TONALITY: 7/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.5/10
TIMBRE: 6.5/10
CLARITY: 9/10
IMAGING: 8.5/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8/10
MUSICALITY (subjective): 6.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.5/10
ACCESSORIES: 8.5/10
SOUND VALUE: 7/10
CVJ is an IEM company from China that specialize in budget earphones and aim to deliver high sound value.
Today I will review their flagship single dynamic driver IEM, called Yukimi, which is a product collaboration with Angelears shop.
Priced 210$, the Yukimi use a high end dynamic drivers:
‘’CVJ YUKIMI houses a newly-developed large-size dynamic driver unit that provides a well-balanced sound response across a wide frequency band. The driver adopts diamond-grade carbonized diaphragm. Its unparalleled hardness and rigidity maintains low-distortion and strong dynamics even at high SPL levels. The driver has high-strength CCAW Voice coil combined with aluminum-magnesium inner chamber to minimize distortion and enhance harmonics with controlled resonances.’’
The IEM construction is both elegant and sturdy looking, it’s made of high quality metal alloy and has a white finish. The nozzle is short so it’s not thinked for deep insertion. The 2 pin connector is recessed, which limits the cable connection versatility.
In terms of cable, the one included is quite impressive, it’s a modular cable with 2 large gauge and 556 strands of high purity silver-plated copper wires. Finish is a bit sticky and I'm not sure the connector will be very durable. As well, it comes with a bent that doesn’t smoothen. All these signs don’t scream long durability based on my experience with 500 cables, but in terms of signal transmission, it’s a cable that has gain in macro dynamic and doesn't make bass euphonic, keep signal clear and clean and don’t damp transient in any way. So, sound transmission wise, it’s good.
The box presentation is very beautiful, and underlines the fact we buy a 200$ product.
All in all, Construction of IEM is impressive as well as accessories.
Now let’s go to the most important part: how does it sound?
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
The tonality of Yukimi sits between analytical V shape and W shape with slight mid bass, and vivid upper mids and upper treble boost, this will depend on the type of music you listen, with bass less and acoustic music it goes treble centric. This isn't a warm sounding IEM at all, nor smooth in balance, as well it’s more technical than musical.
Sense of attack speed, boosted resolution and micro details add immediacy to the musicality, it’s not a laid back lazy in transient IEM, attack has bite and is well controlled and presence of instrument is well layered and sharpened too.
The bass has notable sub bass roll off, the release is compressed which benefits electric bass more than double bass and cello, it’s more focused and bodied in mid bass which has shorten attack release and few resonance to it, toms impact release will not blossom wide and clean. Still, the kick is speedy and its impact doesn't veil the mids range which is aggressively forwards. The dynamic of bass is a bit imprevisible, sometime it’s light in punch, especially for acoustic drum, then when it go lower range of bass punch it become beefier and heavier in slam and can even induce head bang, but this isn’t basshead IEM at all and their no big rumble nor lean deep extension of sub bass as noted. Bass wise, it’s quite similar to Tanchjim Origin but not as well rounded nor as natural in timbre.
The mids are more boosted in presence than lower mid range, it’s very boosted in clarity and female vocal are sharp and very loud compared to let say piano which is more recessed and lighter in impact.Violin strike is impressive in control, it’s bright in timbre and you can read texture sound info which are boosted in micro details, you can even feel how the bow vibrate on strings, it’s that well resolved.
Presence of instrument and vocal are center and peaky in the middle of a rather intimate soundstage.
Attack control is excellent, very speedy and agile, the lead has proper bite, while sustain is a bit dry and release is not the longest, the natural echo of the instrument isn’t boosted.
Again back to timbre, it’s not very colored nor smoothed, it can be perceived as dry and noisy due to boosted texture, there are some instances of sibilance but it’s not that invasive.
Treble is the sparkly star of the show, it’s ultra crisp and vivid, level of micro details is very high for a single DD as well as a sense of air is boosted. Whatever how complex or fast the percussions are, you will hear it loudly and sharply resolve with great sense of attack lead definition, clean and brilliant snap and well defined presence of each stroke. Their no boosted splash to cymbals crash, the release of both brilliance and high impact is shortened, very tight and less congested than both bass and mids.
This mean Yukimi isn’t for treble sensitive people too, active critical listener like me can be overwhelmed by how percussions and micro details as well as metallic instrument can feel overly forwards, dominating the mix, going above mids range instrument and stealing the show in jazz quartet when it come to piano and guitar or anything with acoustic guitar.
