Accutone Studio S1

Intro
With the review of the STUDIO S1 the excursion through the product range of ACCUTONE closes for the moment, starting with the entry-level model LYRA, over the dual driver PAVO, up to the S1, with which we reached the high-class segment. The S1 is primarily addressed to musicians and developed for stage use. However, it also performs very well in everyday life.



Handling
The S1 is not stingy with its external dimensions. The case is quite slim in height, but relatively long. Above all, the nozzle can be inserted very far into the ear canal. This has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is certainly the secure fit in the ear, especially with the included Comply tips and a very rich bass due to the deep penetration. However, you shouldn't be one of those people who complain about too small ears, or just enjoy them, because not everyone likes to run around as a dumbo, although this brings immense advantages when it comes to wearing comfort with in-ears. The deep seat is a bit unusual at the beginning, but you quickly get used to the feeling.
In the long run, I experience slight pain in the upper auricle, because the housing hits it.

The case is made of plastic and the front panel with logo is held together with the body by a screw. Beneath the plastic you can see a metal chamber, in which the dynamic driver is located, and a tube that connects to the bell. " Studio" is engraved on the inside of the case.

The isolation is really respectable. Especially when playing live on stage there shouldn't be too many problems to just put the right part of the music into your ear.

Unfortunately, the cable is only average, it does its job, but for over 150 € it can also be something more special, at least as far as haptics are concerned.



Sound
Hello Bass! The S1 belongs to the warmer IEMs and has a distinctive V-signature, which is fun.

The bass has a lot to offer and for some it can certainly be a borderline in terms of quantity. Thank God the S1 is not only able to work quantitatively, but also the quality is not neglected. The S1 is simply fun in every genre. Not for purists, but if you want to shake your ear with pressure, texture, dynamism and a lot of sub-bass, you should risk an ear with the S1. Admittedly, the bass also slips into the lower mids, but it doesn't discolour them unnecessarily. This is really impressive with the prominent role in the overall sound. Of course, the Comply tips also contribute to the bass experience. If the bass is too strong for you, you can use the included silicone tips, which tame the bass a bit.

The mids play as expected in a V-signature. They are generally reticent, but still have enough weight to show off their musical qualities and not go under.
If you like blaring guitars, drums with a lot of body and generally a full, dynamic sound, you'll find what you're looking for here, because that's what the S1 can offer. It may not be as clear, bright and detailed as the IKKO OH1, for example, but it sounds more natural and softer. In addition, it does not make the music selection unnecessarily difficult, since it can operate everything. I would still like some clarity and crisp in the mids, especially when it gets louder and more brute, although the mids remain surprisingly stable. Voices are well positioned and have a pleasant, natural timbre.

The treble doesn't even try to compete with the bass by being unnaturally inflated, even if it's above the midrange. They just stay calm and do everything right. They offer expansion and detail and enrich the sound by opening it and not distorting it. They won't cause any problems when it comes to sharpness, peaks or sibilants and still score with naturalness without appearing dull or too dark.

The stage is not the biggest, but it is appropriate for the price segment. Within the possibilities there is a clear separation with a slight overlay and a high amount of information. The 3D image can be convincing in your spatiality and several layers within the room can be identified!



Outro
I stick with it, the ACCUTONE S1 are simply fun and can also meet audiophile demands at the same time. They don't have the analytical depth of some BA, or hybrid configurations, but they manage to fill music with liveliness without artificially distorting the sound. Ok, the tight, deep, but also somewhat oversized bass reduces the naturalness factor a bit, but especially on stage (rock, metal, punk, hip-hop...) it can be a bit rougher and the deep punch is definitely desired. Of course, also in everyday life, if you like it more "In-Your-Face", concerning the bass.
People with smaller ears can get problems with the S1 and those who like it more analytical, brighter and harder in terms of highs and mids should perhaps look elsewhere again. In addition, I find the S1 then nevertheless somewhat overpriced in the comparison.

https://www.audio.accutone.com/studio-s1


___________________________________________________________
More reviews: https://david-hahn.wixsite.com/chi-fiear-eng
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CHIFIEAR/

Accutone Studio S1 Review: Dynamic Punch
Accutone is a consumer-electronic company based in China that specializes in building earphones. They’ve had some pretty solid offerings that met the market well in the past and they’re back again to woo the audiophile market with their new Studio series. But are their efforts worthwhile? Or is this a failed attempt to breach an already saturated market?

You can find the S1 available for sale, here, for $200.

Preference and Bias: Before reading a review, it is worth mentioning that there is no way for a reviewer to objectively pass judgment on the enjoyability of a product: such a thing is inherently subjective. Therefore, I find it necessary for you to read and understand what I take a natural liking to and how that might affect my rating of a product.

My ideal sound signature would be an extended sub-bass with a leveled, but textured, mid-bass. The mids should be slightly less pronounced than the treble, but still ahead of the bass. I prefer a more bright upper range.

