Faaeal Rosemary review
Throughwork
Not much information, but the store was started in 2017, or near. Aside from a few accessories and in‐ear efforts, Faaeal only make earbuds. All their models are named after herbs and flowers—oddities aside, this is their most expensive earbud.
Contents
Build
A friend of mine raised the box—which is cheap cardboard, but crafty fun in gold‐glitter lettering. Inside you are get what you pay for, and interesting too. Cable is braided to the y‐splitter. Basically, cable is one of the thickest, close to a cheap headphone, with very soft rubber sheath—I don’t expect it to tangle. The plug is a marvel, a big right‐angle with a cross‐cut metal surface—easiest portable plug I’ve ever used. A mass of slightly wonky foams. Housings are the common stock. Can’t believe Rosemarys are robust, the braid may split, the strain reliefs are only reasonable, but the stock components are solid. As for ease of use, good marks for the plug and size of cable. Aesthetically, Rosemarys are cheap earbuds, but… the frosted covers of the stock housings are the neatest finish so, with the notable cable and remarkable plug, I make these aesthetically good—though what connection with rosemary, the herb?
Sound
Poor volume (see Assess). Volume range is good. Rosemarys are dull on attack and decay. Precision can be good but Rosemarys damp heavily. Overall timing is reasonable, can wallow. The Rosemarys do well by swells, always having some in reserve, if misting a little. Frequencies seem to be lacking the common duff spots. However, there is a vibration, a hump, in the lowband—rough EQ put this somewhere near a high 30Hz. Splashes a little on cymbals, high horns can be a little misty. Frequency range is wide, there is some low‐band and highband others don’t reach. While Rosemarys are not free from general distortions, they are cleaner than most. Color, as may be expected from the notes so far, is good everywhere. Scale is not so wide, but stable with good positioning.
The Rosemary is good for vocals—not the best, a little edgy and hissy. but they deliver clean and even. Rosemarys are marvelous orchestral, pop and soundtrack earphones, an impressive list—they can be solid, yet deliver their range. But rock and complex pop is not—the mist and wallow get in the way of the directness.
Spec
| mic available? | yes |
| cable noise | quiet |
| accessories | Eight(!) pairs of earfoams in red and white. A tie clip |
| support |
Assess
Please note this model is ‘the latest’ Rosemary—the design has been altered.
It’s not clear to me who the Rosemary is for. The package, while obviously cheap/stock components, is outstandingly pleasant to use and I’d say good looking. Rosemarys need a lot of power and, without an amp, are easy to top‐out. They offer a sound with some lowband, low distortion and few emphases. Ok, there is not much detail, some mist, and they wallow—the lowband bump is distracting. They ought to work for everything, but that bump interferes with rock and dramatic pop listening.
The Rosemary is a 155 Ohm driver—higher than usual, potentially finer in delivery but harder to drive. And a cheap but fast face. The Rosemary shows these factors. Faareal get a few forum mentions, with no formal reviews. I know earbuds are a niche, that to need an amp is a double‐niche, that… oh, look, if you might consider a gadget like this, the Rosemary is more like a friend than a purchase, but to need an EQ also, is too much.