The guitar sound extremely resolved and cleaned from lower range natural coloring that thicken sustain and give body to note, so it’s boosted in higher harmonic and thin, but crisp and very sparkly, i often feel acoustic guitar is lacking natural brilliance and air release but it’s opposite with Yukimi, it lack a bit of tone roundness-naturalness, nylon strings will sound like metal strings.
Still, truly sparkly IEM are not common and just for this it should be on the list of fans of sparkle and brilliance, as well as older listeners that lack sensitivity in the treble region.
The Soundstage isn’t very wide nor tall but quite deep and clean, it’s not the type of spatiality that feel out of your head, it’s concentrated in middle stage which you can travel in forward way.
The imaging is very good, sharp and clean but not very wide in instrument separation, so it’s a bit congested in term of instrument placement but highly resolved and clear in (compressed-centered) position.
COMPARISONS
VS TANCHJIM ORIGIN
The Origin is warmer and more neutral, smoother and safer in balance, deeper in bass extension, less crisp and sparkly, more musical and less technical.
Timbre is denser and more natural. Bass is less clean and textured, similar in punch but not as speedy and impactful.
Mids are more intimate, vocal less shouty and spiky, timbre has more color than texture info. Presence is wider and more enveloping, but clarity is inferior, attack control and definition too.
Treble is notably softer and more creamy with Origin, it’s less airy and crisp, darker in terms of sound info, less analytical and spiky, less impressive in attack snap and bite, overall more boring and lean.
Soundstage is wider but there is not as much air around the instrument and Yukimi is cleaner and deeper in spatiality.
Imaging is superior with Yukimi, sound layers are better defined and separated, it’s sharper-clearer-cleaner in positioning.
Overall technical performance is superior with Yukimi but not as well balanced as the more refined and musical sounding Origin.
VS PENON VORTEX
Vortex is more W shape, notch warmer and bassier and overall better balanced and more natural and dense in timbre. It’s not as analytical nor as sparkly and brilliant, attack transient is less speedy too but less excited and spiky too. In other words, Vortex is both technical and musical while Yukimi is all-in Technical.
Bass is better rounded, more mid punchy, notch warmer, sub bass dig deeper and denser, tone is natural compared to dryer bass of Yukimi which have more attack bite and more emphasis micro dynamic but less even balance in macro dynamic.
Mids are lusher and less shouty, less open sounding and crisp in presence, male vocals are fuller in presence and less recessed and harsh. Yukimi mids are way more aggressive and spicy, more boosted in clarity and imaging capacity too.
Treble isn’t as extended, airy and crisp, it’s thicker and more versatile in balance, it favors macro dynamic over micro details. Percussions are less crisp and attack lead is more softened, less snappy. Guitar is more bodied and natural but not as shiny and clean.
Soundstage is wider and deeper with Yukimi, Vortex is more intimate, you're closer to instrument and vocal without the need of presence loudness war.
Imaging is more realistic but darker with Vortex, bass is better layered, so following bass line is easier with Vortex while high harmonic instrument and percussions are sharper in positioning as well as more spacious.
Overall technical performance are on par with both, even if Yukimi is more analytical the transient speed is similar, just less sharp and excited with Vortex which sound way more musical and balanced, lusher and fuller in mids, deeper and rumbler in sub bass. In fact, this comparison made me rediscover why I kept the Vortex in my best single DD collection. I forget to add shells nearly 2 times smaller and notably more comfy. A keeper, unlike Yukimi.
CONCLUSION
The CVJ Yukimi offers apotheosis of treble crispness to the cost of dominating its macro musicality with micro details and lower treble focus. It’s an IEM I consider 90% technical and 10% musical, due to its bright analytical bass light musicality.
If you're a treble head or into boosted resolution up to its breaking point, this IEM will induce wow effect due to its sharp agile and speedy highs attack and very forward vocals presentation.
This isn’t a laid back nor warm cozy musicality, and its versatility is limited due to this energetic monitor like tuning choice.
If you are sensitive to upper mids shout, timbre naturalness or treble peak, i would not suggest the Yukimi, but if you mostly listen to folk, singer songwriter with a guitar like Gillian Welch or bass light instrumental music, at low volume the Yukimi can deliver some moment of sparkly vivid spicy grace.
While this one isn’t for me, it might be for you, it's truely a technical beast, do your own conclusion based on multiple reviews, not just mine!
Cheers!
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PS: Tx to CVJ for sending me the Yukimi out of the blue after I accept reviewing the Mermaid IEM which I haven’t received. I'm not affiliated nor get compensate with $ to write this subjective review.
The Yukimi can be buy on Ali Express in multiple store and is now on sale at around 100$ in some shop. If it was the price i judge in this review, it would get 4/5 stars as well as higher sound value score of 8/10
