VSONIC GR07

After hearing much about the Vsonic GR07, I finally gave in to curiosity and decided to purchase one. It’s been touted as a “classic” and a “reference” model in the world of budget-fi -- I'm here to check out if the GR07 lives up to these monikers.



***PREAMBLE***

I’m a 41 year old lover of all things sonic, with some classical voice training. I compose cinematic-inspired pieces & make choral arrangements on my spare time. I enjoy listening to a wide spectrum of genres, such as classical & cinematic scores, choral music, jazz, folk, world / new age, musicals/theater, pop, rock & alternative. I prefer a relatively flat signature, with some bass enhancement (but not bass-head levels), or presentations with a mild “u” signature (not an exaggerated “v”). I don’t consider myself as an “audiophile” but I am a self-professed music lover. Despite being new to this hobby, I believe I can discern tonal & pitch variances quite accurately. Nope, I am not getting paid by VSONIC for this review – this is simply an exercise of sharing my auditory experience regarding Vsonic’s in-ear monitor, the GR07 Classic Edition, with the hope that you may find it helpful (if not, at least entertaining). The focus of this review will be on the sonic & experiential qualities, and not on build, packaging, accessories, and other technicalities. Just remember – my ears, gears & sensibilities. Your tastes and perceptions would most likely vary.

***GEARS & MUSIC TRACKS***

Mostly budget-fi / entry level gear.
For this assessment, I used my Cayin N3, adjusting gain (low to medium, based on track), volume primarily at 50%. The N3 is slightly warm to neutral. No external amp was used.

Below are the tracks (FLAC) used to evaluate sonic qualities & presentation, and the GR07’s delivery of certain genres, instruments & vocal ranges:

SOUND STAGE, TRANSIENCE, DYNAMICS, CLASSICAL, POP: “Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity” (Gustav Holst); “Marche Royale” (Igor Stravinsky); “Chasing Pavements -- Live at The Royal Albert Hall” (Adele)

FEMALE VOCALS, JAZZ/R&B, OPERA: “There’s A Small Hotel” (artist: Jane Monheit – soprano range); "Anch'il mar par che sommerga -- Bajazet" (artist: Cecilia Bartoli -- mezzo soprano range); “Breathe Again” (artist: Toni Braxton – alto range)

MALE VOCALS, ROCK/ALTERNATIVE, MUSICAL/THEATER: “Even Flow” (Pearl Jam – baritone/high-baritone range); “Believe Me Natalie” (The Killers – high-baritone/tenor range); “If Ever I Would Leave You” (Camelot – low baritone / bass range).

IMAGING, TRANSPARENCY, BINAURAL: “Kadu Buva” (artists: Kenny Wollesen, Jonathon Haffner & Dalius Naujo); “Tundra” (artist: Amber Rubarth); “Sweet Georgia Brown” (artist: Monty Alexander)

And some other music tracks, across different genres.

***THE MEAT***
So here are my thoughts about the well-regarded VSONIC GR07 Classic…

TONALITY & SIGNATURE


Neutral, with no exaggerated frequency range, minimal coloration. Slightly warm with a somewhat bright yet non-fatiguing upper register. Clean and natural sounding (which I suspect may be due to the bio-cellulose diaphragm – same material as the nata de coco, a Filipino delicacy). Not aggressive (unlike the RHA T20 and TFZ Series 2, which are generally very forward & are experts at certain genres) nor is the GR07 recessed / veiled. Since the GR07 is relatively neutral, you can pair it with a warm, neutral or bright DAP, depending on the sonic enhancement you prefer.

LOWS

Upon first listen, I was (almost) straining to hear more of the lows, as I am used to listening to more bass-enhanced IEMs, like the Audiofly AF56, RHA T20 and the KZ ZSR. But after just a few hours of burn in (brain or gear), the bass became more forward, yet still not intruding into the other frequencies. Clean and fast attack (though not the fastest – I think the TFZ S2 still has the fastest, tautest bass I have in my small collection). Sub-bass has decent rumble & extension when called for, and the mid-bass is not bloated. Drums in the intro of “Believe Me Natalie” (The Killers) are cleanly delivered, with a somewhat rubbery/pliable texture to them (which I like). The double bass in “Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity” (Gustav Holst) had perceptible and believable visceral impact. Decent airiness in the lows. So far, no mid-bass bleed. The GR07 should do well with dance and hip-hop, although some of you would surely require more thump, boom and bump.

