About three days ago, I received a gift from my friend. Out of the envelope, the wrap and box make me wonder if there is a piece of jewelry or watch inside. The silver wood texture really spices me up. The inside is filled with foam and the gift is protected in a black cylinder shape jug, which would be better used to preserve a film roll in my opinion. Anyway, I know what I am getting – a pair of Yuin PK2 earbuds.
Yuin is a relatively new earphone manufacturer born in China. And they are providing three different models for grand release:
•PK1, the high resistance, purely audiophile model;
•PK2, the low resistance, casual to professional listening model;
•PK3, the low resistance, street/portable oriented model.
I need a new toy in my computer jammed office, and I don’t want to drag an amp with me. So I asked for the PK2, which I expect to replace my long time buddy ER6i, if it can perform on par. So here comes my impression within the first 72 hours. I know I haven’t burn-in it fully, but this little thing does have something unique for me to tell.
Yuin PK2 looks like the old Sony/Aiwa walkman OEM buds, but smaller and no gold glare. The material feels OK, and I haven’t tried to abuse it yet 8-). The interesting design is noticeable from the back. Two horizontally carved grooves are shielded by foam like material from inside, which makes me feel it should sound “open”.
My current rigs include:
•Senn HD580
•Ety ER6i
•Koss PortaPro and KSC75
•Perreaux SXH-1 headphone amp
Sources are:
•Sony SCD-CE595 CD player
•iRiver iMP 350 portable CD player
•Sandisk Sansa MP3 player
•Creative Audigy 2 ZA PC card
Spec:
Freq: 20 – 20 KHz
AC Resistance: 16 ohm at 1 KHz
DC Resistance: 15 ohm
Sensitivity: 108 db at 1 KHz
Distortion: < 0.1%
Comfort:
Because they are small (look how they compare with ER6i), you never feel the pressure that makes large buds uncomfy. I have rather small ears, so I am not worried about them to drop out. You practically feel nothing when having them on.
Efficiency:
These buds are really efficient. At the same volume, they sound noticeably louder than Koss cans, which are already very sensitive. They sound slightly weaker than ER6i, mainly because of the open design. But overall, the sound is ample even from so-so MP3 players.
Sound Stage:
Huge plus for these buds. I never feel earphones can sound so wide and clear. The vocal is up front and enjoyable. The instruments are spread from left to right realistically. Ety sound is very clean and tightly controlled, but lacks the smooth and air feeling. Koss cans are open, but you lose the details. Only HD580 with proper amp beats PK2. I guess its driver is not strong enough to deepen the stage. But the ultra wide feeling makes pop/country tunes really live. My favorite – Alison Krauss “When you say nothing at all” now sounds not only sweet but also foot-moving and head-shaking.
Low:
When I put PK2 on, I all at sudden found the feeling of HD580. Very dynamic bass, deep and full of punch, but never bloated. However, HD580 with an amp can make your heart jump. These little buds definitely won’t thrill you like that. Compared with ER6i, you can clearly feel PK2’s strength from low to mid, which makes vocal and guitar much more enjoyable. I know Ety folks will educate me again, but I guess I never quit the love for warm and mellow sound. My favorite tune is from Chesky -- Ana Caram “Blue Bossa”. The bass sounds surreal, vocal and other instruments just ride with the rhythm so smoothly, almost perfect.
Mid and High:
Mid is very intimate with PK2. You feel the voice comes right at you, but still maintains a comfortable distance. High is balanced, but not particularly beautiful. Classics will suffer from that for sure. I tested it with Anne Sophie Mutter “Carmen fantasia”. The sound of strings is much improved when compared with Koss and ER6i, very close to HD580. Overall, it is a bit laid back for shining sounds, I guess.
Others:
I don’t know the exact price, as it is not even on sale in US now. But the final price should be somewhere around $50. At this price, I believe PK2 is definitely a must-have for people who enjoy pop, jazz or vocal. Unfortunately, it does not block out sound and leaks a bit.
