving element here. One thing I was surprised with was the cable quality. Usually products at budget price have terrible build, but in this case that is not so – which is crazy, as it means even less of the budget went to the actual driver & technology, but despite that these are rock solid.

But the one thing I would like to end with and to summarize this article with is, public perception of a product is very important. The whole reason of attaching the MK2 moniker, is to remind consumers of the amazing experience they had with Gen 1. It also shows a move away from ”brand loyalty”, as consumers do not as strongly associate a good product with a good brand, they moreso tend to wait for reviews and mass reactions to both the product in question and viable competitors. It is an interesting shift, from a consumer side, albeit one that makes sense. Especially with many bad experiences from customer loyalty to brands. It will be interesting to see whether this evolves into fixed product revisions or a market change stabilizes the public perception of brand and this trend fades away.