It’s been a little while since my last Periodic Audio review. Let’s have a listen to these V3’s and see how they fair…

Disclaimer:
Periodic Audio have not paid or sponsored me for this review.
The views and opinions in this piece are unbiased and my own.

My thanks to Dan, Sue and the team at Periodic for being kind enough to send me out the Carbon V3 IEM.

The Carbon V3 is priced at $299.00 at the time of this review.

You can have a look and purchase by following the link below:

https://periodicaudio.com/products/carbon

Review gear & software:
Periodic Audio Carbon V3 IEM.
Astell & Kern AK70.
Audioquest Dragonfly Black V1.5.
iPad Pro.
iPhone XS Max.
Qobuz Studio Premier.
Apple Music.
MixCloud.

Music:
A plethora of Hi-Res music on Qobuz and Apple Music.
Mainly FLAC files on the AK70.

What’s in the box:
1.2 meter long cable single 3.5mm TRS to dual 2.5mm TS jack and metal shells.
Single Flange Tips – Small, Medium, Large.
Dual Flange Tips – Small, Medium, Large.
Memory Foam Tips – Small, Medium, Large.
Protective Travel Case.
Gold Plated ¼” TRS Adapter Jack.
Gold Plated Dual Mono Airplane Adapter.

I love these little tins that Periodic Audio ship their IEM’s in!
They’re just the right size, robust and store away easily.

Spec:
Frequency Response 12 Hz to 38 kHz.
Impedance 32 Ohms nominal.
Sensitivity 98 dB SPL at 1mW in ear.
Power Handling 200 mW continuous.
Peak SPL 121 dB.
THD Less than 0.2% THD at 1mW.
Cable length 1.2m.

Build & finish:
The first thing I noticed was the cable. Periodic Audio have listened to their customers and reviewers it would seem and given the cable a substantial upgrade.
They have made the cable to be more robust with a neat and hard wearing sleeve, and they’ve also made the cable detachable, allowing for greater flexibility for end users, using either an upgrade cable from Periodic themselves or maybe opting for a custom made cable.
The IEM’s themselves are built to the highest standard & like previous models, are both tough & lightweight.
Massive points then to Periodic Audio before I even get down to listening to them!

Comfort:
I find the Carbon V3 very comfortable. I was able to wear them for a prolonged period of time with no discomfort or fatigue.
However, and this is due to my ear shape more than anything… I do find these kind of IEM’s difficult to wear as they tilt downward and tend to come out easily. I do have this issue with other brands as well so this isn’t a problem on Periodic Audio’s side.
The point I’m driving towards is I would love to see the team design an IEM with all of the Periodic Audio greatness, with an over ear wire. I believe they could produce a truly outstanding IEM! ( Not that these aren’t outstanding. )

Sound:
I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to the original Carbon IEM’s, however I have spent a lot of time with the Beryllium & the Titanium. Both of which are stellar IEM’s and received positive reviews when I wrote them.

In comparison the Carbon V3 have a far tighter & refined tonality.

The bass is accurate, punchy, digs deep and is all together quite lively.

Mids are really smooth with neutrality and an organic airiness.

And the highs are fast and precise. Just the right amount of sparkle and crystal clarity.

NOTE: Periodic Audio also shipped a second cable along with the Carbon V3’s. A silver cable, the “Ag”.
Using the Ag cable, adds more definition and volume to the top end with crisper highs.
This was my favoured cable of the two, but please bear in mind that each person prefers differing sound signatures.

Summary:
At $499 the Carbon V3 are more expensive than the Be & Ti that I previously reviewed, so I would expect some improvements in sound and possibly build.
As far as build goes, Periodic Audio make fantastic products and I’ve seen the highest finish and craftsmanship across all of the products I’ve been lucky enough to review from differing ends of the price spectrum, so from that aspect at least, there really isn’t any difference. However I have to consider the new cable design, which is a vast improvement over the Be & Ti IEM’s with a far more robust build and they’re now detachable, which to me at least, is a massive plus as I can use all kinds of cables now, including the balanced kind!
As for sound, the Carbon V3’s take an already fabulous sound & take it to a totally new level.
In comparison to my Meze Audio Rai-Solo & RHA T20 ( roughly in the same ball park price wise. ) they perform admirably and
certainly give them a run for the money.

Do I recommend them? Yes. Aside from the improvements mentioned above, they’re a brilliant pair of IEM’s in their own right and worth every dollar!

NOTE: Please be aware that Periodic Audio have reviewed the price and brought it down to $299.

Thanks:
As always, thank you to all of my readers, please don’t forget to like, follow, share etc.
And a massive thanks to my sponsors, partners and contributors for keeping these review samples flowing.
Without any of you, there would be no blog!

All my thanks, Paul.

Support the blog:
If you would like to support the blog, I would really appreciate any donations, big or small.
Whatever comes my way is used to upgrade camera and lighting gear, and on occasion, audio products that are essential to keeping my reviews current, unbiased and interesting.
Currently I’m trying to raise funds to purchase an up to date portable audio player that provides 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs, as well as running the latest software.