MIDS
Lower Female Vocals are full and slightly dry yet natural sounding. The GR07 made the lower registers of Toni Braxton (“Breathe Again”) feel lifelike and rich, while making you feel her effortless technique with her chest tone and low larynx position. Higher Female vocals have ample airiness & body to them and are a touch euphonic (Jane Moneheit’s higher notes were smooth, Cecilia Bartoli's renditions were lush).
Male Vocals (both lower & higher ranges) are organic and quite hefty, but may sometimes lack grit (especially in rock/alternative tracks). Eddie Vedder’s voice in “Even Flow” had a natural, moving warmth to it but trailed quite behind in the grit/guttural department. Brandon Flower’s voice soared in “Believe Me Natalie” without sounding hollow or boxy.
Vocals in general are well-focused and centered (unless it’s a recording of a duet or choir), neither too forward nor recessed.
Guitars are rendered with ample detail. Trumpets and horns, as well as mid / upper-mid wind instruments have sufficient transience – very engaging!

TREBLE
Initial listen had sibilance. After a few hours, sibilance has tamed down. After a 50 hour burn in (100 hours is recommended), sibilance has almost disappeared. Sibilant-prone tracks will still most likely be, well, sibilant. Good extension yet I would classify the upper treble as a bit polite in certain tracks. The treble is smooth with enough detail so as to not be fatiguing, though I do wish it had more sparkle (a compromise) – as evidenced in the cymbals of “Sweet Georgia Brown” (Monty Alexander). Violins are delivered with enough resolution & expression, while the piccolo rises confidently enough above the orchestra (as it should).

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING, TRANSPARENCY
The GR07’s soundstage is smaller compared to the Fiio EX1ii (11 vent holes, very large soundstage) and Audiofly AF56 (no visible vents but surprisingly wide soundstage), but is still above average, and can still deliver good directional queues, positioning & holographic effects. There is more width than depth/height as clearly expressed in “Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity” (Holst). Adele’s live performance at the Royal Albert Hall had good focus on the vocals, with sufficient imaging but with less air between instrumental components. The GR07 delivers even on busier tracks -- there’s still good separation and transparency without it sounding like a full band playing fortissimo in a compact elevator (heaven forbid!).

DRIVABILITY & SENSITIVITY
The GR07 is fairly easy to drive with my Cayin N3 despite the higher impedance (50Ohms with 105dB sensitivity), with an almost black background and a mild driver reflex. I think some smart phones might struggle a bit in driving this iteration of the GR07 -- there’s another, perhaps newer, iteration that has lower impedance – Vsonic’s effort in making the IEM more mobile-friendly.

BRIEF COMPARISONS
I’ll compare the Vsonic GR07 with my other entry level gear -- the similarly priced Fiio EX1 2nd Generation and Audiofly AF56 (all retailing at approximately USD100)

Neutrality = GR07 > EX1ii > AF56
Timber/Naturalness = GR07 = AF56 > EX1ii
Detail = AF56 > EX1ii = GR07
Soundstage = EX1ii > AF56 > GR07
Dynamics = EX1ii > GR07 = AF56
Transience = GR07 = AF56 > EX1ii (but not by much)
Bass Quantity = AF56 > EX1ii > GR07
Bass Quality = AF56 > EX1ii > GR07
Mids Quantity = GR07 = EX1ii > AF56
Mids Quality = AF56 > GR07 = EX1ii
Treble Quantity = EX1ii > AF56 > GR07
Treble Quality = EX1ii > AF56 > GR07
Sibilance = GR07 = AF56 > EX1ii (based on first listen, but all have tapered down after burn in)
Comfort = GR07 = EX1ii > AF56
Apparent Build / Durability = GR07 = EX1ii > AF56
CLASSICAL/LIVE = EX1ii > AF56 = GR07
ALTERNATIVE/ROCK= AF56 > GR07 > EX1ii
R&B/JAZZ = AF56 > EX1ii = GR07
POP/EDM = AF56 > GR07 > EX1ii

***OVERALL***

The Vsonic GR07 Classic Edition is my first close-to-neutral/flat pair of IEMs (I’m sure there are more neutral and analytical IEMs in the upper price brackets). I plan to use the GR07 when I have some free time to compose/arrange music, as I think it would come in handy in checking dynamic variances across the frequencies. Despite its relative neutrality, it still delivers an engaging musical experience that is perfect for long listening sessions, with its comfortable build/fit and smooth, non-fatiguing & clear presentation. A respectable all-rounder, the VSONIC GR07 truly is worthy of being called a “classic” in the realm of budget/entry-level audio gear! Highly recommended! :-D

***NOTE: I'm not sure if the GR07 Classic that I received is a pre-2017/2017/2018 iteration -- please chime in if you could help discern this particular model. Thanks!