Source: The S1 was powered like so:

HTC U11 -> USB-C adapter -> earphones

or

Hidizs AP100 3.5mm out -> FiiO A5 3.5mm out -> earphones

or

HiFiMAN SuperMini -> earphones

or

PC optical out -> HiFiMe SPDIF 9018 Sabre DAC 3.5mm out -> earphones

All music was served as MP3 @320Kbps or as FLAC.

Sound Signature
Initial Impressions:

The Studio S1 is Accutone’s “first real effort” in the audiophile IEM market space, but you’d never guess that from its sonic performance. The S1 features a “fun” sound signature that combines a quick, punchy, and robust bass with a capable, but not overdone, bass. These components combine to form a generally V-shaped sound signature. The bass is prominent, but not messy, and has a fairly linear response (the mid-bass is generally within 1–2dB of the sub-bass).

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy

The S1’s treble can be described with the oft-overused qualifier, “effortless”. While I hate to use such an audiophile cliche, I do feel that it fits. It's mellow but not colored and rolled-off. For a single dynamic driver with a V-shaped sound signature, treble-based detail retrieval is pretty good too.

Attack and decay are natural and support the S1’s natural timbre well. Extension is pretty good, though not as good as one might find with balanced-armature based IEMs. That doesn’t stop it from pushing up into the upper-treble though, as it does a good job imaging strings and electronic synths that live on the edges of the upper register.

The Studio S1 does not fall victim to sibilance, so even the most treble-sensitive listeners can rest easy; the S1 does not need to be sharp to portray a lot of detail.

Mids: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams

The mids are mildly recessed and have no real coloration aside from a very slight warmth in their lower part. The mids feel faster than average for a dynamic driver and are very well layered. I can get up to three or four distinct “layers” of instrumentation in some songs.

Guitars and drums have an excellent tone that really plays to the advantage of genres like alternative, rock, and even electronic ones like dubstep and progressive house.

Vocals are above average in intelligibility and are blended very well with the rest of the instrumentation in most songs. The S1 is fairly impartial when it comes to whose vocals sound the best, but I’d have to say that male one do tend to take the lead in terms of tonality.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), War Pigs (Celldweller Remix)

Bass is the S1’s specialty. Since the release of the Rose Cappuccino Mk. II I’ve been waiting for another company to deliver a bass-positive experience without sacrificing fidelity in any other parts of the frequency. The S1 feels like an honest attempt at that. And while it doesn’t deliver massive bass, it does give you punchy and rumbly bass that doesn’t butcher the mids or treble. That alone gives it an edge up for listeners who don’t want to just hear their music, but also feel it.

That said, the sub-bass does fall a bit slow. This makes complex bass guitar strumming patterns less than ideal from a clarity standpoint. Bass guitars are well taken care of in terms of audibility and emphasis though.

The S1’s bass performs exceptionally well during bass drops in songs like War Pigs (Celldweller Remix) and Gold Dust.

Packaging / Unboxing
Build
Construction Quality

The S1 is built from plastic and makes use of an ergonomically styled shell. The faceplate is affixed to the rest of the shell via a combination of friction and a single screw. The faceplate features a vent and reflective Accutone logo.

Embedded in the shells are (FINALLY STANDARDIZED) MMCX connectors. They are sturdy and well supported by the shell, but they do allow for rotation, as most MMCX connectors do.

On top of the nozzle’s are black metal filters. They do a good job protecting the driver from any debris that may try and get past them. On the inner face of the shell is a beveled “Studio” sub-logo. It’s pretty stylish and doesn’t affect ergonomics, so I’m glad Accutone included it for a little extra flair.

Accutone chose to go with a simple plastic braided cable. It does its job admirably, holding no body, and conducting no microphonics. The MMCX housing, 3.5mm jack housing, and Y-splitter are all made of a matte plastic that is thick and durable. There is ample stress relief on all the critical points along the cable. The stock cable does not come with inline controls, though it is very easy to find a replacement that does should that be important to you.

Comfort

The Studio S1 is exceedingly comfortable. I have no complaints about it at all, and would highly recommend it to anyone with larger ears. Those with smaller ears may find a way to use the S1 via the foam eartips, though there’s no guarantee given the size of the shells.

I had no problems with comfort while wearing the Studio S1 for extended periods of time, though I wouldn’t recommend laying down in it as that did produce some mild discomfort.

Accessories
Inside the box you’ll find:

• 1x semi-hard carrying case
• 1x pair of foam eartips
• 3x silicone eartips
• 1x micro-fiber cleaning cloth

The Studio S1 is decently well-equipped, but could definitely use a bolstered selection of eartips, given its price.

Furthermore, as is with every single other case made by Accutone, the case in the box is far too small. While the Studio S1 definitely does fit, the case should be 30–50% larger to avoid having to tightly coil the included cable and avoid compressing the Comply tips that were (thankfully) included in the box.

Summary
The Studio S1 is a coming-of-age for Accutone in the audiophile market space. While it does have some strange choices for its accessory package, it is a very well-rounded offering that should appeal to fans of bass, but not alienate those who appreciate natural timbre and treble retrieval. I recommend that you give the S1 a listen if you get the chance, you might just fall in love with it.