LETSHUOER DZ4

Introduction

This time, the LETSHUOER company seeks to innovate with a new IEM featuring an interesting driver configuration (3 dynamic drivers and 1 passive radiator), all while entering the sub-$100 USD segment. Let's see what the LETSHUOER DZ4 have in store for us!



Video Review here

Previous Reviews here

If you wish to read this review in Spanish, click here


Disclaimers:

• LETSHUOER kindly provided me with this product for an honest review. You can find the DZ4 here: https://letshuoer.net/es/products/l...ngle-passive-radiator-edc-hifi-in-ear-monitor
• Analysis over 5 days - Sessions of approximately 2 to 4 hours
• All music is lossless (Qobuz > 16-bit - 44.1kHz)
• Gear Used: IFI Zen Air Can (AMP) + Fiio E10K (DAC)

Unboxing, Build & Comfort

To no one’s surprise, LETSHUOER offers us a sublime unboxing experience even in their products aimed at the budget range. The box has a unique design with vibrant orange accents. The presentation is visually pleasing, showcasing the IEMs in the upper section and the included case in the lower part, which will contain both the cable and the different silicone tips.



The DZ4 is, in my opinion, a beautiful pair of IEMs, with a plastic body in an unusual beige color that gives it a very elegant aesthetic touch, and a slightly textured metal faceplate with a lightning bolt-like design in its middle, revealing semi-open grilles in orange. I believe it's a well-achieved combination of sturdiness and lightweight. According to my rough measurements, the nozzle size is slightly larger than 6mm.







The driver implementation in this model consists of 3 dynamic drivers with 6mm titanium domes each and a passive radiator, also 6mm, which responds to the sounds produced by the dynamic drivers using the air pressure created to generate resonance and assist in the bass region. The dynamic drivers interact through a two-way crossover and all deliver their sound through four channels of acoustic tubes.

Accessories are also a strong point in LETSHUOER's products. The cable of the DZ4 is lightweight and pliable, made of silver-plated copper with 4 cores and 216 strands, and it has a 0.78mm 2-pin type connector. For those who have tried the cable of the S12 PRO, I feel that the company listened to the criticisms about the weight of that cable and managed to correct it excellently in this release.



The included silicone tips come in 2 types: some called vocal tips, with a narrower bore, and others balanced tips, with a neither wide nor narrow bore, one could say it's a "standard" size. There are 6 pairs in total, comprising 3 pairs of each variety.



Last but not least, the provided case is a nice addition. It is made of rubber-coated plastic and has a good size to store the IEMs along with their cable. One small criticism I have is that I think the interior should be lined with some foam or similar material to cushion and protect the IEMs from impacts. Additionally, the material used on the exterior easily gets dirty just by touching it.



The comfort of the DZ4 is good with a decent seal using the provided tips. Their low weight makes them comfortable to wear for several hours, but I find that they protrude more than I usually prefer. Nevertheless, I would say it's a comfortable in-ear to use.



Frequency response description


Credits: Hobby Talk

• Signature leaning towards neutral
• Lower frequencies focused on subbass. Gentle bass
• Neutral mids following the new IEF Neutral target, with only a lift at the upper end of the spectrum
• Treble with "mellow" peaks

Subjective sound description

Bass

With a tuning focused on the subbass region, songs like "7th Dimension" by Koan Sound create a very pleasant rumble sensation. The subbass has a decent extension and appreciable impact.

However, when it comes to the bass frequencies, I find them more attenuated and gentler. The bass during "Follow" by Martin Garrix lacks the punch I can find with other earphones. It's a matter of personal preference, but I feel that this area could be improved. Nevertheless, it doesn't mean that the bass is entirely absent; in fact, it is fast and precise, but its presentation leaves me wanting a bit more.

For those who are Heavy Metal lovers like myself, the bass and drum kicks take a backseat in this genre, giving the spotlight to the guitars and singers and kind of “hiding” those instruments behind in albums such as Iron Maiden's "Powerslave" and AfterLife's "Five Finger Death Punch."

The differentiation between bass and subbass is well appreciated, although at times, it can be confusing when sounds from both ranges are reproduced together. In Tove Lo's "Kick In The Head", the bass notes play before a powerful subbass sound. I find that the transition between how the sounds are reproduced could be better represented, but I can still notice the difference between the two.


Mids

In summary, the DZ4 aims for a neutral midrange. Both male and female voices have a natural timbre. Male voices are reproduced smoothly but may appear somewhat subdued compared to the more vibrant and characterful presentation of female voices.

In the introduction of the song "Flaca" where Andrés Calamaro sings along with a higher-pitched backing vocalist, it can be noticed that the backing vocalist's voice can overpower the main artist due to the nature of their voice.

During "Billie Bossa Nova," Billie Eilish maintains a lower midrange tone that can also slightly mitigate her voice in the presence of the bass and acoustic guitar.

