Softears
Chengdu, Wenjiang District, Sichuan, China · founded 2017
Sister/related company to Moondrop — the two share some R&D team and production lines (e.g., a Softears midrange driver was used in Moondrop's S8), and Moondrop founder Herbert Zheng is reported to have invested in Softears' founder to create a "no budget restrictions" reference-audio brand. Despite the close ties, they are described as separate entities with different owners and product visions (compared by Moondrop to the "Nokia and Vertu" relationship). Known for reference/neutral tuning with a strong enthusiast following.
Softears is a boutique Chinese in-ear monitor (IEM) manufacturer based in Chengdu, Sichuan. Positioned as a high-end, reference-tuned “no-compromise” brand, it debuted around 2017-2018 with the RS10 and Cerberus and built a reputation among enthusiasts for accurate, “reference sound” tuning (tagline “Hear The Truth”). It is a sister/related company to the larger Chinese brand Moondrop, with whom it shares some R&D and production resources while operating as a separate entity with its own ownership and product vision.
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At a glance
- Type
- Manufacturer
- Founded
- 2017
- Headquarters
- Chengdu, Wenjiang District, Sichuan, China
- Price range
- Budget → flagship
- Makes / sells
- in-ear monitors, IEMs, eartips/accessories
- Known for
- reference-tuned IEMs, balanced-armature IEMs, single dynamic-driver IEMs, hybrid/tribrid IEMs, high-end/summit-fi flagship IEMs, studio/monitoring IEMs
- Website
- www.softears.net
Notable products
- RS10 — 10-BA-per-side flagship; 'RS' = Reference Sound, '10' = driver count. Early flagship (~$2,100), highly regarded reference IEM.
- Cerberus — Debut-era flagship tribrid (2EST/4BA/1DD), ~$2,100.
- RSV — 5-BA reference IEM (~$730); a fan-favorite mid-tier reference tuning, later RSV MK2.
- Turii — High-end single dynamic-driver universal IEM (~$1,400), slogan 'Twist your ears'.
- Volume / Volume S — More affordable hybrid IEM; Volume S (late 2024) ~$319 was widely praised as a best-value IEM.
- Studio4 — 4-BA professional studio/stage-monitoring IEM, ~$449.
- Enigma — Summit-fi flagship (2024), ~$3,699.
Sources: Softears official website (Hear The Truth / product lineup / HQ address) · Crinacle — Crinnotes: Softears Lineup Overview (founding 2017, Moondrop relationship, lineup/pricing) · Twister6 — Softears Volume review (company background, Moondrop sister-company R&D sharing) · Klaus Eulenbach — Softears: The Introduction (2017 founding, RS10/Cerberus 2018 debut, Turii 2019) · Headphones.com — Softears Volume S review (Volume S ~$319, late 2024) · Twister6 — Softears Enigma review (flagship ~$3,699, 2024)