Item description from Official site:
Tiny but mighty! Fitted with one of the smallest dynamic transducers in the market as well as with vital power-transfer, the Pyco can be taken anywhere. It’s not all about size – it’s about power and sound quality too. You can also be sure of Ultrasone’s professional sound. Immerse yourself in your own personal live concert wherever you go – the Pyco will be your perfect escort!
Highest quality and reliable service. Made from fine aluminium, ensuring high quality and long-lasting enjoyment, and fitted with the smallest transducers currently in use. These tiny 6.5mm transducers produce an impressively dynamic, life-like sound.
The 1.2 m cable with microphone, remote control and 3.5 mm angled stereo jack affords convenient operation for both music and telephone calls. The outstanding insulation against background noise allows you to concentrate completely on the music. This fantastic audio experience is well suited for sport and plane or train travel. The Pyco is additionally equipped with a high-quality cable and a transport box for storage.
Five pairs of silicon earbud tips as well as two pairs of high-quality T-100 Comply foam earbud tips are included as standard. What’s more, a flight adapter and an OMTP adapter for a huge variety of smartphones are included.
Pros: Balanced signature done right. Everything sounds like it should.
Cons: Non-detachable cables. Price.
Simple Man’s review – Ultrasone Pyco (USD 120 – 170) This is called simple man’s review because they are based on the sound of these earphones directly from my mobile phone (HTC 10), using 320 Kbps mp3 tracks. No expensive gears nor lossless tracks,no EQ, and all that hi-fi stuff.
Preamble on Ultrasone:
Ultrasone is one of the top German headphone companies that are notorious for making super expensive over-the-ear headphones. Their creative output with over-the-ear headphones is prolific. Between the years 2012-2014, the company condescended to produce a line of in-ears, to fulfil user demands, which can be bought even today. Their prices haven’t come down over time, unfortunately. I really love how they only made 4 in-ears till date: one single Dynamic, one single BA, and two hybrid configurations with 1 dynamic and 1 BA each, aimed for the audiophile and the monitoring user respectively. It makes me think that they got exactly what they aimed for, and are really content with their in-ear line-up, which is a really ballsy stance in this highly competitive game. I love them for this, and yet, i think it would do them good to re-design their Pyco and Tio to enable detachable cables, and maybe bring the price down to competitive levels.
Let’s take a look at their Single Dynamic Driver offering: Ultrasone Pyco.
Build – 3/5
Decent build. The aluminium earphone housings are super light and feel durable. The form factor is perfect for both straight-down and over-the-ear ways of wearing. The cables, however, being non-detachable, are the weakest links to the design. The rubbery cables are quite thick, thankfully, but are jumpy and retain some memory which can be annoying. I wouldn’t confidently say that these could take a beating. The mic + one button remote is installed in a bulky hard plastic capsule, not the most convenient or visually pleasing, but very functional. We see strain reliefs at the 3.5mm connector and at the housings, but miss them near the Y Splitter and the remote. The 3.5 mm jack is a very strong metal L-type connector which looks great. They employ the same connector in all their In-ear models. For the price they could have deployed a detachable cable, and this section would have got them a 5 on 5. Nevertheless, they get a 3 for the sturdy aluminium housings and thick cables.
Accessories – 5/5
Inside the box we get more than we could ask for. A small hard-case with a cool Ultrasone logo, which fits the Pyco like a glove leaving no extra room inside. The springly cables jump up and occupy all the space they can get inside this box. Tips. Wow, we get a lot of tips. We get two sizes of Comply T-tips (without ear-wax guard), two sizes of conical tips, and 3 sizes of regular-styled tips. You can use these tips with you Etymotic earphones as well, if you are going for a shallow fit there.
We also get one Flight adapter and one OMTP adapter. 5/5 because we couldn’t ask for more even at the selling price.
Isolation & Sound leakage – 4/5
Isolation is great! The 3mm nozzles penetrate into the canal and secure a good seal maximizing isolation. It’s as much as you can get with a shallow insertion. A tiny bore near the cable connector leaks a little bit of sound, bit i would say it’s very minimal at reasonable listening levels. Not a point of concern for workplace usage.
Fit – 4/5
Fit is simple, and excellent. A no nonsense approach here. Even a first time IEM user will have no trouble getting a good fit with these. Over-the-ear is possible, but i prefer straight-down with these.
Microphonics – 3/5
It is noticeable if you’re walking about without a jacket on top that can stop the wires from bouncing around.