On the other hand, high female registers, like Adele's during the chorus of "Someone Like You," really bring her voice forward, making it the protagonist. The warmth in her tone is noticeable but not overwhelming.

Moving on to the instruments, during "Symphony No. 6 in D minor, Op. 104: II. Allegretto moderato" - Jean Sibelius by the Oslo Philharmonic, I noticed a proper articulation among the entire orchestra. The winds sound full-bodied in this piece, while the strings have less bite in this particular piece. In "Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39: IV. Finale. Quasi una fantasia" by the same artist, the violins come forward a bit more but still fall a bit short in conveying the sensation that each note should have. To a lesser extent, this also happens with the harp here. On the other hand, horns and trumpets make a strong presence with good definition and clarity, considerable weight, and an organic timbre, thanks to the elevation in the upper mids.

Precisely in the mentioned upper midrange, electric guitars gain a greater tactile sensation in their notes. In "Deceiver, Deceiver" by Arch Enemy, they retain a level of detail above average during the solo at the 1:50 mark, without becoming aggressive at any moment and even showing a hint of warmth in their reproduction.




Treble

Up to this point, the tuning comes quite close to my sound preferences. However, LETSHUOER opted for treble that is, I would say, overly cautious.

In songs like "Black Magic" by Slayer, the cymbals suffer from a somewhat strange timber and significantly attenuated highs due to the signature, making them a bit dark for my taste. This affects and reduces the definition of cymbals and bell like sounds.

After listening to "Bicycle Race" by Queen several times, I also notice that the interval where various bicycle bells sound tries to be gentle with our ears by lowering the level of brightness these sounds can have. I can see situations where this more relaxed treble could be useful, but it's a pity that it comes at the cost of losing details and crispness.


Soundstage & Imaging

The soundstage was adequate in terms of width and depth, nothing to fault in this aspect. It allowed me to enjoy songs from "Queen at Live Aid," giving me a good sense of how far back the drummer was from Freddie and roughly estimating the distance of the accompanying guitar.

However, the imaging is a different story. The instrument separation is more compressed than I would prefer. During "The Trooper" on the album "Live After Death" by Iron Maiden, the guitarists tended to blend together despite being separated on the stage. So, the imaging is decent, but I know there are budget IEMs that do better in this regard.


Quick comparison vs 7Hz Salnotes Zero



Surprisingly, and luckily for me, the DZ4 has a similar tuning to the Zero, IEMs that received great praise from myself due to their excellent price-to-performance ratio.


Credits: Hobby Talk

So, after a comparative testing between both, I found:

• Rumble and definition of the subbass is more satisfying in the DZ4.
• Both sets leave me wanting more bass.
• DZ4 and Zero present organic mids with a similar timbre, although the DZ4 brings instruments slightly forward in the upper mid frequencies like electric guitars.
• The Zero "wins" in terms of treble reproduction, having more brightness and detail, which I appreciate, but without being overwhelming. On the other hand, the darkness of the LETSHUOER IEMs can be useful for those seeking to listen to music with a high amount of treble for longer periods.
• Soundstage and imaging are almost equal. In imaging, I lean slightly towards the DZ4, and in soundstage, I feel the Zero achieved a greater sense of depth.

The DZ4 is a clear improvement in terms of build compared to the Zero. Regarding technicalities, I would say that the DZ4 is a sidegrade, not offering a significant leap in performance. However, the darker treble of the DZ4 might be something to consider for users who found the treble of the Zero too bright or sibilant.


Conclusion



After listening to this set, I was left with some questions: What motivated the use of 3 small-diameter dynamic drivers instead of one or two larger ones that might have helped with the bass? And on the other hand, what was the reason behind the odd timber of the treble? Could the passive radiator have had something to do with it?

These doubts that arose do not take away merit from this IEM, which has a pretty balanced tuning aiming to be relatively neutral and performed well with the various musical genres I tested them with.

Edit: updated my rating (downgrade from 4 to 3.5) after making extensive testing between the 3 sets that LETSHUOER kindly provided me to review.

Letshuoer DZ4 Review​

Full Review can be found HERE

Letshuoer DZ4 Review​

Intro​

What interest this iem has cast upon the community. Today I am reviewing the Letshuoer DZ4 which comes from the good people of Letshuoer, to which I want to thank first, as well as Ivy Gao. The DZ4 just so happens to have three dynamic drivers as well as one passive radiator which if you’ve been paying attention is not a driver configuration, we see all too often… If ever. So, I was very happy to receive this set and find out what all the fuss is about.

Letshuoer​

Shuoer Acoustics was founded in 2016 by founder and CEO Danny To and co-founder Jeff Wong. It is apparent that Letshuoer seeks out the best in audio engineers, designers, and personalities to create products that are unique and visually appealing while sounding great. Each and every audio product that comes from this company seems to each have a distinct character which differentiates them from the rest of the products that we see in the Audioverse. Whether it be the driver configuration, look and aesthetic or sound qualities I just can’t help but think that Letshuoer prides themselves in achieving something unique and fresh.

