Forte Ears Macbeth Review – Perfection in Imperfection

Comparisons –

Soft Ears RS10 ($2500): The RS10 delivers huge audible detail and a highly accurate tuning with none of the added zing and glamour of other TOTL models. The Macbeth has more contrast and vibrancy to its tuning but doesn’t stray excessively in terms of overall voicing. The Macbeth has more bass, especially sub-bass while the RS10 is very neutral besides a small deep-bass bump that grants just a bit more engagement. The Macbeth is deeper reaching and has more texture and authenticity to its notes but not quite the same level of note definition and separation as the more balanced RS10. The RS10 though a bit faster, also has more of that BA timbre for those sensitive to such. The Macbeth hits a lot harder and its sub-bass has more physical slam.

Within the midrange, both are exceptional performers. Once again, the RS10 is more vanilla neutral in its presentation and awes with its definition and transparency. The RS10 is a step more mid-forward counteracted by smoother articulation. It delivers bigger, more powerful vocals. The Macbeth is a touch more laid-back, and its vocals are subtly warmer. It is also more articulate, giving it more of a glossy and coloured voicing. The RS10 is more transparent, and its foreground has slightly higher resolving power. Its foreground and background layers are more delineated. On the flipside, the Macbeth has a bit more texture to its vocals. It doesn’t quite sound so linear but teases out small background details a little more and it is notably more spacious and three-dimensional sounding with multiple layers and more holographic imaging.

The top-end tells a similar story. The Macbeth has a bit more bite to its lower treble, percussion and the initial ringing of cymbals are all slightly sharper and more defined while the RS10 has a smoother onset of its notes. The RS10 has a highly detailed foreground, and its notes have a bit more body set to a darker background. The Macbeth has more shimmer and vibrancy, being a touch brighter but not by much. It has greater air, sparkle, and overall energy to its sound. The Macbeth has a clear resolving power advantage in the top-end set to a more vibrant tuning that draws attention to this. The soundstage is much larger and more multi-dimensional on the Macbeth. The RS10 has sharper imaging and layering, being tighter and more focused, but lacks the same multi-layered stage of the Macbeth and the space it crafts between each element.

Jomo Instinct ($2999): The Instinct offers a similar style of sound but dials up the vibrancy a few more steps. It is also more V-shaped due to its bigger bass and treble. The low-end tuning shares a deep bass emphasis but has more quantity overall and a bigger mid-bass shelf too. This gives it notably bigger, fuller, and rounder notes. Its dual DD woofer design has more slam and a thicker texture, it has loads of power. With that said, it is slower and less responsive. The thicker tuning has also come with a reduction in separation. While the Instinct is more dynamic, it is also tubbier. The Macbeth has a more natural bass enhancement. It doesn’t have the same subterranean extension but is more agile and defined.

The midrange is more laid-back on the Jomo, and it has a warmer tone. This gives it a bit more depth and an overall richer and more powerful expression. The Macbeth is much more transparent, boasting better clarity and presence. The Instinct is more relaxed, smoother, and richer. It is also very articulate and has an impressive sense of space. With that said, the Macbeth takes this one step further alongside offering higher resolving power, much better separation, and better width and layering. The Jomo is resolving but its thicker sound does overshadow fine details and textures that the Macbeth is able to reproduce in an effortless manner.

Both earphones have excellent bite and extension. The Instinct has a slightly more aggressive lower treble, giving its percussion more edge and definition. The Macbeth meanwhile has more air and background detail above alongside having a bit more body and texture. At the very top, the Macbeth offers more audible micro-detail and a bit more sparkle in the top octave. The Instinct isn’t quite as complex here but offers similar headroom and a darker background contributing to a massive stage also. The Macbeth offers sharper imaging and is more holographic. The Instinct has more depth and contrast but less nuance between and also less separation.

Craft Ears Omnium (2,499 EUR): The Omnium is a personal favourite IEM that represents an excellent rendition of neutral plus. It has a decent sub-bass boost and a good boost to the sparkle region too giving it heaps of headroom and power but also excellent cleanliness. The bass has a bit more rumble and power than the Macbeth. The LSR DD delivers excellent definition and separation. However, the stark drop-off through the mid-bass means it does lack some body and texture at times depending on the track. The Macbeth’s bass tuning is more natural, equally present but more even-metered. It is a touch quicker and more defined, delivering more texture in the mid-bass especially. The Omnium has a touch more information in the sub-bass on tracks that call for it and it has a cleaner tone that some may enjoy.

When it comes to the midrange, both are transparent and balanced. The Macbeth is a touch warmer and more articulate, the Omnium slightly leaner and more defined. Its vocals are a touch bigger, but both are quite similar overall in terms of voicing spaciousness, and style of colouration. The Macbeth has a bit more texture to its vocals and its background is a touch darker. Overall, it is slightly richer and its voicing to my ears is more natural. The Omnium offers a slightly more resolved foreground but does sound a touch lean and cool at times, something the Macbeth doesn’t suffer from. Both offer sensational transparency and spaciousness with the Macbeth being a touch more forgiving and the Omnium slightly more revealing.

Both earphones also have top-level resolving power and extension in the treble augmented by an energetic voicing. Once again, the Omnium dials this up one step further. Both have a small 5kHz bump followed by a medium mid-treble bump and a larger upper-treble peak. The Omnium has a bit more sustain through the mid-treble so it is airier and its background a bit brighter. The Macbeth has a darker background but still has excellent definition and clarity. The Omnium offers a hair more fine detail at the expense of sounding busier. The Macbeth sounds cleaner and slightly more natural. The Omnium has a hair more micro detail at the very top, however, both are sparkly and offer top-level headroom. The Omnium is deeper, the Macbeth is wider. In terms of imaging, both are tack sharp and holographic, the Omnium has a touch more separation, the Macbeth slightly higher coherence. Both are at the epitome of spaciousness for an IEM.

Verdict –

One of the biggest traps in this hobby is the human proclivity towards romanticizing thoughts on products that create an intense emotional response. The Macbeth is such a product alongside most TOTL models whose reputation often precedes them. Ultimately, what many yearn for in the summit-fi space is something unique yet capable. Having reviewed in-ears for a decade now, there are few that create that sensation for my jaded ears. The Macbeth was, therefore, a rejuvenating experience. Truly innovative, truly a little different but in the best way possible. The Macbeth offers enough je ne sais quoi whilst retaining a genre-flexible and wholly balanced tuning. Where it excels is with its broad soundstage, exceptional texturing and transparency. It won’t appeal to those wanting the best bass dynamics, the highest clarity or the most linear possible sound and you will require a high-quality source to realise its potential. However, the Macbeth’s sound reproduction feels as magical as it does authentic, delivering balance yet with a little extra pizzazz at all times. 

The Macbeth is available from Forte Ears (International) for $3,999 USD at the time of writing. I am not affiliated with Forte Ears or Eletech and receive no earnings from purchases made through these links.

Track List – 

Billie Eilish – dont smile at me

Bob Seger – Night Moves

Courtney Barnett – Rae Street

Cream – Wheels of Fire

Dire Straits – Communique

Dirty Loops – Next To You

Eagles – Hotel California

Elton John – Honky Chateau

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

H.E.R – I Used To Know Her

Jasen – BYE

John Mayer – Continuum

Kanye West – Ye

Missy Higgins – The Sound of White

Radiohead – OK Computer

TALA – ain’t leavin` without you

The Beatles – Abbey Road

The weeknd – After Hours

Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride