CVJ Mirror

bryaudioreviews

100+ Head-Fier
Where has this Mirror been my whole life? 🍷 - CVJ Mirror review
Pros: - flat neutral tuning that just works
- thick punchy bass
- natural mids
- well extended treble with good detail and clarity
- above average soundstage and imaging performance
- natural timbre
- good solid shell design
- very easy to drive
- highly recommended
Cons: - bass could be leaner to be "true neutral"
- slight upper treble peak could be annoying to some
- accessory set is lacking
The CVJ Mirror has been rated by one of my friend as "The best hybrid under $100usd". Thus why I have to check em out 😉

After trying them out, I am indeed surprised! This is one of the more interesting IEMs that I've tested in a while.

It has a flat neutral tonality that, just like the name suggests, seems to pick up on small changes in sound from different sources like a champ.

Be it different dongles, different amps, different tips, different cables, the CVJ Mirror just seems to be able to pick on the differences between sources just a hair more than other IEMs.

I've had so much fun trying the CVJ Mirror with different tips, different amps, different cables, different DAPs, different dongles… and it surprises me every time.

The flat neutral tonality really does wonders here… it is sort of like a clean canvas, you could paint anything you want on it, and the end result would be yours sincerely.

I will list my favourite pairings with the CVJ Mirror down below. For others that have already tried the CVJ Mirror and agree with my analogy, feel free to comment down below on your favourite CVJ Mirror pairings too! I would love to try them out :)

For now, let's move on to the review.

*Disclaimer: Review will be done with stock cables and tips.


PROS ✅:​

  • The sound signature here is flat neutral, with a slight hint of warmth (mostly because of the bass). The sound signature is what surprises me the most as I find that it works well with almost every eartip and cable.
  • The bass here is good, albeit could be a bit too boomy for those that are expecting a totally neutral-sounding bass. The bass here has a slight mid-bass push, thus making the bass punchy, thick, and warm. For most people, this is more of a pro than a con, but I think the bass could be toned down a tiny bit just for it to be "truly neutral". If that is even a thing.
  • The midrange here is natural, with a slight hint of warmth. Vocals sound thick, intimate, and relaxed. If you are sensitive to upper mids, Mirror might be perfect for you as you will have no problems with shouty midrange.
  • The treble here is good. Well, mostly. It is well extended with good detail and clarity. It could pick up on microdetails pretty well and sounds pretty refined most of the time. However, sometimes I do find the treble to be a bit edgy. It seems like there is a slight emphasis on the upper treble which I think the Mirror could be better off without.
  • The soundstage here is really good. Good height, good depth, good width. Seriously nothing to complain about here. I would rate it as above average in all 3 spectrums. Used this for gaming and I was not disappointed. Highly recommended for gaming.
  • Imaging is great too. I have no issues pinpointing where instruments are in a song. As for gaming, pinpointing enemies location is a breeze. For $55usd, seriously no complaints.
  • Timbre is good too with a natural-sounding timbre.
  • Love the shell design. Fits my ears perfectly and it seems to fit well with most ear tips.
  • Pairs really well with different cables and tips.
  • Very easy to drive. Benefits from scaling.
  • Great for testing different sources, tips, and cables. Seriously reflects everything you throw at it (like a mirror)
  • Highly recommended for someone looking for a flat-sounding hybrid.


CONS ❌:​

  • Bass could be a bit leaner to be considered "True neutral"
  • The slight upper treble peak could be annoying to some.
  • The accessory set is lacking. Only got a thin cable and 3 pairs of tips. Expected more for the price.


MY FAVOURITE CVJ MIRROR PAIRINGS 😎:​

  1. Smooth neutral - KB Ear Warmth cable + stock tips (seems to cut down the mid-bass a bit and give the Mirror an overall smoother tonality)
  2. Wide and airy - KB Ear Limpid 8c Pure Silver cable + stock tips (sounds leaner, wider, dryer, and airier)
  3. Fun V-shaped sound - **** 8c SPC cable + stock tips (gives the Mirror a slight V-shaped tonality. With tighter punchier bass and sparklier treble)


IN CONCLUSION:​

I really like the CVJ Mirror. As mentioned above, I had so much fun playing around with different tips and cables, plugging it into different sources, just to find out how it'll sound with the Mirror.