We haven’t had many opportunities to try their iems or review them very often. Mahir was able to review the Galileo awhile back (Galileo Review). Also, I was and am wholly impressed with the Letshuoer S12 Pro (S12 Pro Review). I also personally purchased the Letshuoer D13 of which I never got a chance to review due to scheduling conflicts. Another set I use for my personal enjoyment is the Letshuoer Galileo which I listen to regularly but was unable to review. Perhaps I will at some point. I can say for sure that I am very impressed with the premium feel and design language of every iem that I’ve researched or tried from this company. I can also say with assurance that a tiny bump of dopamine drips when I see a new Letshuoer iem. Did I mention that I was happy to receive the DZ4 yet?

Let’s just get into it…​

The DZ4 has been thrown into an ocean of iems which are all competing for your hard-earned money, and it is my job to steer you in the right direction. This is something that I take seriously. Money is tight for so many but in the same breath I feel everyone should have the privilege and ability to hear good sound at any price. I can’t wait to get into this review friends, let’s just jump past my usual long intro and get into this irrefutably unique earphone. The Letshuoer DZ4 everyone…

Gear used for testing​

–Ifi Go Blu
–Moondrop Dawn 4.4
–Hidizs S9 Pro
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
–Shanling M6 Ultra

Later Comparisons: Simgot EA500

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Packaging / Accessories​

Letshuoer provided a nice set of accessories with the DZ4. You get what you need and everything that you get is of good quality. That’s what’s most important. The box which arrived at my house has a very trendy look to it with a cool looking graphic. Once you open the box you are met with the DZ4. On the same level next to the DZ4 you’ll see the carrying case. Inside the case are the tips as well as the cable. All pretty standard here but I do find Letshuoer gives great quality accessories at this lower proc tag.

Eartips ​

Letshuoer provides six pairs of eartips in total. They give you three pairs (S, M, L) of the Vocal tips which are black in color. They also give you three pairs (S, M, L) of some white Balanced tips. All of the tips are of decent quality, but I chose to go a different route and used the KBear 07 tips instead. I do find the 07’s suit me better sonically as well as seal better for my ears.

It’s interesting because Letshuoer labeled the tips as “balanced” and “Vocal” but to be honest they both have much of the same affect. Both sets of tips that Letshuoer provided have a narrower bore, or a semi-wide bore. Smaller in diameter than the KBear 07’s but wider than a tip like the KZ Starlines. Both sets have a firm flange as well. They are nice tips, no doubt. They will become useful at some point for me, but I found the seal to be better with the 07’s.

Carrying Case​

Letshuoer provided a nice carrying case for the price. Actually, even adding a case with the packaging is nice. It just so happens that the case they add in with the accessories is halfway decent. It’s a cylinder type hockey puck style case made entirely out of a hard plastic and covered in a thin black rubber coating which feels soft to the touch. The lid screws on and off rather than sliding off which I think is a nice touch. You won’t have any unexpected lid openings with this case. As always, I must add that I really don’t ever use a carrying case but for those who do… this one is a nice addition. I have certainly seen better in the price point but c’mon, even adding a case is a thumbs up at this price.

Cable​

I’ve always had a penchant for Letshuoer cables. They’ve always seemed to provide good cables for the price. I love that Letshuoer understands that cables matter. They are important to the consumer. Many of us really dig a nice cable. Now, the provided cable won’t blow your mind, but I do believe that it is one of the better cables in the price point. In fact, it’s basically the same exact cable as in the Letshuoer X-Gizaudio Galileo.

The cable itself is a 2-pin 216-strand 4-core Monocrystalline Copper and Silver-Plated cable that is nicely chunky and ends with a 3.5 single ended jack. Meaning, it isn’t so fat that it becomes a usability issue and isn’t so thin that it looks like a budget chifi cable either. It’s nice. I like the color matching that Letshuoer did with the DZ4 earphones. Both have shades of light tan to off white and all the accent colors match nicely. This cable took a keen eye and an ability to understand the consumer. Of course, for any balanced listening on a balanced source, I did go with the Letshuoer Galileo’s 4.4 balanced cable. Both cables are very close in material and size with subtle aesthetic differences. This is a nice one folks.

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Build / Design / Internals / Fit / Drivability​

Build​

The DZ4 was constructed and crafted in a collaborative effort with HeyGears 3D printing aficionados. Let me just say that I love the look and feel of this set. I wouldn’t call it the most robust and structurally durable of all iems but the feel of the DZ4 is great in hand and on the ears. The Shells are made of a quality plastic material 3D printed by HeyGears. The Faceplates are made of anodized aluminum with a semi-open design. The mesh takes the shape of a “Z” and for all I know this is a legit semi-open back. The nozzles are medium length, not too long and not too short. At the top are the female 2-pin connectors. Overall, it’s a nice build and a unique shape.

Design​

The look of the DZ4 is not the usual run of the mill looking iems. The off-white coloring with the red Z on the faceplates is minimalist but also very unique and different. This set looks solid in my opinion. Leave it up to Letshuoer to create something that nobody else has made.

Internals​

Like I’ve mentioned, the DZ4 is a 3DD + 1 PR (Passive Radiator). Letshuoer decided upon three 6mm titanium domed dynamic driver and one 6mm passive radiator. Each driver is connected to a series of tubes and a two-way crossover. In fact, the drivers are connected directly to the 2-Pin receptacles via a flexible crossover board. The driver setup is also very unique. Truthfully, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a setup with this arrangement.

Passive Radiator?​

One thing which caught my attention right away was… How is the passive radiator actually operating? A passive radiator should be in a sealed encasement and tied directly to the Woofer so to allow deeper lows without losing efficiency. Passive radiators have been used for some time. Just not in something this small except for a few sets, that I know of anyways. Now, I’m not claiming to understand it all, there are much smarter people than me to do that. However, there are some in the hobby who have brought up very good points. Namely “Hawaiian Bad Boy” from Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews (from YouTube) through some Facebook posts. He mentioned ways to modify the DZ4 that is worthy of being checked out. Anyways, he along with a few other really influential people in the hobby have mentioned the issues regarding the implementation of the passive radiator in the DZ4. Just thought I’d add that into this review.

Fit​

The DZ4 fits me very nicely. Now, I did have to use KBear 07’s largest tips to get a perfect seal, but I don’t consider this set a difficult fit. The part of the shell which rests in the ear is very smooth and rounded to sit nicely without irritation. I have no clue if the DZ4 will fit you, the reader, but I can’t imagine too many people having problems. Unless of course you have alien ears, in that case… there’s probably no helping you. I do think that most people will enjoy a great and comfortable fit. Isolation is average in this set, and I did experience some slight sound leakage but nothing out of the norm.

Drivability​

The Letshuoer DZ4 is rated at 12 ohms with a sensitivity of 104 db’s. I found the DZ4 to be relatively easy to drive to good fidelity. I had no issue using 3.5 single ended on my Ifi Go Blu. Stepping up to balanced 4.4 was even better to my ears. This pairing was decent with the Go Blu’s CS43131 dac chip, but I experienced a quick step up in sound quality when I went with the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 which uses the same chip. That said, the sound is much more mature on the Dawn and more clean, analytical & punchy.

Listening with a couple of my daps I found the DZ4 begin to max out in its scalability. For instance, I listened with the iBasso DX240 on medium gain and note definition became crisper and the soundstage gained some width as well as separation. My favorite way of enjoying the DZ4 came by way of the Shanling M6 Ultra. The Ultra uses a AK4493SEQ dac chip with its super resolving velvet sound tech and the DZ4 simply synergized. Listening on medium or low gain was more than enough for this set.

I don’t think you need anything greater than a decently powered dongle dac. I think with something like the Hidizs S9 Pro or the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 you will be more than happy. On most mid-range daps like mine, I would go with low to medium gain. I noticed that the DZ4 steps up to the sound signature of the dap you are listening to which is a nice quality. No source I tried was a bad pairing in my eyes.

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Sound Impressions ​

Note: Prior to critical listening I made sure to burn-in the DZ4 for roughly 100 hours. Due to the fact that the DZ4 employs three Dynamic Drivers, I found it necessary to give this set quite a lot of time doing so. To be honest, I do feel some slight changes occurred for the better after this burn-in period. Also, I performed most of my critical listening using the Shanling M6 Ultra. All listening was done using flac files stored on my devices using UAPP (Most time spent with UAPP), Hiby Player or Poweramp.

The Letshuoer DZ4 is a U to W-shaped set with a warm/neutral tonal color while it caters more to the warmth than to its neutrality. The DZ4 has an organic and analog sound that comes across even vintage to some degree. Like an old cassette tape but very clean in its approach. That may sound like it is contrasting attributes but to me it’s not wrong. The fine lines at the outer edges of note definition are somewhat fuzzy in the low-end, tight and resolute in the midrange, and smooth in the treble, but throughout the spectrum the fundamental body of notes is clean and dense. The timbre is natural, organic, untreated, and unprocessed. The sound is musical, it’s precise and energetic. The sound is also pretty holographic and smooth for the price.

Issues​

However, there are certainly issues that I’ve noticed with the sound, regardless of whether I like it or not, which should be addressed. I will try my best to do so later in this review. I actually find the sound to be pretty charming in its stock form. Despite that, some modifiers in the hobby have stated through trial and error and great knowledge and understanding that you can drastically improve the sound in certain areas by taking out the passive radiator and gluing over the open hole. I have to add this into this review for full transparency and maybe it’ll help someone who purchased the DZ4 and would like to try out this modification. Now, many people enjoy the stock form of this set, as do I, but I am not everyone else and if there is a way to make it better then… That’s a good thing. Check out this video from BGGA HERE.

Back to “stock” sound​

Ya know, upon first listen I was moderately struck by how nice these sounded. I enjoy forward vocals. Illuminated and clean vocals is a major part of my library and the DZ4 does this nicely. However, I only initially listened for about 20 minutes and the DZ4 went straight to burn-in. In spite of my initial impressions and after much time of actually critically listening to the DZ4 I have come to the conclusion that I think this set will be slightly polarizing for the community. You’ll either love the DZ4 or you won’t. Plain and simple. I for one am drawn into this set and it’s tuning. It’s inviting to me and sucks me in as I’ve had a very nice time in this critical listening process. There is this odd mixture of neutral and warm, open and intimate, forward and pulled-back that is very interesting.

Between the 20’s​

First off, the bass is not what one would expect from an iem with a passive radiator, as the bass is somewhat laid back. I found this out when I actually tried out some of my low-end test tracks. There’s some slight robust thump in there, but not what I was expecting from a triple dynamic driver set. The midrange is forward, and I love this quality to the sound, but I know that some will take issue with it. I enjoy the lush and full vocal rendering as to me the DZ4 is a vocal lovers set. The treble is rolled-off and not very sparkly or shimmery to my ears, and the weakest point if the DZ4 in my opinion. I don’t hear any real vibrance up top, but it isn’t as dark as some have said, again my opinion. All in all, the tuning is different. Not bad by any stretch, but I don’t think it’ll fit some hobbyists’ preferences. Does it fit my preference? Yes, I actually like it quite a lot. Of course, it isn’t my favorite, but I like the DZ4. The reason; the DZ4 just sounds good. I will try the modification out after the stock review and hopefully it’ll get even better.

Bass Region​

The low-end comes across as full, yet without concrete & tactile definition. The sub-bass has meat to it and adds a sense of physicality yet without the gritty texture that I listen for. The bass as a whole is slightly laid back or toned down. The best way to describe it is that it’s still effective at providing some thump when needed but not ultra hearty and deep, maybe lacking some dynamism. The bass isn’t slow, which is nice, but it simply doesn’t have the texture and “feels” to the degree that I like to hear. Not that the DZ4 is absent from it because there is a decent energy & rumble. I’d call it “almost pillowy” but also pretty tight and moderately punchy. I hesitate to call it pillowy, but no other word truly fits the description for me. I liken it to a low-pitched drone and rumble covered in a slight layer of cotton. You lose a titch of definition and resolution. Still pretty darn nice.

Let’s put it this way, the bass region is not the selling point of the DZ4, but I would also argue that the bass region is not bad by any means. There is still some thump there and the mid-bass still has a sense of slam as well as punch and the bass region will replay most genres which prescribe to more low-end activity… pretty well.

Not for bassheads​

The DZ4 is absolutely not for bassheads! You’ve been warned. I know, I know… you think, “Triple Dynamic Driver iem, Passive Radiator?!! This set should rattle my eyeballs!” In fact, my JBL speakers have passive radiators… Whoohoo!! Bassheads rejoice!!………. um……… no friends, this is not that set. I’d actually argue that the DZ4 is somewhat bass lite. So bassheads will not love this set and the passive radiator is likely not implemented correctly, just based on sound alone. I haven’t had the chance to delve deep into the driver implementations, but I’ve wondered since I saw the first graphic from the promotional material “how” this passive radiator is actually working when there is a semi-open faceplate. I’m sure it will all come out soon, but beyond that the DZ4 is not for bassheads. Still, pretty good for my library. Basically, I’m not really missing much.

Sub-bass​

The DZ4 certainly has a sub-bass focused low-end. You will get some good feels down low but not the type that sonorously bellows in the deep with a hard surfaced attack. This is somewhat true when listening to “Paradigm” by The Head and Heart, a track I go to often in my reviews to showcase the haptic vibration of an iem. The DZ4 shows more of a fast rumble and there is bite, but I hear almost a recession to the sound. It’s pushed back a bit, which is not normal. Honestly, the DZ4 is very close but also, it’s so far away. This sub-bass is still robust, it’s still reverberant to a degree but it doesn’t give off that depth and deepness of both sound and feel that I look forward to, with a slight lack of forward energy. That said at least the sub-bass is speedy, it decays rapidly even if the attack isn’t as direct. I could’ve just said that the sub-bass lacks some dynamism, but that’d be too easy. It isn’t the best my friends. It isn’t the worst either.

Mid-bass​

The mid-bass is mildly held back as well. It still has some good thump, but it too is not the most tactile and reverberant mid-bass I’ve ever heard and again, lacks a sense of dynamism. That said, the mid-bass is still punchy, still has slam and still represents most genres just fine. This is not a boring mid-bass as it’s quicker and more supple and can replay rapid bass notes to a degree. Note definition isn’t the best in the world but also… it isn’t terrible either. I think the problem is the DS4 doesn’t reach the potential that I was looking forward to, which may be skewing my thoughts to a degree, but in the end, it isn’t bad.

The mid-bass is also a titch soft for something like a good bass guitar riff. You won’t hear a fully meaty bass guitar that brings that gravelly grungy density to the sound. Just not quite there. Kick drums sound more placid at the surface. They do sound nicely hollow and have the boom I look for, yet they also sound pushed back a bit, or recessed. This can be heard on “Billy Jean” by Weezer (Michael Jackson cover). There isn’t any fuzziness at the note’s edge whatsoever and there is some weight to the sound on this song, but it’s almost like a veil covers the energy from escaping. Please understand that I am being ultra critical here. Most hobbyists may be able to overlook this.

Downsides to the bass region​

The worst part of the bass region is that it isn’t anywhere near what I was hoping for. Truthfully, I don’t know what I should have expected. For those who are bassheads, I think you’ll definitely be let down as well. The DZ4 will not have enough emphasis down low, and you’ll be left wanting. I find resolution down low needs some help, but all in all, it’s a warm and speedy low-end that simply lacks that last little bit of full-bodied definition. Perhaps a little more tactility and grunt would’ve helped to round out the low-end. I’d like to hear better separation of sub & mid bass as well. During casual listening it doesn’t bother too much though.

All things considered, the bass isn’t what I expected, but also it isn’t horrible either. I don’t hear any mid-bass bleed into the midrange, and I don’t hear any masking from the bass region over any other frequencies. The bass is pretty nimble, slightly out of focus but there’s enough weight down low for most genres. The question would be if it is enough for you, the reader. As for myself I certainly like a bit more of a concrete note definition and more of a tidy but authoritative punch. Also, there are earphones in the price point that render the bass a bit better.

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Midrange​

The midrange is a more neutral/warm take on things. The mids are generally up front and center and are for the most part… the “center of attention” and one of the selling points of the DZ4. If you are a vocal lover, then the DZ4 will be a fantastic companion to you as I feel this set emphasizes and accentuates the vocal ranges. The midrange sounds organic, smooth, atmospheric & tight, but also dense and weighted. The midrange is smoother but comes across coarse and crisp when needed. I hear nothing that is grating to my ears as far as vocal centric type tracks are concerned. Come to think of it… I hear nothing grating as far as any other type tracks are concerned as well. I hear no sibilance or weird timbre issues and nothing shouty. Truly a great sounding midrange.

Instruments have a more natural timbre, and all share an analog quality listening on the DZ4. I hear this “analog version” of a precise & detailed replay that can sound very silvery, bird sweet, and eurythmic to the ear, rather than analytical, dry, and crisp. However, I also find detail retrieval in this area to be very well accomplished. Transients move along quick with decent decay while holding onto the DZ4’s atmospheric approach. There’s also a nice solidity to the body of each note yet the separation of objects on a stage is average.

Lower-midrange​

The lower mids present male vocals up front and focused. Males come across slightly smooth, warm & even slightly thin, but they also have substance, and with a ubiquitous presence. Songs like “Grace” by Rag’n’Bone Man shows-off on the DZ4 as his vocals have very nice texture and depth with a slimmer profile. Call it lean muscle mass, it’s svelte but also compact and holds onto the meat of the fundamental tone to his voice. I hope that makes sense. The timbre isn’t weird and there aren’t any strange little artifacts floating around at the note edge. Another song is “Curse of the Blackened Eye” by Orville Peck which also sounds fantastic listening on the DZ4. His lower pitched brawny voice has a natural sounding accentuation against the rest of the mix. To say it another way, I enjoy how well Orville’s voice is distinct and singular next to the instrumentation around him. I could keep going but basically, males sound well drawn out, clean & smooth, and with nice note structure.

There were reports of the midrange sounding as though there is a “cup” effect? I don’t hear this. However, I must report that some have said as much. At least on the set I am listening to with the Shanling M6 Ultra, or any source I have for that matter. I heard nothing odd in this regard. There’s no boxy cup effect that I have heard. However, my experience is not everyone else’s.

Upper-Midrange​

The upper midrange is another area where the DZ4 earns their salt. In my opinion anyways. I find female vocals to be graceful, effervescent and flat-out very nice on the DZ4. The vocals sit forward, out front, intimate and are highlighted in a non-offensive way. At times it’s nice to hear a little nudge forward to pronounce female voices. The DZ4 has that forward lean but not enough to feel forced or overcompensated in this region. In truth the DZ4 has a nice ear gain. It’s not abrupt and it’s not uneven or shrill. The females on this set sound sweet, luxuriant, lush, and have a nicely organic timbre that comes across realistic to my ears. There’s a hint… thee slightest hint of shimmer. Other than the slight shine from the ear gain, everything else is simply a creamy or milky take on a female or male voice as each and every inflection or intonation of those voices sounds enriched and gratifying.