Drivability – I would say these hit the safe spot in drivability. They are not the easiest to drive (like Acoustune HS1004 for example), nor are they hard in the least bit. Off a smartphone, 50-60% will get you to ideal listening levels.
Before we get to the sound: You must know that i don’t listen to trance, EDM, or bassy stuff, no metal stuff, so, take my opinion about the extremes of the sound spectrum, and speed,etc., with a grain of salt, as they are just based on the kind of music I listen to- namely Jazz, blues, some progressive rock from the 70s/80s. However, to give a fair review, i include some of my favourite Daft Punk, Tool, NIN, and some Pop songs among my test tracks.
Eartips: I’m using the provided Comply eartips with the Pycos as they add body and weight to the high frequency notes which i find preferable. With the stock regular-type silicon tips the highs come across as sightly thinner with a good amount of shimmer as well. This comes down to your ultimate preference. The Complys get so comfy in the ear and the fit is also preferable.
Ultrasone provided their IEM line-up earphones for the purpose of my honest review. After testing these earphones, the Ultrasone Pyco and Tio were duly returned. I get to keep the Ultrasone IQ and IQ Pro. That said, please rest assured that this a completely unbiased and honest review. The impressions and comparisons are all my own and not driven by any external party.
Sound –
The general signature is balanced, i would say, with a perfect balance of bass, mids and treble, like a wavy W-shaped signature with slopes not-so-steep. Music sounds nice and full, like the way it is supposed to sound, and I can’t directly fault any particular aspect of the signature itself. The general signature is very similar to the house flagship IEM IQ. You can get a little taste of the TOTL model in these.
Soundstage:
We can say the Pycos have decent width with added height to the soundstage. I wouldn’t say these have the widest soundstage, but they aren’t narrow or constricted in any way. They have a good spread depending on the music itself. The soundstage also flaunts good depth where you can perceive some layers if you observe carefully. The impactful bass helps to add these layers by not interfering with the rest of the spectrum. The vocals always manage to come out on top which is very satisfying to hear. They are more intimate sounding phones and play a little closer to the listener. It's nicely done and sounds very mature and enjoyable.
Bass:
The bass is very nicely boosted without a perceivable mid-bass hump. It’s very impactful and has great quantity. No one would call this neutral or anywhere near. The bass is more tight than it is boomy. Equally quick as it is in impact. You can’t put your finger and say the mid bass is bloated due to it’s snappy attack. It’s very nicely done, and i would say it will satisfy any commercial user as well as a discerning audiophile. Perfect in the mix for all type of music.
Mids:
The punchy bass adds enough warmth to the vocals. Both the males and the females sing well through these earphones and they come out as intended by the mixer. Somehow the warmth seems to affect only the voices, leaving the instruments in the mids untouched. It nicely avoids sounding euphonic or overly thick. Still, the voices carry the soul necessary to warm your heart. So, the mids come across as clear and detailed, carrying an authentic timbre to boot. They also retain good space around each note. Very nicely tuned is all i can say.
Treble:
The treble is emphasised only so much to balance out the bass quantity. It has enough sparkle and shimmer, and very cunningly avoids sibilance as well. The Complys might even keep those treble sensitive folks satisfied, depending on their tolerance level. The treble range extends very well to all practical purposes, are very detailed – as much as a dynamic driver can get without sounding harsh or annoying.
Instrument positioning, separation, et al
These earphones deserve a special note for their positioning and separation capabilities. All the instruments hold their spot in the soundstage like their life depends on it. They don’t waver much from their centre, and also reserve a small area around them to maintain enough privacy without getting clinical. I think with the Pycos the Ultrasones nailed the exact middle path where the audiophile and a commercial listener would meet. They do nothing wrong, but, on the flipside, they would leave a polarised listener wanting a bit more from the earphones depending on their inclination.
Comparisons
Round 1 – Ultrasone Pyco vs Sennheiser IE 40 Pro (99 USD)
To make it spicy, let’s start with a comparison with one that is probably Ultrasone’s great German rival, Sennheiser. Being the only Sennheiser in my possession we have to live with this. Sennheisers are considerably cheaper than the Pyco, but they have the cutting edge technology in there releasing barely weeks ago vs the Pyco that was tuned with stuff available in hand at 2013. Being single dynamics i think this is a fair match. Let’s get to it.
