YUIN PK2 .... Earbud KILLER !!!! (mini review)

[jamato8]

Yeah, the time Ray and others take to work through the sound of what they are doing is long and tedious. Assemble an amp and then wait for 400 hours for it to really settle in or assemble one that "should" be right and sell it. Too many variables and the question is, how much is time worth and your expertise? Sometimes I would give things to friends just because to really charge them for the time and effort would be too much.

[DJGeorgeT]

like some of the high end speakers over 100K USD. It is a damn pair of speakers. They must be making loads of money! Those bloody businessmen.

Not at all. How many would fork out over 100K on speakers? Also, doesn't people know that the for every good speaker that can be sold, maybe 4 or 5 had to be trashed because they did not meet certain sound?

$70 is a bargain if these earbuds sound as good as they are being described here.

[Filburt]

kramer5150 sent me a pair of the PK2s get got on loan from Nankai for me to try out as well. I'm trying to write up some sort of review at the moment, though it's difficult since this will be my first review and I'm not sure how to do them. I'd appreciate it if I could get some advice on what people like impressions on so I can try to produce something helpful.

As far as sound goes, it's probably one of the best earbuds I've at least heard, and I've heard a lot since I use them a lot (I don't like IEMs). According to kramer, the PK1 is better; I regret not getting a chance to try that >.<

I'm also waiting for my camera to return (had to send my new camera in for exchange due to defect ) so I can take some pictures.

[m8o]

Originally Posted by Advil

Thanks for the review. Do the different earpads make an audible difference?

I have the PK1, PK2 and PK3 (last was a gift that was thrown in). I found they make a noticable difference, if subtle.

[Nenso]

Yea, but Ray's stuff are good quality. I recently bought an amp from him and I am extremely satisfied. They look good and are built so that they are sturdy.

All I'm just saying is that these PK-2s seems like really really basic earbuds. The design, everything else doesn't require much money to make since they look like normal lowcost earbuds but black. Not only that, the way they look like cheap plastic really scares me. I mean like look at the PSP earbuds and the iPod earbuds. They atleast look like they were designed (the psp one not so much) but they were shiny and stuff.

Ok, so basically all I'm saying is that these don't look like $60 earbuds. I don't think that the drivers can justify this price with its appearance like that because normally... something that looks cheap like the PK2s are cheap inside too.

[PrototypeX2]

They look "poorly made" because they lack the modern designing that most headphones/earphones have today. If they were to hire a decent industrial designer and add another $0.10 for additional color coating, it wouldn't seem much different than your rationalied so-called "$60 dollar earbuds".

[Nankai]

PrototypeX2 is exactly right. Because of their size and bussiness model, YUIN is unique in China headphone industry. YUIN is a small manufacturer just like Grado here and they never do OEM bussiness. They know how to make good sound quality product, but they don't have the ability to do good industrial design. That is why PKs looks so cheap.

However, most of Chinese headphone manufacturers are huge. They have thousands of workers and can easily make millions of retail price $100 or more IEMs in several month. Some of them have their own independent R&D and industrial design. Currently a lot of famous brand OEM products were originaly designed by Chinese manufacturers.

[wlai]

The questions I'll ask myself are:

- Am I buying the plastic housing, or am I buying the drivers/cables that produce the sound?
- Am I buying flashy looks, or am I buying the sound?
- Am I buying the brand, or am I buying the sound?

Your answers to those questions will largely determine whether you think it's a worthy purchase or not.

Economics 101: Prices are largely determined by whatever the market will bear. If enough people think it's worthwhile at $70, that's what they'll mostly get sold at. Overcharge, and you don't make enough sales. Undercharge, you're leaving money on the table.

[Elephas]

Originally Posted by munkong

Transparent and 3D is the sell point
more musical, and you can't found from small earphones
compare to my old ATH-CM7ti, PK2 beat and kill it!!!

when I use it with HeedCanamp, soundstage is wider
high is very smooth and bass seem to deeper
sound quality is like from full size cans as Grado

Has anyone compared the PK1 or PK2 to the ATH-CM700Ti?

Using a home rig and AT-HA5000 amp, the CM700Ti's soundstage is larger, there is more air, and instrument separation is better than a portable rig (Hornet, ALO dock, iPod). Tonal balance is very good, with good trasparency and very clear highs, zero harshness and extended bass. Soundstage is larger than the E500's and the illusion is more 3D-like and realistic. Bass quantity and impact is OK, less than the E500's, while bass tightness and accuracy is very good. Using a home rig, I prefer the CM700Ti over the Shure E500.

If the PK2 is much better than the ATH-CM7Ti, I would also expect it to be better than the CM700Ti or EC700Ti. The PK1 should be quite incredible-sounding.

[PeterDLai]

If any of you are wondering how the PK2 compare to the AKG K 81 DJ and the Koss KSC75, here is a brief comparison by Jahn:

Bass - akg for deepest, koss for biggest, pk2 for tightest.

highs - koss and pk2 sibilant when pushed, akg pretty smooth.

isolation - koss and pk2 bad, akg good.

comfort - koss and pk2 tie depending on how you like it (clips or buds), akg worst. buds you can lie down with too.

with amp, koss and akg improve, pk2 seems to get worse lol.

soundstage, all pretty good. pk2 front/back a little narrow, koss pretty good all around but not large, akg best.

mids - really nice on pk2, warm on koss, bit cold on akg.

[DJGeorgeT]

Originally Posted by Nenso

All I'm just saying is that these PK-2s seems like really really basic earbuds. The design, everything else doesn't require much money to make since they look like normal lowcost earbuds but black. Not only that, the way they look like cheap plastic really scares me. I mean like look at the PSP earbuds and the iPod earbuds. They atleast look like they were designed (the psp one not so much) but they were shiny and stuff.

That is just ignorant. Sota turntables look like someone made those in a garage. Grado stuff is put together with glue from a heat gun. Both are expensive brands that make ugly looking equipment and both consistently exceed build quality and audio expectations.

"The design, everything doesn't require much money" You have no basis in making a statement like that. The Yuin guy could have been developing the drivers for his earbuds for years. The fact is that most earbuds that size sound like crap. If he has managed to make an earubud sound like heaven, then $69 is not expensive. If it was me, I would price it at $99.99. Is his product development time for free?

You want flashy shiny nice looking stuff? Buy crappy sounding Sony headphones (BTW, made in China).

[munkong]

Ha Ha Ha Ha

are you listen music from ear or from eye ?
if you listen music from eye, PK2 is very bad for you
if you listen music friom ear, PK2 is very good for you


I still confirm ! PK2 look bad but sound execellent!!
are you paid money for Sound quality or other thing

[Nenso]

Oh.. so Yuin isn't some massive manufactuer that has 1000000 workers? OK, I officially say these are ok.

[silverrain]

Interesting.

[practitioner]

Originally Posted by DieInAFire

it escapes me why anyone would look for hi-fi audio in earbuds

Comfort mainly, iems are not everyone’s cup of tea. I had the ER4P and E5C for a while, although very hifi I just could not get the comfort I needed and they ended up being more distracting so I let them go. Earbuds like the E888LP gave me the comfort as well as very decent sound.

Originally Posted by Nenso

I don't think that the drivers can justify this price with its appearance like that because normally... something that looks cheap like the PK2s are cheap inside too.

It can be justified for headphones like Grados, so why not Yuin buds?

Sometimes I get the feeling that because they are Chinese made, people expected them to be priced much lower and not follow western pricing policies - pricing on sound+name rather than a multiple of its cost. But less face it people, Chinese manufacturers are catching on and the culture is changing.