Listening to “How Long Will I love You” by Ellie Goulding is a heartening experience. Ellie sounds so very soothing with every feathery straight line vocal note. She sounds simply golden and mellifluous, and I say these words as exact descriptions. There is a sweet vibration that she taps into with this set. It triggers something deep in my temporal lobe, friends. The DZ4 has a way of accentuating the subtle softness in her voice and giving that softness some texture, body, and most importantly the DZ4 has an ambience of musicality and rhythm in its approach. Every slight modulation of her voice feels feathered and engrossing. Similar tracks will get the same treatment as the DZ4 excels in sheer musicality in this region in my opinion.

Upper-mids cont.​

“Skeletons” by Suzannah is another song that takes a softer and more melodic voice and adds in this layered and honeyed tonality that is buttery smooth without a rough edge to be found. Her voice has this southern drawl against a western leaning musical backdrop and the atmosphere is very authentic and is captured nicely. The strings of the guitar are nicely sharp, and the harmonics decay pretty swiftly while Suzannah’s voice glides perfectly in their own lane. There is certainly a slight shimmer that sounds lifted and mood inducing. Another cool thing is that the micro-details do seem to illuminate nicely on this track, or any track for that matter. Also, right out the gate, the macro-dynamics begin to show on the DZ4 listening to this track. The sound is full and big in its auditory expression.

Downsides to the Midrange​

The downsides are coincidentally the same as its upsides; for some, the vocals will be too far forward and intimate. Not everyone is like me and enjoys such an experience, and I get it. To those people, the DZ4 may not work for them. The midrange could use a more articulate resolution enhancement and cleanliness. That said, the midrange also comes across above average in details despite this, and the minutia within this region is fairly easily heard. There is precision there and it is one of the selling points along with the vocal playback in the midrange. Take note, I said “in the midrange“.

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Treble Region​

The treble region I would have to say is the biggest downside for most hobbyists concerning the DZ4. I say this because there is an audible roll-off up top which kind of kills any air or sparkle, or any real luster. Is this a huge problem? Well, not completely for me but yes for some. In fact, for many this may be a problem. As for myself, I do wish I could hear a more uplifted treble. Then again, I don’t know what that would’ve done to an already forward vocal in an already forward midrange. All energy and brilliance aren’t a complete no-show as there is some slight gloss up top, but for the most part the treble does come across smoother, cozier, held back and warmer than some would like. I don’t think it’s a complete miss as the sound as a whole comes together nicely though I’m quite positive this will be an area of contention for some of my friends in the hobby.

Redeeming qualities​

Granted, it isn’t some dire situation, and the ear gain does help to bring uplifted energy to the lower treble up marginally or as much as it can anyways, but the roll-off is noticeable. What I hear is a broad note body that is plump, stout and darkish and without the proper fine-lined articulation. You won’t hear that hard edged and exact profile of treble notes with a sense of brilliance that we typically like to hear. I think of the note edges within the DZ4’s treble like a soft cotton silhouette which lines a textured and full body. It won’t “rate” High in my ratings at the end of this review, but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad treble. There are some redeeming qualities that I do enjoy. The DZ4 is actually quite smooth and relaxing. The treble just needs some definition, some natural contours and some emphasis to lift the whole of the mix. However, when the sound is packaged as a whole, it doesn’t sound bad to me at all.

Treble cont…​

The DZ4 treble region is speedy enough to catch up to Billy Strings banjo tracks like “Ice Bridges” with a good body, a slight loss of transparency yet a rounded 3D type sound or euphonic type sound. The body of the notes moves along okay, with a firm attack while the decay lags a hair. There is some crispness but it’s seemingly overlayed in a warm veil. I don’t find this a big issue on other tracks that don’t prescribe to speed and precision as it simply isn’t as noticeable. Also, more rhythmic sections of treble come across much better, more melodic, yet still lacking some brilliance and extension.

The treble region is warmish/dark, yet still has some roundness and punch in the treble and there is still a strong sense of musicality and tunefulness. Harmonics are a bit attenuated and without that good organic resonance, but the treble is not without decent macro-details. To be honest, I’m already sick of explaining it because I find it difficult to do so. Let me just say, when I package the treble “as a whole, with the rest of the mix”, it sounds nice to me. Certainly, the treble is a “part-to-a-whole” that may not be accentuated nearly enough but is able to walk in good step with the rest of the mix.

Downsides to the treble region​

This entire treble section has been a downside. However, to break it down in the simplest of ways; the treble is too warm and too under accentuated. I find this treble to be very safe, and most will yearn for more BITE. Most will want more brilliance, more Shine, and some may want to hear a more defined profile and structure to the notes within the treble region. Also, treble Heads will not fancy the DZ4.

