I don't know where to start to be honest. I've been reviewing head-fi gears for almost 3 years and I try to keep my opinions balanced at all times, but for this, I could not do so. In three years, this is my first time saying that one's product ain't good enough. I always try to find the pros (as well as the cons) in every product, but I could not find any solid good points about t180. I am surely not against cheap/reasonably priced IEMs, because I know some brands, such as 1MORE, which has great sound quality within their very reasonable price range.
 
Sorry to say, but I unplugged these pair of earphone in less than 10 minutes. Yes, it was that bad. Will be short and brief on the sound impressions, it was the worst earphone I've heard in 2016. Sounds like a tin can, sounds very foggy overall, whole balance is weirdly off and lacks a lot of clarity. I really REALLY dig warm, dark sound signatures, but this one seemed not just dark, but very muddy, which makes the whole sound very tinny. The only good thing about it was the deep-ish bass and decent isolation, but not good enough either. The packaging was awful, I even did not like the font they used on the back of the box, unit looks that it is made of very cheap plastic and the sound itself is not good either.
 
I would not recommend this earphone to anyone. Sorry to Tingker, I know you guys put much effort making this product, but this is my very honest opinion
 

 

 

 

 

Hi there! it's my first time submitting a review on head-fi.org. I am a head-fi reviewer based in South Korea. Started out around 2 and a half years ago on my private blog (obviously in Korean^^ and now I got recruited to write articles for Headphone Premium Guide Magazine, Korea. Very excited to start my English reviews, on head-fi.org alongside with my English blog. As a disclaimer, my review will always be short, blunt, no beating around the bush, no exaggeration, truthful, and most importantly, easily comprehendible. And I will never be bribed to forcefully write positive reviews!! Ok, then let’s go straight to the point!

Package is simple, with its basic necessities for an earphone. The unit itself, a pair of earphone sponge and a case (pictures below).

I’ve used quite a lot of open-end earphones. Starting from Sony e-888, Audio-Technica CM-7, Sennheiser MX985, Yuin PK1, B&O A8 and so on. The only one I possess at the moment is the B&O A8, and I absolutely love it! It is one of my daily drivers, paired with my iPhone 6S, especially in one of those days you don’t want to carry a bulky DAP, I just grab my A8 in my pocket and I stroll around. A8 has a unique clarity to the sound. The sound is very clear, light and delicate. Now to the point. What’s so special about Cygnus?

First of all, even though the unit itself is made of plastic, it actually looks pretty nice. Doesn’t look cheap, strongly built, nothing much to complain about. One of the things that I love about Cygnus is the customised cable. It’s made out of SPC (Silver Plated Copper) and adds a little ‘oomph’ to the sound. The 3.5mm gold plated plug is (assumed) to be one of the original Oyaide component.

Taking a direct sound comparison with B&O A8, Cygnus sounds more neutral, in terms of having a more warm sound signature. The best part about Cygnus are the mids. Very clear, attacks you straight into your ear drums, almost sounds like an earphone for vocal monitoring purpose. Doesn’t mean that the bass and the highs are not there, oh yes it is there. Bass is tight, the highs are not high pitched but it definitely has a presence. In a proportion of 100, I would say, 30:45:25 (Bass-Mid-High).

I personally dig warm, airy sound signatures, and Shozy Cygnus has it all. My A8 is now being threatened of it’s daily driver position. If you are nostalgic of an old school open-end earphone, Shozy Cygnus is a good place to resolve the nostalgia. But remember, audio/head-fi is all about personal preference. I like it, but you may not. So don’t trust every word I say. Just use my review as a reference, try it out yourself, then decide!

If you want any further info or interested in purchasing products from Shozy, visit Shozy’s Official Website for more. Have great day guys!

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