Paired with Nostalgia Audio Pendragon (Review link)
Pendragon is a summit-fi IEM by Nostalgia Audio, featuring xx drivers. Frontier introduces order and cleanliness to Pendragon’s strong, bassy, and thick sound. The original tuning may fit better for those who desire the ‘omnivorous’ soundstage where all frequencies naturally emulsify together, though those who would like to get more clarity and stronger separation out of Pendragon, Frontier will get the job done perfectly. The sub-bass gets noticeably cleaner while retaining its signature weight and fullness. The bass dives just as deep, yet Fontier’s bass agility and tightness make both the ultra lows and sub-bass come across in better resolution.
Mids get tighter with reduced bloatness, creating a clearer presentation and low-mid separation. Frontier tones down the lower mids very seamlessly, which makes the vocals a lot cleaner, airier, and more neutral-toned. The subtle dullness is swept away without harming the tuning, which makes this pairing greatly appreciable for me. As for the soundstage, Frontier doesn’t overdo as Pendragon already sounds holographic and large as it could be – yet the front-back layering and separation do get noticeably better, making the sound more analytical and more alert to micro details. And since the bass is also tighter and more agile, the overall technicality boost greatly relieves Pendragon’s possible drawback, which was duller bass and smoothened-out upper ends.
Paired with FatFreq GMA (Grand Maestro Anniversary)
As one of the most popular TOTL IEMs in the scene, the Grand Maestro Anniversary (GMA) needs little explanation. Featuring a series of unique technologies and features, FatFreq GMA is one of the most grand, musically advanced earphones. While it does come with a flagship-grade Effect Audio stock cable, the GMA will step up its game once again if paired with the Rolling Force Frontier. Compared to the stock cable, the GMA & Fontier pairing provides a lot more natural presentation throughout.
The first change I’ve noticed was the coherence of the vocals; not only does the vocal tone sound more natural and consistent, but the finish of the vocal decays tended to be a bit technical from ideal (or from sounding natural as it could be). In other words, the driver separations could sound a bit over-highlighted for some ears. The Frontier seamlessly smooths out the edges without smearing the details. The GMA is known for its ultra-lows, yet Frontier makes the bass even more lush, weighty, and imposing. The bass vibrations and resonance become a lot more realistic and natural.
Highs sound adequately cleaner and bolder. The stock cable setup already had superb treble and micro details, though the highs tend to sound relatively thinner in body and tone when compared to the lower frequencies. Frontier adds fuller body and deeper tone, sounding more balanced overall. While minimal, trebles also used to sound relatively dry, which Frontier moisturizes – making trebles smooth and silky without graininess.
Paired with Starry Audio Bolide (Review coming soon)
Bolide is Starry Audio’s limited-edition flagship IEM featuring a 2DD+4BA+4EST tribrid setup. Rolling Force and Starry Audio, both being from Hong Kong, the Bolide & Frontier combo is already known as a popular match among the HK local audiophiles. Bolide comes with Rolling Force Choco stock cable, so it’s natural to think Frontier was developed with consideration to have a good match with the Bolide. The pairing didn’t disappoint me when I tried it myself.
Bolide has a buttery-smooth, laid-back sound signature with large headroom and a bassy sound. The changes are quite dramatic, as Frontier amplifies and strengthens the characteristics Bolide has. The thick, deep bass is now even thicker in density and depth. The bass tone is also a lot thicker, making the bass groove even bolder. This may get you to think this may get the bass out of control, yet Frontier does the exact opposite: tighter bass control that keeps the sub-bass more agile and cleaner. The thumps are more solid, which makes the lush bass pop up even better. Upper frequencies also gain more finesse in tone along with the tighter control overall. Snares and sparkles are cleaner in tone and agile, boosting the airiness without actually brightening the upper ends.
Next Page: Compared to Flagship Custom Cables (Rolling Force Cosmos / PW Audio Meet Agains / Nostalgia Audio Guinevere) & Verdicts