Don't get me wrong, the CVJ Mirror sounds great stock. But what makes it even better is that I could literally take a random ear tip or cable, pair it with the Mirror, and be surprised with the outcome it produces.

The CVJ Mirror is literally like what the name suggests - A mirror that reflects everything you throw at it.

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C
Carpet
I found that upgrading to an 8 core OCC cable and using KBEAR 07 tips worked beautifully with to tame the treble peak. A very good IEM that is certainly worth picking up.
bryaudioreviews
bryaudioreviews
@Carpet It is for sure. Thanks for reading

DallaPo

New Head-Fier
The treble has ADHD
Pros: natural, slightly warm mids
balanced from bass to mids
great design and feel
Cons: Bass could be even more neutral
treble is an imposition
zzzz ... sssss , ouch
Rating: 7.5
Sound: 7.3

Intro
The MIRROR represents the current flagship of the company after the CSN and goes a sonically very interesting, in theory very appealing way. However, the potential was unfortunately wasted here and so the MIRROR even draws the short straw for me against the CS8, even if it actually has more to offer tonally.

Handling
Visually, I associate the MIRROR more with a penguin wing than with a mirror, but this IEM is probably the most discreet and at the same time the most appealing of the series in terms of design. It looks like it was cast from one piece, is compact and wears very comfortably. In addition, the robust construction makes the MIRROR a value both visually and haptically.

The accessories are not particularly lush and are limited to the most necessary, such as 3 pairs of silicone tips and a budget cable, as is also known from TRN, or BQEYZ. However, we still get a useful cloth bag for storing the IEMs.

The isolation is good and can be further reinforced with foam tips.

Sound
CVJ fortunately tries to stand out a bit from the budget chi-fi market by tuning their IEMs. The MIRROR has a fairly flat signature that is more akin to "neutrality" in parts. However, for my taste, they don't manage to eradicate the typical maladies and are not quite consistent with the (apparent) basic idea either.

The bass puts its focus on the mid-bass, which gives it a good punch. However, this is partly also a bit dry and not particularly organic. Certainly a matter of taste. In terms of quantity, I'm more than satisfied and would even welcome a few dB less to play up more neutrally here and give the mids a bit more sparkle. The bass has a pretty good texture and is not limited to a one-note bass. Bassheads certainly won't be happy here, but for me it also hangs in the air a bit, as it seems they couldn't decide where they wanted to go with the bass. The speed is certainly worth highlighting, even if it would like to be a bit crisper and could resolve better.

The mids are somewhat overshadowed by the bass, which brings more energy to the mid-bass in particular than the overall mids. But I don't find that too bad, because I generally like somewhat warmer mids and associated with it a usually somewhat more intimate voice presentation. The MIRROR often meets my taste exactly in midrange, even if I would sometimes like a bit more clarity. Still, I really appreciate that voices don't scream at me, but also don't disappear in the mix. To that end, they basically have a fairly natural timbre (even if the highs are more or less a destructive force of nature). Some might accuse them of a certain lifelessness, where I partly go along, but I don't always need a Himalayan plateau in the upper mids to be happy, on the contrary. Still, I'd like to see 2dB more around 2-3 kHz, or 2 dB less in the bass (60 - 200 Hz).

