****27-11-'08 Disclaimer: this is the review of a early released pair of G1. I am not aware of the existence of different batches, still today I exchanged PM's with another member who finds his G1 to have overpowering bass. As things stand now, I have no idea of the reason for this difference, and the sound he reported is not what's played by my pair of G1. I don't doubt of his words either, so, to know the sound of the currently made G1, we might have to double check with the retailer.
Positioning issue? Who knows!***
Yuin G1
The Yuin G1 are clip-on portable headphones, with high impedance (150 Ohm) and thought to be used with a portable amplifier. For this review I have used an iRiver E10 as source, 320kbs mp3, a Fiio E3 as portable amp. I have also tried a Logitech headphone amplifier , more powerful, without noticing significant quite differences in sound quality.
The retailer suggests 40-50 hours of burn-in. At this moment they have more than 26 hours of burn in, but I haven’t noticed any major differences after the first hours of listening.
They are priced at 149$ at Head-Direct.com.
Build quality and comfort
The G1 are Clip-on’s of the same size of Koss KSC75. I gave the KSC drivers away, so I can’t do a direct comparison between the two frames, ut the G1 might be even lighter, even if they use anodized aluminium in their construction.
I have kept KSC75’s clips, and I find those of the G1 identical in shape and size (but with different color). The way the clips insert into the drivers looks identical too, but I don’t want to put the clips off the G1 unless it’s strictly necessary.
The G1 are very comfortable. While, at the time when I had the KSC75, I had to learn to bend the clips to adapt them to my ears, this time the clip ons stay in place without having to change anything.
Both clips and pads are comfortable, and with some use it’s posbbile to wear the G1 for very long time, without them hurting at all.
A funny collateral effect in wearing them during winter is that they keep the ears warm.
The build quality looks solid and sturdy the cable is flexible, it doesn’t pull down and doesn’t get in the way while moving.
Not being IEM’s, the G1 don’t isolate. Though, since they cover the ears, they overcome the external noise better than standard earphones. This is advantage also for the KSC series, and is useful in environments where people speak, or while taking a walk. The isolation is not enough for bus or underground.
Sound
The G1 have a sound tuned towards treble, similar to Etymotic ER4P, which makes them very fast and detailed, but tonally bright. They benefit from warm amps. The bass is clean and fast, but not as deep as that of the Etys (deepest bass in a IEM when using Etymotic black foam tips). The G1 have clear vocals, very similar to the Yuin OK2, but they lack some warmth in the lower mids. The G1 are faster than the PK1 and have a more spectacular presentation, but they don’t retain the same “mature Grado sound” I liked in the PK1, and are more analitical.
Soundstage is wide (easily detectable at the first insertion, after having been used to ortho SFI headphones). Instrument separation and placement are very precise and fill all the headspace. Some nuances are colored toward the upper frequencies, sounding tinny. There isn’t the problem of “fake details” that affects the stock ER4P (which bring out very low sounds that aren't meant to stand out, changing the character of many songs). The G1 boost the upper mids and lower treble (a 3dB plateau), with a peak centered at 6 kHz, which can make them sharp with poor recordings, but not continuously sharp like the ER4P. The occasional sibilant sounds are prickly but fast, and don’t grate like I felt with other headphones. The G1 sound very good with trance, electronic music and albums with a very good production. I don’t suggest them for old rock and poorer recordings, though some people might find them “exciting” due to the treble energy, and emotional in certain cases.
Using a food comparison, if the PK1 are like chocolate, the G1 are like vanilla.
The G1 are much better than the muddy KSC75, but that’s expectable since they aim to different price ranges. I would use the G1 for not-so-noisy environments (home, work, walks in low traffic areas). The KSC75 are useful for running or gym, as headphones to throw around.
Price range
In the same price range there are, as said, Etymotic ER4P, with more pronounced highs, deeper bass and less bass volume. The G1 are more comfortable, the ER4P have the advantage to be isolating. Unlike the ER4P, and all other IEMs, the Yuin G1 are easy and quick to put on and put off when needed.
Another alternative is the Yuin OK2, with a similar price and a somewhat similar sound to the G1, a bit more neutral, but with smaller soundstage compared to the clip ons, and less protection against external noises on the road.
The Super-.fi 5 Pro have a different sound, with more bass than the G1, less analytical presentation, but recessed mids and a worse sibilance problem. The Super.fi 5 Pro have a very uncomfortable cable which gets in whe way when moving.
The PK1 would be my earphone of choice, with a sound both full and exciting, quite clear, and with a large soundstage for an earbud. Being them open earbuds, they get more easily covered by external noise. I consider the PK1 as the earphone having the best sound quality/price ratio in the portable market. The G1 are an alternative for who likes clip-ons, comfort, more isolation for an open headphone and a nice look (where the PK1 look like cheap earbuds). The G1 have wider soundstage.
Other hedphones to consider are the iGrados, costing 50$. They are similar to the Grado SR-60 and cover the ear. They sound full and fun, but muffled at the high frequencies. They get a lot better with quarter mod (described on Head-fi) and a silver plated copper recable, which brings out the treble.
At superior price ranges there are Shure E500 (big bass, rolled off highs, artificial vocals), which I find more balanced than the G1 but at a 300+$ price tag.
I also find a good all arounder in the Triple.fi 10 Pro (300$), but these are also affected by some sibilance with certain recordings, though they might have been affected by the amp I was using at that time (Minibox E+).
Tony
Yuin G1 Review