Switching from Pyco to Sennheiser, i could perceive immediately that the Pyco is a touch darker and intimate than the Senns, and comes across as very slightly warm. The male vocals sound thicker with more body compared to the Sennheisers. The Sennheiser, in comparison, have slightly recessed mids and present a U shaped signature. The IE 40 Pro spreads the music nicely in a lateral manner and avoids sounding too intimate and cluttered, whereas the Pyco is little more up front and gets closer to the listener. The Pycos have a more rounded soundstage with better depth. The Sennheisers dig deeper into the sub-bass regions and the bass presence is better with the Senns. The Pyco goes for greater impact quantity with decent quality, still delivering a quicker attack than Sennheisers. In bass, especially sub-bass, heavy passages the Senns let the mids take a back-seat. The Senns also have a slight edge with presenting micro details due to it’s treble emphasis on the other side, which aids the user to pick out certain nuances in the music. There’s more space between instruments in the Senns, whereas Pyco has stronger instrument positioning in it’s layers.
The Pyco is the more balanced player of the two and shows composure even in overwhelming circumstances. The IE 40 Pro are better for monitoring purposes as intended.
Sennheisers are cheaper; have proprietary detachable cables; are made for over the ear wearing style. Pycos are more expensive; have an integrated mic for answering calls; can be worn over-ear or straight down.
Round 2 – Ultrasone Pyco vs Acoustune HS1004 (200 USD)
We see the Germans playing at a similar level. Let’s now see how the Pyco stands against a new Japanese maker with their powerful Reverb Dynamic driver.
Switching from Acoustunes to Pyco, i immediately miss the bass reverb of the HS1004. HS1004 digs deeper and sounds very dynamic .We sense a lot of movement and feel the bass with the reverb driver. Pyco, in contrast presents a tighter bass which is equally punchy, minus the reverb. The soundstage of the Acoustunes are quite massive and expand in all directions. The expansive soundstage of the HS1004 also helps to accomodate more information and detail and makes them very apparent. The HS1004 gives us the instant wow-effect with it’s reverberating bass and a grandiose stage. The Pyco stands its ground with better definition and presenting everything rather perfectly in it’s own simple stage. I think it comes down to preference, and calling a winner is impossible between these without personal biases influencing the decision.
Acoustunes come with non-detachable cables with no intergrated mic; over-ear and straight-down wear possible. Pycos give us an intergrated mic with the same wearing options.
Round 3 – Ultrasone Pyco vs Donguri Syou Kurenai (~250 USD)
Let’s see if the TTR Donguri Syou Kurenai can win the Pyco. Syou Kurenai is the one from Donguri series that is closest to Pyco‘s signature.
Switching from Pyco to Syou Kurenai, it is very apparent that the mids, and upper mids are brought forward in the mix with the Donguri whereas it is more balanced in the Pyco. The Donguris, as a result, come across as brighter than the Pyco, which never gets splashy. This helps the Donguris to flash more details up front to the listener which makes the music more exciting. Their bass impact and delivery is very similar. Vocals are forward and female vocals soar higher in the Donguri. Treble extension seems similar, with the Donguri scoring points with more shimmer.
For my preferences, the Donguri takes the cake with its upper-mids tilted signature. Those preferring a more balanced signature would find Pycos doing the things correctly.
Round 4 – Ultrasone Pyco vs Ultrasone Tio (~350 USD)
It‘s all in the family this time. Let‘s see how much ahead the Tio is in comparison to it‘s smaller brother. To get to Tio one must shell out twice the money. Tio is also a single BA unit. Completely unfair comarison, but this is to let you know what is down the road.
Switching from Pyco to Tio is mindblowing, to say the least. The clarity that the BA delivers along with its warm tint is breathtaking. Every detail is so clear with the Tio, it‘s quite unbelievable immediately after the switch. The timbre, positioning, vocals, simply everthing is much more resolved and clearer. In comparison the Pycos are underwhelming, and the price gap seems justifiable. The bass impact with the Pycos are a little ahead and the sub bass rumble shows a little easily, but even here the bass definition of the Tios are spot on and come across as better, arguably. The soundstage is pretty similar in height and width, but Tio has noticeable better layering and positioning.
Pyco can be awfully proud of its brother and show all the due respect.
Conclusion –
For an earphone tuned 5 years ago, the Pyco still stands tall and shows enough grit when competing with today‘s IEMs. Ultrasone‘s only single dynamic driver is an IEM that does not do a single thing wrong and walks the middle path like an enlightened one. The safe tuning will not overly excite anyone, but everyone, in my opinion, should take notes from the Pyco on how to tune a balanced signature right. For a 100 Euros with detachable cables, these will get five stars and would sell like hot-cakes.
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