The treble is now the sword of Damocles for my ears with the MIRROR, because my listening happiness stops relatively abruptly when it goes into the higher frequencies and I only find fewer songs that I can listen to reasonably stress-free. Why the hell isn't the range around 6 - 9 kHz at least somewhat mitigated. Yes the peak is also a coupler resonance, which certainly amplifies the peak, however the energy in that range can't be dismissed either. Apart from the fact that I have seen such a pronouncement so far only with the MIRROR and maybe with the KBEAR LARK (seen in relation to the mids and the bass), the sibilant emphasis and associated sharp sibilants is not only annoying, but partly unenjoyable. This has nothing to do with treble extension, transparency or detail, as it simply sounds artificial and piercing. As is so often the case, a basically good signature is run into the ground again by an exaggerated high-frequency response (we're not talking about a special extension here, because this is rather average), or rather sent into space (Team Rocket sends its regards).Too bad, there was clearly more possible here.

The MIRROR has solid technical characteristics with an appealing imaging and a reasonable stage extension, which is still somewhat artificially extended by the exaggerated high tone. Reasonable for the price I would say.

Outro
The idea was good, the implementation less so, at least if you (like me) have a high sensitivity to sibilants and peaks, especially in the high frequencies. I welcome seeing an "experimental" signature under 50€ that deviates from the masses, but then they should have implemented it more consistently. Here was probably more the Asian market in mind, which appreciates a high-frequency emphasis significantly more or even requires it than others.

Unfortunately, even a micropore tape mod can't work wonders here and so only a drastic equalizer helps. With it the MIRROR can be bent then well to right, but that should not be the requirement.

My favorite of the CVJ series therefore remains the CSA.

CVJ MIRROR.jpg
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DallaPo
DallaPo
With all the ones at my disposal....

SMSL SH-8, Zorloo Ztella / Zuper-DAC-S, iBasso DC1, LG G7+ and so on. In balanced mode even a bit clearer and more separated, but the high frequency problem remains.
However, these are budget IEMs that should perform well on the go, not on elaborate setups.
5
536129
So only expensive iems need good amps? That sure takes the fun out of budget finds. Did you try a cable swap? Every con you listed is easily fixed with a cable and good amp not a dongle
DallaPo
DallaPo
No of course not, that applies equally to expensive models! Of course, I have also changed the cables (copper and silver), because the supplied is not really useful.
But I also do not have to bend an IEM with all force, only to unfold its full "potential", there I would like first of all from the developer a certain preparatory work.
Then I can basically take any IEM that brings a certain driver quality and only need a good equalizer + amp (by the way, the SH-8 is far from a dongle, as is the iFi Audio ZEN CAN) and no longer need the choice on the market.
Such a review should be written as far as possible out-of-the-box, I think.

536129

Head-Fier
Best CVJ yet , awesomely neutral
Pros: Excellent vocals and mids
Cons: Needs amp to shine
Cvj mirror
Excellent vocals and mids
Detailed , great separation and wide sound stage, neutral tuning to slightest V
Treble snaps. Scales up with power
Massively benefits from small amp or dongle. Sounds awesome on lg G7 phone
Stays clean and loud. Natural timbre
Low end sounds like a sealed box subwoofer vs ported.
2ba 1 dd
Standout hybrid in 60-75$ range.
Excellent shell and build, all metal shell
Comfy fit, cheap cable.
Can be hot at 4-10k with low power and phone use.
Needs upgrade cable to shine, occ copper , spc, pure silver, all change the sound characteristics.
Definitely recommend, best CVJ to date.
One of the best hybrids less than 100$

Zerstorer_GOhren

500+ Head-Fier
CVJ Mirror: The Flat Contender on Competitive Market
Pros: Almost flat neutral sounding, Superb vocal clarity, Treble quality for trebleheads.
Cons: Not for Bassheads ( Yeah, as usual for in-house CVJ tuning sound sig)
Low tolerance on treble sensitives on treble will probably outright dislike this one.
Good day mates, Once again I would like to introduce to you again a product from CVJ, The CVJ Mirror.
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The CVJ Mirror is a 6 hybrid driver set-up, 2 Balanced Armatures (30095) and 1 Dynamic Driver on each side. Its price range is around US$ 50.00 on online stores. This IEM has an almost flat, neutral sound signature with a little bit of bright yet still delivers an even and smoother treble.

