AAW 10th Anniversary In-Ear Monitor
Black Malus
Ten years of AAW in one monitor. Sixteen balanced armatures, a stainless steel mid-case, and an opal faceplate poured by hand - each one different. Built for the people who were listening when this company was still figuring it out.
Price$2,099.00 SGD
- 16 BA drivers
- 5-way crossover
- Opal faceplate
- Epsilon cable
Design Story
Ten years. Cast in black opal.
The Malus tree takes a decade to reach full form. So does a monitor company worth remembering.
Black Malus marks AAW's tenth year - not with a spec bump, but with a design that carries the weight of the milestone. The faceplate is poured with real opal gemstones, their fire visible through a black translucent shell. Every pair shifts differently: ember red, deep green, gold, magenta. No two leave the bench the same.
The sound underneath is what ten years of tuning decisions looks like in practice - 16 balanced armatures, a 5-way crossover, and a driver layout refined until nothing felt like it was missing.
Exploded View
Six layers, built to last
The original construction render: faceplate, driver matrix, acoustic chamber, stainless mid-case, shell, nozzle. The cross-section shows how the parts relate - not stacked arbitrarily, but sequenced so each layer does something the next one depends on.
Transducer Architecture
Sixteen drivers. Five bands. Nothing wasted.
All-BA setups live or die by crossover precision. With 16 drivers covering five bands, each group has a narrow job - and the 5-way passive crossover keeps them from stepping on each other. The staging stays open. The detail stays clean.
The low end foundation. Extension and physical weight, without muddying the midrange.
Four drivers on midrange alone means vocals do not thin out when the arrangement gets busy.
The transition band before treble takes over. Keeps upper harmonics from smearing into the highs.
Edge clarity, transient snap, and the spatial cues that tell you where instruments are sitting.
Placed close to the ear via a 3D-printed manifold, so pressure does not decay through a long tube run. What you hear at the top end is actually what was sent there.
Sandwich Hybrid Enclosure
Steel frame. Printed chamber. Hand-poured face.
Three materials, each doing the thing it is best at.
The 3D-printed acoustic chamber shapes internal airflow and resonance around the driver matrix. The CNC-machined stainless mid-case locks the connector area and gives the whole shell a rigidity that resin alone cannot provide. The faceplate is poured, cured, and polished by hand - opal fragments sealed under clear lacquer that moves under light.
The sandwich build was not designed to look complicated. It was designed so nothing vibrates that should not, and nothing flexes when it needs to hold.
Opal Faceplate
Fire under black glass
Black Malus faceplates are individually cast under a black translucent finish. Opal fragments go in before the resin sets - the distribution is never controlled, only contained. Tilt the shell toward a light source and the surface comes alive: ember red shifting to green, then gold, then magenta. Straight on, it reads dark and serious. At an angle, it tells a different story.
No two pairs are identical. That is not a limitation - it is the point.
Cabling and Carry
The full kit
01
Epsilon cable
Null Audio's Epsilon - not the Epsilon+, the original - uses cryogenically treated monocrystalline silver with UPOCC cast construction and a custom Black Malus y-splitter. 4.4mm balanced. Matched to the monitor, not just bundled with it.
02
Wooden case
A dedicated wooden carry case. Heavier than a zip pouch, better looking on a desk, and designed to actually protect something worth protecting.
03
LiquidMorph tips
LiquidMorph clear silicone tips plus a full assortment of foam and silicone in multiple sizes. Different tips change the bass shelf and treble balance - the variety is not decoration.
04
Adaptive seal
LiquidMorph's construction settles against the ear canal without pressure buildup. Built for long sessions where comfort is not optional.
Specifications
For the stage and the couch
Black Malus was tuned with performing musicians in mind - the kind of clarity that holds up when a drummer is behind you and a vocalist is in your ear. It works just as well when nothing is happening except the music.
- Driver count
- 16 balanced armature drivers
- Driver layout
- 4 bass / 4 mid / 2 mid-high / 2 high / 4 super-high
- Crossover
- 5-way passive crossover
- Sensitivity
- 110dB SPL at 1kHz
- Impedance
- 20 Ohm at 1kHz
- Frequency response
- 10Hz to 40kHz
- THD
- ≤0.5% at 1mW / 1kHz
- Cable
- 48" Null Audio Epsilon monocrystalline, 4.4mm balanced
- Warranty
- 2-year limited warranty
FAQ
Before you choose Black Malus
What makes Black Malus a 10th anniversary model?
It is AAW's return to a large all-BA flagship - the format the company built its reputation on - done with ten years of tuning knowledge and anniversary-grade materials throughout. Opal faceplates, stainless steel structure, a precision acoustic chamber, and a complete kit. Nothing carried over from a cheaper line.
What is the driver configuration?
16 balanced armatures across five bands: 4 bass, 4 mid, 2 mid-high, 2 high, 4 super-high. Each group is isolated by the 5-way passive crossover.
What is special about the super-high array?
The 4 super-high drivers are positioned via a 3D-printed manifold that places them close to the ear canal opening. This cuts the tube distance that causes pressure loss and resonance in traditional long-bore designs. What the super-high drivers produce is what you actually hear - not a degraded version of it.
What comes in the box?
Black Malus, Null Audio Epsilon cable with 4.4mm balanced termination, LiquidMorph ear tips with full tip selection, dedicated wooden carry case, and a two-year limited warranty.
Do custom fit versions include ear tips?
Custom IEM shells are shaped to your ear impressions - ear tips are not part of the fit. Your order will include the wooden case, cable, and accessory kit.
Owner Reviews
Black Malus listening impressions
Customer review archiveRead owner impressions for Black Malus as the Judge.me review archive becomes available.
Black Malus