REVIEW: VSonic GR07 Classic & Bass, New 2017 version with MMCX cables




Specifications



Classic

• Driver: 11mm CCAW High Dynamic Drive Units, Bio-cellulose diaphragm
• Impedance: 50Ω +/- 10%
• Sensitivity: 110dB (@ 500 Hz)
• Frequency Response: 10Hz- 28kHz
• Channel Balance: <1dB @ 500Hz <2dB (at 20Hz~12.5KHz)
• Distortion: <1% @94dB
• Rated Power: 10mW
• Maximum Input Power: 50mW
• Plug: 3.5mm gold plated dual-channel stereo plug
• Cable: 1.3m

Bass

• Driver: 11mm CCAW High Dynamic Drive Units, Bio-cellulose diaphragm
• Impedance: 50Ω +/- 15%
• Sensitivity: 105dB (@ 500 Hz)
• Frequency Response: 5Hz- 22kHz
• Channel Balance: <1dB @ 500Hz <2dB (at 20Hz~12.5KHz)
• Distortion: <1% @94dB
• Rated Power: 10mW
• Maximum Input Power: 50mW
• Plug: 3.5mm, gold plated dual-channel stereo plug
• Cable: 1.3m

Price: SGD 180 (~U$D 130~135) from Lend Me Ur Ears (LMUE)



Accessories

• 3 pairs of silicone tips
• 1 pair of foam tips
• 1 pair of ear guides
• 1 carrying bag

The accessory pack is the same for all the current Vsonic models, from the new VSD2 to these both GR07 new versions. It’d be fine for the lower options, but for their current flagship you’d be expecting a fuller and package, with a larger variety of eartips; even the GR07x special version included a set of SpinFit CP100. For those who remember the previous iterations of the GR07, when the GR07 Mk2 and VC1000 were introduced all the Vsonic upper models packed a much nicer and complete selection of accessories, so a bit of a letdown for these last versions. Moreover, the included silicone eartips are not really useful and are not capable of bringing the best fit or sonic results out of the GR07 (or any other Vsonic IEM). the one good thing added on these latest versions is the nicer carrying bag instead of the plain pouch, and while it still a bit small, it has a more premium look on it and enough room for the earphones themselves.



Design



There’s nothing new on the 2017 versions over the previous ones. Same old square shaped shells, made of plastic, lightweight and of course with the featured rotating nozzle that was introduced way back with the GR04. At least, the nozzle is made of metal and should spin into 360 degrees, though it can be too stiff at first. It is a simple yet very smart feature that helps to achieve a best fit needed for an over-ear earphone.

The cable is like the ‘newer’ one used back then with the MK2 version of the GR07, internally twisted and with a thicker outer covering. The plug and y-split are the polygonal shaped used already with the new VSD3 and VSD5 models, larger but lacking a proper strain relief.

These new 2017 version finally have the detachable cable option. Vsonic opted for the standard MMCX connection type. There’s nothing fancy and not too much dedication on this, just a simple mod to the old plastic housings. In fact, the finish is far from being nice for a product that still rates as the flagship of a company. Residues of glue can be easily spotted on the shells and on the MMCX socket sections. The MMCX plugs are decent enough and did not suffer from a sudden disconnection during the last months of use. The MMCX part is usually a weak spot for many IEMs and Vsonic are no masters of QC; still a cool feature to have in case of needing an extra cable or wanting to switch to balanced sources.

With the light shells and rotating nozzle the GR07 are very comfortable and easy to fit. The isolation is good enough for daily commuting and not bad for more noisy environments.




On to the Sound: The Classic Balance and the Extra Bass



The Vsonic GR07 is one of the most famous and best regarded earphones from Chinese companies and for some years already has been considered as a reference item for its high sonic quality performance at a very affordable price. The original GR07 version was announced back then around the 2008, but only officially released during the 2010. After that, there’d been various iterations, different versions and also changes in the packaging and accessory pack. There was the Mk2 version which introduced a newer cable and a “Bass” version too, both advertised as apparently improving, or at least changing, slightly the overall tuning. The original GR07 version was supposedly released again under the “Classic” naming, and later we found a 2014, 2016 and now the 2017 editions. While I can’t comment on every single model of the GR07, I still got to audition the GR07 and GR07 Mk2 a couple of times during the past years.

It is not possible to give a direct comparison with the older models, but from memory these new 2017 GR07 versions keep the same type of tuning signature and great sound quality of the previous ones. The GR07 was originally tuned for a stage monitor like IEM, completely well balanced with a reference kind of sound that could compete with higher priced flagship of various brand companies.

Despite the Classic and Bass labels on these models, they are really very close in their overall tuning in every single sound aspect. They do rate a different frequency response on their specs, being the Classic higher in the treble dept., and the Bass reaching some extra Hz down there. However, they are more similar to each other than to any other Vsonic model of the current VSD series and much different to other companies’ options. The following impressions apply to both models, with a more detailed A/B comparison afterwards.


Still using the 11mm bio-cellulose single dynamic driver, the GR07 delivers an excellent sound balance from lows to highs that keep competing well against known brands around the world. Right out of the box the GR07 are impressive enough, however Vsonic apparently suggest a 100+ hours of burn-in time, and in fact a certain break-in seems to work better for the GR07 more than every other of the VSD series.