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The packaging box is identical to their entry- level sibling, The CVJ CSE. It has simple box with yellow and black cover on its cover. Its contents inside contains of the IEMs itself, 2 pairs of ear tips (small and large), A typical 4 core stock black cable that you will find it on CVJ and TRN, a velcro lace cable organizer, some paper works ( instruction manuals and warranty card) and velvet pouch.

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The build quality of this IEM is good, it has a unique shape either a tear drop or leaf-like contour, made from aluminium shell which screams durability and sturdy built. It has a matte-finished coating on it which feels less slippery to hold.The size of this IEM is quite compact that it fits to all ear sizes.

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Here are my detailed descriptions on its tonality and tuning.

LOWS/ BASS

The bass quality of this IEM is on a punchy soft side as some of listener will perceive it as neutral bass but still retain its texture. It has very faint sub bass rumble with some emphasis on midbass region. Bassheads will be frowned upon the bass aspect of this IEM due its lack of quality bass that they are looking for.


MIDS

The mids of this one is clean, smooth and
well-delineate. It has balance density of it. The balanced texture of vocals of both female and male are very refined and naturally represented. The sound of rhythm and percussions instruments are more pronounce and detailed especially on acoustic guitars, piano and drums. You will feel the crunchy and crisp sound of acoustic and rhythm guitar, It has good timbre on each instrument with a sense of cohesiveness. Midcentrics would probably love the density quality of the mids of this one and I can assure it as I am also a midcentric.

HIGHS/TREBLE

The treble quality is leaning on bright side,well-detailed, sparkling and clarity of it.There's an emphasis on upper treble region that will produce a shimmer and a little bit edgy. The presence of micro-details is exemplary. It has good extension in the end of brilliance region as it has an airy sound. There are has some occurances of sibilance on some tracks that has very hissing vocals .I can hear the strikes on cymbal sounds very authoritative and life-like sound yet a splashy one on some other tracks that I've tried. There are some tracks that will show some hint of a little speck of tinniness on its spectrum that some will perceived as metallic but it doesn't matter to me as I want a raw sounding on the strikes on brass cymbals as closer to realism that I've heard on metal gigs that I'm attending.Trebleheads will even agreed that this one will a choice for them.

SOUNDSTAGE and IMAGING

It has an above average soundstage which I still considered it as wide, and its height is more quantified than its depth. The imaging is adequate as the sense of panning quality of instruments can be pinpoint its location in room space but its layering is quite impressive.The separation of each instrument has a decent spacing just to have a sense of timbre.

As I put my thoughts on this review, This IEM is one of the best neutral sounding out there in a very competitive current market of audio gears within its price range (US $50.00 price segment) that I can highly recommended it to fellow audio enthusiasts to purchase it or even a good add-on to IEM collectors due to their unique look and finished.This is an IEM that can be proudly recommended to midcentric and treblehead like-minded audiophiles that will put a smile on their faces.
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captione

100+ Head-Fier
Smooth and shimmering!
Pros: Smooth flat/neutral, bright signature
Very good detailing and separation
Offers a different experience in comparison to other budget Chi-fi brands
Good value for money
Cons: Would've prefer a bit more coherent presentation, natural timbre
The peaks from the 4khz-10khz treble range might be sensitive to some
Congestion in treble on some complex tracks
Little to no excitement in the upper-mids
CVJ Mirror Review

Tl;dr : Nice pair with a signature that has a flat and smooth yet detailed treble and excels in separation, deceptively looks like a KZ/TRN but the sound signature shows otherwise. Has a tough competition from other brands. Good value for your money nonetheless. I still prefer a more coherent signature.

A bit of background and disclaimer:

CVJ sent me two samples to review and evaluate (this and the CSE with the review coming in a few weeks!), rest assured they won’t influence my review. I hope my criticisms can be used to improve CVJ’s future releases and current ones, and guide some curious consumers.

