1Custom Junior: Junior Wonder
I got the 1Custom Junior for review from Nihal. I am sharing my unbiased opinion here.
Right from the start, it felt...good. really really good. So good that I can't put it off from my ears. I’ll try to categorise my impressions rather than simply rambling on.
Bass:
No, it has not got rumbling bass that rolls around and grab your collar to get in your face. The midbass is punchy, although slightly behind the mids, subbass is only there in the background, surfacing only when it’s called upon and staying out of the way for the rest of the time. Very much detailed and cleanly represented.
Bassheads won’t love it. I would not have preferred it too, if not for the…
Mids:
Yes, mids. Insanely beautiful mids. I can’t stop listening to music because of them. Such beautifully brought forward warm and alive mids. Vocals sound emotional, snare sounds just too damn detailed and real. String instruments - alive. Each different spectrum cleanly represented. And even though the mids are so forward the soundstage does not seem intimate - incredible tuning!
And what makes me even more incredulous at the tuning is...
Treble:
I have not listened to treble this beautiful till date. It’s brought forward nicely but not at all sibilant or overly sharp. The only term that can define them is crisp, but not at all cold. Every little bit is gently presented such that you can hear the most obscured details vividly, without a single wince. It’s got plenty air too.
Soundstage and separation:
Expansive soundstage with good width and depth. Very good separation enhances the listening experience.
Track-wise impressions:
In the track Steven Wilson - Pariah (ft. Ninet Tayeb) there is a beautiful bassline at the last quarter, which if the bass is strong ruins the rest of the wide spectrum. Junior blends the bassline so beautifully that you can hear them and yet the rest of the track is not overshadowed by it.
Moreover, at the beginning of the track there is a very soft high note (probably triangle, I’m not so well-versed in recognising instruments) that other iems struggled to represent, while Junior brought it out vividly. I was so amazed that I had to re-check it repeatedly that if I was indeed hearing right. While this may be an indication how forward the treble is, what amazed me that how absolutely not piercing it is. Marvellous is the only word I have.
Disturbed - Ten Thousand Fist and Muse - Showbiz are 2 tracks that I use to check the sound separation and harsh treble. Junior handles these 2 tracks perfectly. Ten thousand fists is quite a busy track that sound not a bit of congested. Showbiz is another busy track with quite harsh treble that may give the listener a hard time if the iem produces sharp treble. On Junior it’s an absolutely quality time listening to the song, rocking to the tune. And also, no congestion at all.
Bear Mccreary - Battlestar Galactica Season 2 - Prelude to the war is a track for checking subbass, midrange and treble. On Junior the drum rumbles stay where they should without covering the rest of the frequency. But most importantly, it’s the snare whose sound becomes vivid with lots of details, warm and crispy. Literally cannot have enough of them. The cymbal crashes are beautiful and not piercing.
Conclusion:
To put it simply, I’m head over heels in love with this Small Wonder.. I might as well name it Vicki, the Small Wonder herself. It’s a shame that I have to let it go to the next reviewer. I really really wish to hold on to it just a little bit longer...may be until I lose my hearing...may be...
I got the 1Custom Junior for review from Nihal. I am sharing my unbiased opinion here.
Right from the start, it felt...good. really really good. So good that I can't put it off from my ears. I’ll try to categorise my impressions rather than simply rambling on.
Bass:
No, it has not got rumbling bass that rolls around and grab your collar to get in your face. The midbass is punchy, although slightly behind the mids, subbass is only there in the background, surfacing only when it’s called upon and staying out of the way for the rest of the time. Very much detailed and cleanly represented.
Bassheads won’t love it. I would not have preferred it too, if not for the…
Mids:
Yes, mids. Insanely beautiful mids. I can’t stop listening to music because of them. Such beautifully brought forward warm and alive mids. Vocals sound emotional, snare sounds just too damn detailed and real. String instruments - alive. Each different spectrum cleanly represented. And even though the mids are so forward the soundstage does not seem intimate - incredible tuning!
And what makes me even more incredulous at the tuning is...
Treble:
I have not listened to treble this beautiful till date. It’s brought forward nicely but not at all sibilant or overly sharp. The only term that can define them is crisp, but not at all cold. Every little bit is gently presented such that you can hear the most obscured details vividly, without a single wince. It’s got plenty air too.
Soundstage and separation:
Expansive soundstage with good width and depth. Very good separation enhances the listening experience.
Track-wise impressions:
In the track Steven Wilson - Pariah (ft. Ninet Tayeb) there is a beautiful bassline at the last quarter, which if the bass is strong ruins the rest of the wide spectrum. Junior blends the bassline so beautifully that you can hear them and yet the rest of the track is not overshadowed by it.
Moreover, at the beginning of the track there is a very soft high note (probably triangle, I’m not so well-versed in recognising instruments) that other iems struggled to represent, while Junior brought it out vividly. I was so amazed that I had to re-check it repeatedly that if I was indeed hearing right. While this may be an indication how forward the treble is, what amazed me that how absolutely not piercing it is. Marvellous is the only word I have.
Disturbed - Ten Thousand Fist and Muse - Showbiz are 2 tracks that I use to check the sound separation and harsh treble. Junior handles these 2 tracks perfectly. Ten thousand fists is quite a busy track that sound not a bit of congested. Showbiz is another busy track with quite harsh treble that may give the listener a hard time if the iem produces sharp treble. On Junior it’s an absolutely quality time listening to the song, rocking to the tune. And also, no congestion at all.
Bear Mccreary - Battlestar Galactica Season 2 - Prelude to the war is a track for checking subbass, midrange and treble. On Junior the drum rumbles stay where they should without covering the rest of the frequency. But most importantly, it’s the snare whose sound becomes vivid with lots of details, warm and crispy. Literally cannot have enough of them. The cymbal crashes are beautiful and not piercing.
Conclusion:
To put it simply, I’m head over heels in love with this Small Wonder.. I might as well name it Vicki, the Small Wonder herself. It’s a shame that I have to let it go to the next reviewer. I really really wish to hold on to it just a little bit longer...may be until I lose my hearing...may be...