Yuin PK2, Impressions & Pics. - Page 5

I'm cheap.

well that was great timing. Oh well, I got a deal.

Can they be opened easily?

Can the pK2 be opened an closed easily? I need to access the driver without snapping plastic or any re-glue (for use with iPhone cabling).

Thanks,
-sf

no. the pk2's can't be opened.

Perhaps the pK3? Typically the ring around the earpiece or cap will snap off, leaving a single body with cord running through and cap. Thanks. -sf

well all of the pk series use the same housing. im holding my pk2's right now and they do not open up.

Believe me, I tried to open them up, to recable them, but I couldn't. It should be a way, some how. Maybe with heat, but they sound so good, that I would feel guilty if something happens to them.

Indeed. Thanks for the information.

What intrigues me is that this company appears to basically be making plug outlet strips, and have a slew of rather standard looking other earbuds as well. Perhaps they are made by someone else and rebadged? If not, what did they figure out with the pK design that has eluded others for such a long time? I'd almost be willing to trash a pair of pK3s to find out what is going on in there (e.g. a beefier driver or what?) if there were any chance of leading to a recabling for the iPhone.... -sf

Well, yes 'Yuin Taiwan' is a plug outlet strip maker producing/selling a whole range of rather conventional looking earphones. (Don't know about the other company.) Are the pK buds re-branded from another manufacturer perhaps?

Duplicate

If these (Yuin PK2 there below on your right) are like many Sony buds, then a sharp knife can pry up a disc shaped cap from the earpiece. With that type you have to inch around the circumference without digging in at any particular spot.
-sf

Je, je. Interesting. Thank you.

TURBO

First impressions Yuin PK2

I had been looking for some semi-listenable phones for travelling for some time (the stock buds on my iAudio U3 are AWFUL). I had reluctantly almost made up my mind to get some IEMs (e2c or SuperFi 3 or similar) but was still unsure about the comfort issue and very specific sound of IEMs. When I heard of Yuin, I pounced on their mid-range product the PK2, avoiding the PK1 because I absolutely don't want to use an amp for portable purposes.

And they arrived from HeadRoom today, 69$ for the buds and a wopping 45$ shipping. (to France!)

Initial impression as I first put them on:
"Why the hell did I buy this crap?" - not much bass but kind of muffled, crappy instrument seperation, sounded as if the band were playing under water.

Impression 30min later after experimenting with the various foamies:
no foamie: no bass
full foamie: too much bass, muffled
dough nut: best option available for my taste

I kept the dough nuts on for a while and went through a few albums in my collection. Main characteristics of the sound:
- Bass very good for an earbud, extends quite deep
- Detail pretty good, good for backing vocals, quiet backing instruments etc
- Impression that something's muffled, kind of like the Sennheiser sound to me, pleasant to some, frustrating to me
- Consequence of the "muffledness": very good at high volumes on Rock, Pop etc. (no ear splitting peaks) but not that great on acoustic stuff, percussions and Classic Jazz (the instruments lack edge, texture).
- Pretty good on voices, no problem with the texture there.
- The sound has surprisingly good body, not tinny highs (cimbal and high hat for instance) and no "cardboard like" mids like most earbuds.

Overall:
They are very pleasant phones to wear and to listen to. There's nothing really annoying about them, appart from that slight "veil" as some would call it. But you get used to it when you wear for extended periods. The great bass quality makes you forget these are earbuds.
However, I put my K501s on after listening to the PK2s for a while and I was immediately reminded that I had been only listening to earbuds.
The PK2s are good phones, no doubt, but let's not fool ourselves, they are no where near as good as full sized headphones; it's just a different world.

Conclusion:
Yuin offer a pretty good product for travelling with the PK2 but, for me, remains only a travel product. Consequently, they confirm my position that it's not worth spending a fortune on portable products. They can be very decent but never as good as the real deal.

Sources used:
- iAudio U3
- M-Audio Fast Track Pro
Music:
Mark Knopfler - Kill to get Crimson
Jimmy Rainey - But Beautiful
Paco de Lucia - Cositas Buenas
Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon before Long