I'm also new on reviewing so please tell me your inputs about it! I'm happy to listen and learn from you guys!


Packaging:

· The CVJ Mirror came in a small rectangular printed paper box that is similar to KZ’s and TRN’s packaging where they showcase the pairs detached and 2 pairs of Large and Small tips in a cutout part of the box, with the medium sized tips already in the pairs. Beneath the cutout is a small string bag containing the 4 core cable and an instruction manual with the “warranty” card inside. It was good to include a string bag for storage, considering their other budget competitors such as TRN and KZ. It shows good value.

Build:

· The build of the shells is pretty good, feel and aesthetic-wise. The promotion material stated that the shells are made of an aluminum-magnesium alloy that is CNC milled. The shape resembles a leaf (or an eighth note if you also include the shape of the 2-pin connectors, lol) and looks organic with a ridge detail and a non-functional small vent. They’re coated with a matte finish with L and R markings on the shell body and a “镜-Mirror” along the faceplates. The matte finishes of the shells are a bit of an skin oil magnet though.

Fit and isolation:

· With the organic shape of the shells, it fits me comfortably well due to the fact that the shells don’t fit as shallow as other usual Chi-fi shells out there (Especially those repetitive ZSN-type shells). Isolation is unfortunately average. After a bit of tip-rolling, I found a great fit with the MH755 tips.

Sound:

A bit of background for the source, I used my Meizu DAC (on my phone and laptop) and my music player (Samsung YP-Q2) for the testing. My library consists of MP3 and FLAC albums on 16/44khz and few 24/96khz ones. Here is my lastfm account to see what I listen to: https://www.last.fm/user/varia_ble

- Bass: There is a supple amount in this section, although not as detailed and fast as I wanted it to be, with sub-bass growls sounding a bit smooth and almost one-note and the mid-bass kicks with a bit of boomyness. There is some perceived leakage of the bass throughout the mids, but never overbearing, in fact, very supplemental to the smoothness of the signature and prevents it from sounding thin for me.

- Mids: The timbre of instruments is decent and smooth overall but shines on genres like acoustic, folk and classical. Both female and male voices are very smooth and intimate though not overshadowed by the bloat that I mentioned. The upper-mids are flat until the lower treble so there’s a lack of energy in that region as far as my preferences goes.

- Treble: This is definitely the star of the show, with peaks that I perceive from 4khz-10khz, it gives a sense of air and detail that I haven’t experienced in other IEM’s of this price range, although very digital and sharp in cymbals and other instruments that shines in those ranges. There’s a bit of congestion and rare sibilance in this part when confusing passages that takes advantage of this region on my library, but it honestly depends on the track s you play with. They’re very good in synthpop and electroacoustic genres, which really shines with crisp treble.

- Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: The soundstaging is very good, a bit more wide than deep; the smoothness of the lower and middle sections really lends itself well to the soundstage IMO.

Imaging is only decent, with spatial locations being limited to the depth and stereo sweeps a bit blurry. Separation almost had me amazed, with near perfect layering towards instruments and elements except when it comes to the treble on complex music, though still pretty good.

Comparison:

- With Tin T2 Plus: They share the same neutral profile and price range (2.4 to 2.5k PHP range on both of them). Build aesthetics and presentation goes to Tin T2 Plus while the build quality goes to the Mirror because it uses a 2-pin connector and is less prone to damage compared my already-flawed T2 Plus that had a slightly loose right mmcx connector.

T2 Plus is more warm and coherent while the Mirror being a bit more linear but with a bright treble that excels in separation and detail.

Bass goes to T2 Plus, which excels at its sub-bass detail and growl and fast and weighty mid-bass punch, but the Mirror has a bit more sub-bass amount.

Mids goes to the T2 Plus, being more natural in instrument presentation vocals and with some excitement on the upper-mids that the Mirror lacked for me.