The overall balance is without a doubt the strongest characteristic of the GR07, with an excellent weight of each frequency across the sonic range sounding dynamic, nicely textured and well layered with great refinement and level of detail that’s still worth being the company flagship. Bass is punchy and rather quick, great in control and very accurate. Weight and note thickness is well done as well showing a natural attack and decay. Quantity-wise both Classic and Bass editions are just very slightly north of neutral, but the effortlessness and reach in sub-bass is impressive; bass-heads, however, need not to apply and better consider the VSD options out there for pure mid-bass larger quantities. Compared to other neutral sounding IEMs like the SoundMagic E80 or Hifiman RE400, the GR07 are still greater in impact and just more convincing. Nonetheless, on more powerful genre tracks the bass GR07 doesn’t feel like missing.

The midrange presence is likewise great. More like the Mk2 GR07 version, very neutral to slightly forward with a gentle rich and warm tonality. Very liquid and transparent making a good match for any music genre, and very easy to handle from any kind of source. Maybe not as liquid or open as the good old Knowles TWFK options such as the Fischer Audio DBA-02 (Brainwavz B2), nor as full sounding as the Dunu DN-2000 hybrid, but they’re less aggressive and easier to listen. The Westone UM30 Pro (previously UM3x) and new Brainwavz B200 sound thicker, but also more laid back and not as dynamic as the GR07. Instruments and vocals sound very vivid and equally balanced with a perfect timbre and accurate positioning.


The upper midrange was always a reported issue on the GR07 with a certain peak coming from the lower treble. The 2017 version is still bright up there and not the most forgiving. However, it’s arguably less peaky and more comfortable at moderate volumes. It is a bright sounding earphone, but not at the same level of the DBA or Etymotic stuff in brightness. Even the own Vsonic take on dual BA, the GR01 and VC1000 were more aggressive than the GR07. The treble balance is excellent up to the upper regions, rich in sparkle, full of detail and with an effortless extension as well. Next to the RHA MA750, the Vsonic are less sharp, hotter but also more controlled.


The presentation is well rounded with a spacious and fairly wide stage. The GR07 excels in sense of air and openness, and despite the years from its first iteration release it still holds its ground among the sub $200 category. The whole sound is very coherent, resolving and never congested even with more complex tracks. The GR07 may not have the ultra speed of the fastest BA drivers like the Knowles TWFK, but for a single dynamic it is anything but slow. The AAW Nebula has more depth and the MA750 a wider stage, but none of those can match the natural presentation of the Vsonic which also has one of the best timbre.




Classic vs Bass



The Classic version seems to follow the older Mk2 model tuning, and while I cannot confirm regarding the Bass one, it is now being advertised as taking the Mk2 as a basis as well. Whichever the case, overall they’re both very similar, and interestingly enough with different ear tips the both 2017 models can sound even more similar than their naming would suggest. As noted above, they do rate a different frequency response, 10 Hz~28 kHz for the Classic and 5 Hz~22 kHz for the Bass. True or not, there’re certain audible differences on of both ends extensions. The Bass can reach a deeper sub-bass with a more weighted overall low-end, putting some extra fullness to the mid-bass region, yet keeping a clean midrange all the way. The Classic sounds leaner and flatter in comparison and also faster, while the Bass has a slower decay and more natural texture. At the midrange the Bass edition feels just a little tad less prominent, whereas the Classic is more forward tuned as the Mk2 was supposed to be. Getting to the upper mids and mainly at the treble as a whole, changes are similarly noticed. The Bass is a tad smoother, a little more laid-back and less bright, something that contributes in making it less prone to sibilance. The Classic sounds just a bit brighter and some extra extension can be perceived on real A/B comparison. Again, the different eartips used play an important role in this regard as well. Apart from that, the overall presentation, imaging and timbre is pretty much identical, with slight differences in the tonality, being the Classic more suited for the ‘purist’ and the Bass for the ‘musical’ type.




All in all, there’s really nothing new on the 2017 version on these GR07, just the single extra MMCX feature which is nothing more than a simple mod, and even that’s an extra option to the main 2017 release. The build quality doesn’t match the standards anymore, and Vsonic need to keep a good eye on their QC. However, it’s quite surprising that despite the passing of the years the GR07 remains a very strong contender in terms of sonic performance. Regardless the Classic or Bass editions, this is still a reference earphone for a balanced, accurate and resolving sound. The VSD series have taken the warmer signatures, but the GR07 is still the most neutral yet enjoyable from all the Vsonic products.

With the strong dollar the GR07 "Classic" is currently $83.  It would be my nomination for the greatest value in IEMs, period.  One of the best in audio of all categories.  I had another pair for years and while not exactly fragile, I did a couple of minor repairs to keep them going for 5 years of gym use twice a week.  Some users will want to use tips other than included- I like the Sony.