Rock Jaw Alpha Genus Review

The Rock Jaw Alpha Genus are a beautiful set of earphones finished with a dark wood and packaged with 3 sets of audio filters. Find out how they perform in our Rock Jaw Alpha Genus review.

UK based Rock Jaw have taken it upon themselves to create earphones that sound as great as they look. With the people behind the company having backgrounds in recording studios and DJing, the expectations are high. We have previously reviewed the slightly cheaper Arcana V2 which we love. This time we’re looking at the Alpha Genus which are the next step up the ladder both in terms of performance and budget.

One of the more unusual features of the Alpha Genus is the inclusion of 3 different audio filters that you can change easily. This allows you to select the audio tuning that you like the sound of most – we’ll cover these in more detail below.

Design & Packaging

The standard of the packaging sets a great feeling of anticipation for the quality of the earphones tucked away inside. The outer box sleeve looks and feels very well made with high quality materials and printing. Inside you’ll find a foam lined inner box that securely holds the earphones in place. The earphones come pre-installed with the silver audio filters. The additional black and gold audio filters are neatly held in the foam next to the earphones with clear labelling to help you identify what each of them are.

Also included are a very nicely finished storage pouch, 3 sets of silicone ear adaptors and a cable clip.

The earpieces of the Rock Jaw Alpha Genus are made from a combination of beautifully machined aluminium and rosewood. The outer side of the earpieces have a small bass port/vent to improve the tuning and overall sound picture. The cable exit is re-enforced with aluminium making them very tough.

The audio filters are incredibly easy to remove. These are the section of the earpiece that the silicone eartips fit onto. They simply unscrew – allowing you to fit one of the other included audio filter sets literally in seconds (see photo in the slideshow below for a detailed view).

The cable is of the twisted, slightly stiff type which resists tangles during use very well. It can tangle a little in storage, but works very well in use. On the left side of the cable you will also find a microphone and button combo to answer incoming calls and control your music playback.

When in use, the Alpha Genus feel very light and comfortable – more so than many lower priced offerings…the silicone ear tips are of a much higher standard than any you’ll find in the sub £30 price range for example. They perhaps don’t isolate as much external noise as some other earphones do – but given the overall quality of the audio we don’t think this is an issue (and would be fine for commuting use).

We do feel that some extra storage for the spare audio filters would have been a useful inclusion – given their size, they are very easy to misplace & not everyone will want to keep the original packaging purely for this reason.

Sound

Onto the important part…the sound.

Its fair to say that given the pedigree of Rock Jaw and the fact that 3 different sets of audio tuning filters are included – the expectations here are high. To make it simpler to digest, we’ll look at one filter at a time.

Silver Audio Filter (Standard)

The silver filters come pre-installed in the box. We think that these sound quite similar to the Arcana V2 (see review here) – but perhaps with a little more bass and a little less high mid range. That is to say they have great imaging, big deep bass, crisp mids with an open top end. The mid range is controlled – but isn’t quite as punchy as it could be (personal taste) leaving the sound a little hollow.

Black Audio Filter (Reference Class)

We feel that most users won’t use the black filters. The sound will be considered by most people as being very bass light – this is deliberate. This sound is ideal for checking mixes if you make you own music as it allows you to hear the overall balance of a track very clearly. The mid range and treble offer lots of snap with loads of detail and space – you could play with EQ to bring the bass to a level that you’re happy with, but why would you want to when there are the gold filters…

Gold Audio Filter (Neutral)

Now things get interesting. The frequency balance just feels right. The bass is big with great detail, warmth and low depth. Mids have punch and snap with no excessive emphasis. The treble is a little softer than with the silver filters – for us this is a good thing. This additional softness gives a more natural sound whilst still providing plenty of open space with plenty of detail. Your ears will thank you for this as they will take less of a pounding over longer listening periods – which allows you to listen to their greatness for longer.

Overall the level of detail is very impressive – you will hear subtleties in music that you have never spotted before. For us, the gold filters win hands down by a country mile.

We’ve also tried these for gaming use, plugging them into a PS4 controller. Again, the Rock Jaw Alpha Genus with the gold filters perform brilliantly. The stereo image is very precise so you can pick up exactly where something is happening around you – the deep bass means any explosions etc feel like they have weight to them. The overall gaming experience is incredibly immersive – making them a great choice for any avid gamer.

In terms of overall sound quality – these perform significantly better than any earphones we have tried in the £30 range (we have done direct comparisons to check). While the price tag will put some people off – those that are serious about their music & the way it sounds really should give these a try.

Rock Jaw Arcana Alpha Genus Review Conclusion

Without a doubt, the Rock Jaw Alpha Genus are our new favorites on the block. Yes they cost more than many other sets around, including the Rock Jaw Arcana V2 which we also like…however, the difference in sound quality is very noticable & giving you nothing short of a full blown eargasm. These are a grown up set of earphones for grown up people that take their music as seriously as we do.