Treble goes for the Mirror, with its performance aiding its excellent detail and separation that gave me a bit of wow factor, though natural presentation-wise, the T2 Plus has that going for it.

Thoughts:

The CVJ Mirror is a pretty solid set of IEMS for a person who wants to swim away from the vast oceans of typical sounding budget Chi-fi, boasting a house sound that is linear and bright. Unfortunately, they’re at a tough competition with other brands that also offers such signatures like Tin HIFI or BQEYZ. I hope to see more from them and proceed to break away from the rest, subverting our expectations. But for now, it’s only good for me, and nothing else. As much as this hybrid excels in their detailing and separation, it does it at the expense of a natural presentation. I got a bit spoiled with my earbuds and other dynamic driver favorites I guess LOL.

Considering the value, it’s definitely not a waste of your money’s worth if you’re looking for such signature at the price range. :)

Thank you for reading!

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A
anggi
What I don't like about t2 plus is the dry and thin vocals. Is CVJ Mirror the same?
captione
captione
@anggi a bit more flatter in the vocals than the T2 Plus, and is very linear from the mids up until lower treble.
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Dessyboi

New Head-Fier
Pros: Flat sounding (Unique from flooded V-shape)
Have much potential (Varies quite a fair bit with different cable)
Vocals are balanced with good clarity
Not harsh/sibilant
Cons: Might sound a little boring (Flat signature)
Fitting (Ear hook and snug)
Very basic accessories for a good product
Introduction/Manufacturer information


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Accessories
-CVJ Earpiece Pouch
-CVJ Eartips

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Review



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First impression:
-The bass-mids-treble is extremely "flat" as perceived by ears... I could hear some bumps throughout the audible frequencies but still generally flat. Mirror makes a good name for this model.

-Unlike the earlier, cheaper cse, this bass is more thumpy, but I can still hear some boomy bass at the background. It kinda gives a layering effect, something similar to reverberation. Guess what? I like it but I would prefer slightly lesser bass due to the "layering", some bassier song can be really strong.

-Mids for both vocals is pretty balanced. Male and female voices are clean with good clarity. I have no issue with sibilance or harshness.

-Trebles extension seem to be somewhat similar to CSE extending to somewhere around 13k before a very steep cut off.

-In terms of the extension of the "detail" frequencies, unlike CSE, this provide smaller micro details while CSE provides the macro details.

-Both soundstage and separation are slightly better on these. Sounded a bit boring but I'm enjoying this flat signature from the flooded U- and V- shaped signature. It feels more relaxing and soothing.

After burn-in (<20hr usage):
-Generally there is not any much change/shift to sound signature. However, the bass texture is slightly better, a little more thumpy. Soundstage opened up making it more airy, no noticeable difference in separation.

-As per the CSE, I have some issue with the fitting and isolation, I went to my foam tips again... (I don't have a wide collection of ear tips). Some might expect the response, bass became more prominent and higher mids got suppress. Now the sound signature is longer flat. But it does bring up more energy in the set.

Mods
-Went to my 16 core SPC to see how it affect the sound... More bass and high-mids, sounded pretty good but a waste to it's default flat tuning. Could have went straight to V-shaped tuning if I wanted that... But, it made this set less "boring". So instead of upgrade, I would be inclined to call it sound signature preference, you have to decide for yourself on this.

-Moving on to the pure silver cable I got. To be honest, I was expecting the sound signature to goes like a tick. elevated bass with even more upper mids boost. But this is not the case, it kind of boosted the whole spectrum equally, I turned down my volume to achieved the volume I'm listening to typically. A little more treble extension. But not much of a difference other than volume, so nope!

-Now let's take a look at OCC. Better vocals clarity and instruments a little fuller. Overall still remain flat and I like this best for maintaining it's "unique" flat response while providing improved technicalities.

-I changed to foam tips to give a little more bass and characteristics than pure flat. You can choose to use other tips for improve treble/vocals as well, based on your preference. I guess it is a good part of flatter response.
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