Conclusion:
I am very satisfied with this little gift. It soon becomes my main listening weapon. Its sound is not analytical, but very enjoyable like HD580. My ER6i is not retired because I sometimes need the blockage from them. And I anticipate PK1 so much. I should have asked for it.
Yuin is a relatively new earphone manufacturer born in China. And they are providing three different models for grand release:
•PK1, the high resistance, purely audiophile model;
•PK2, the low resistance, casual to professional listening model;
•PK3, the low resistance, street/portable oriented model.
I need a new toy in my computer jammed office, and I don’t want to drag an amp with me. So I asked for the PK2, which I expect to replace my long time buddy ER6i, if it can perform on par. So here comes my impression within the first 72 hours. I know I haven’t burn-in it fully, but this little thing does have something unique for me to tell.
Yuin PK2 looks like the old Sony/Aiwa walkman OEM buds, but smaller and no gold glare. The material feels OK, and I haven’t tried to abuse it yet 8-). The interesting design is noticeable from the back. Two horizontally carved grooves are shielded by foam like material from inside, which makes me feel it should sound “open”.
My current rigs include:
•Senn HD580
•Ety ER6i
•Koss PortaPro and KSC75
•Perreaux SXH-1 headphone amp
Sources are:
•Sony SCD-CE595 CD player
•iRiver iMP 350 portable CD player
•Sandisk Sansa MP3 player
•Creative Audigy 2 ZA PC card
Spec:
Freq: 20 – 20 KHz
AC Resistance: 16 ohm at 1 KHz
DC Resistance: 15 ohm
Sensitivity: 108 db at 1 KHz
Distortion: < 0.1%
Comfort:
Because they are small (look how they compare with ER6i), you never feel the pressure that makes large buds uncomfy. I have rather small ears, so I am not worried about them to drop out. You practically feel nothing when having them on.
Efficiency:
These buds are really efficient. At the same volume, they sound noticeably louder than Koss cans, which are already very sensitive. They sound slightly weaker than ER6i, mainly because of the open design. But overall, the sound is ample even from so-so MP3 players.
Sound Stage:
Huge plus for these buds. I never feel earphones can sound so wide and clear. The vocal is up front and enjoyable. The instruments are spread from left to right realistically. Ety sound is very clean and tightly controlled, but lacks the smooth and air feeling. Koss cans are open, but you lose the details. Only HD580 with proper amp beats PK2. I guess its driver is not strong enough to deepen the stage. But the ultra wide feeling makes pop/country tunes really live. My favorite – Alison Krauss “When you say nothing at all” now sounds not only sweet but also foot-moving and head-shaking.
Low:
When I put PK2 on, I all at sudden found the feeling of HD580. Very dynamic bass, deep and full of punch, but never bloated. However, HD580 with an amp can make your heart jump. These little buds definitely won’t thrill you like that. Compared with ER6i, you can clearly feel PK2’s strength from low to mid, which makes vocal and guitar much more enjoyable. I know Ety folks will educate me again, but I guess I never quit the love for warm and mellow sound. My favorite tune is from Chesky -- Ana Caram “Blue Bossa”. The bass sounds surreal, vocal and other instruments just ride with the rhythm so smoothly, almost perfect.
Mid and High:
Mid is very intimate with PK2. You feel the voice comes right at you, but still maintains a comfortable distance. High is balanced, but not particularly beautiful. Classics will suffer from that for sure. I tested it with Anne Sophie Mutter “Carmen fantasia”. The sound of strings is much improved when compared with Koss and ER6i, very close to HD580. Overall, it is a bit laid back for shining sounds, I guess.
Others:
I don’t know the exact price, as it is not even on sale in US now. But the final price should be somewhere around $50. At this price, I believe PK2 is definitely a must-have for people who enjoy pop, jazz or vocal. Unfortunately, it does not block out sound and leaks a bit.
Conclusion:
I am very satisfied with this little gift. It soon becomes my main listening weapon. Its sound is not analytical, but very enjoyable like HD580. My ER6i is not retired because I sometimes need the blockage from them. And I anticipate PK1 so much. I should have asked for it.