​

Technicalities​

Soundstage​

The soundstage on the DZ4 is intimate for the most part. However, not intimate in the way that the soundstage is small or congested. The DZ4 has a very big and immersive listening experience. The best way to describe the soundstage is to simply say that it is “full”. I feel like sound stretches to the edge of my minds soundscape and fills it out in all directions. I hear a more layered type of sound with decently good depth. Nevertheless, the stage also comes across intimate. It isn’t pulled back like a large auditorium where the sound is in front and spread wide. It’s up close but full in the way it fills the stereo image in my mind.

The soundstage isn’t a flat plane of sound. I am going to try to explain because it’s worth explaining, there is a three-dimensional aspect to the sound that is tall, wide and even slightly deep as well. I hear a stereoscopic and almost sculpted type of holographic image when listening. The sound wraps around me, yet it’s also drawn close to the ear. If none of this makes sense, then I’m very sorry and I will try to do better in the future. Honestly the stage is very unique and i do enjoy this aspect of the DZ4.

Separation​

I find the DZ4 to do an admirable job of separating elements of a stage. I do think it’s an uphill battle to a degree and the tuning makes it tough to accomplish clean separation all the time. Think of an intimate & full stage. Now picture the sound close to the ear, vocals, instruments etc. Try to think of these instruments and voices as having a smoother, tone and timbre that doesn’t have that illuminating brilliance to it. This isn’t exactly the best recipe for separation of elements on a stage. However, I would say the DZ4 is about average. Not the best, but also not a “con”. Obviously in more congested tracks you will find the DZ4 having a harder time in this area.

Imaging​

Imaging follows a hand in hand walk with separation. Instruments and voices hold their perfect spots on a stage, delineated and discernable, somewhat lucid and distinct. Yet the edge lines are fuzzy (mostly in the bass and treble regions), the stage is intimate, the sound is full and there isn’t always that sense of air between elements. Still, placement on a stage is actually pretty nice on the DZ4 and while separation isn’t perfect, I find the imaging is well accomplished. Again, just like the separation, if a track has complicated & fast paced musical arrangements than the imaging may become a bit blurred, but all in all Letshuoer did pretty well here. Above average I’d say.

Details​

The DZ4 is an odd cookie. Honestly it doesn’t do bad at all in the detail arena. I find micro-detail retrieval to be well above average. I’ve already pretty much explained the sound as best I could, but I’ll say it again; the sound is analog, natural, smooth, and intimate with a sense of richness. This is great for a musical sound but doesn’t always bode well for micro-details. I say that but the DZ4 detail retrieval is actually very good.

Comparison​

Simgot EA500 ($79)​

The infamous and fantastic Simgot EA500. The phenom. I wouldn’t be wrong if I called it the… “BUDGET KILLA”! I’m only partially kidding. In all seriousness the Simgot EA500 is a bona-fide stud in the price point and a very tall order for the DZ4 to compare against. Good thing this comparison isn’t about “which is better”. I actually reviewed the EA500 earlier in the year (Simgot EA500 Review) and I must say, I am still loving this set. Without question I regard it as a top 5 under $100. Still, this comparison is meant to hopefully help you understand at least a little bit about what the DZ4 sounds like. This is why I choose something that many folks already may own, or may have heard, or at least seen reviews for. Simgot has been on a crazy tear, like a brushfire they’re sweeping through price points with only ashes and debris in their wake. Okay, I may be going a bit too hard, but you get the sentiment.

EA500​

The Simgot EA500 is an all-alloy beauty with a 10mm DLC single Dynamic Driver and a beautiful design. Well balanced across the mix, the EA500 is a warmish/neutral U-shaped earphone with a penchant for energy, cleanliness and an innate ability to replay most any genre very well. This is one area that the DZ4 may not be able to match as the DZ4 has a slightly more particular sound. The EA500 leans a hair more to the neutral side of things but tonal color is close between the two. I think both sets have a lively and energetic sound, both have very nice dynamism, but I feel the EA500 just has a bit more expressive macro-dynamics. However, the DZ4 has the more euphonic and layered sound to me.

Bass Region​

The DZ4 has a slight bit more rumble in the sub-bass, but it is only by a slight margin. The EA500 has a much denser and more guttural haptic feel though. Neither set are basshead worthy, but the EA500 has a more contoured and clean bass region. I find the EA500 has better slam in the mid bass by a good margin with a very satisfying boom for bass drops. The DZ4 has less definition and is looser in control but probably has a speedier bass region. The DZ4 also has a bit less texture for bass guitar and kick drums. I do like the EA500 a bit more in this area.

Midrange​

The midrange in both sets is very well done. Both iems do vocals very well but the DZ4 has the edge here. The DZ4 is a bit more forward, smooth, and holographic in the midrange. However, the EA500 has better note weight, better transient behavior and a more taught and precise note decay. The EA500 runs the risk of being slightly closer to a shouty sound, although I don’t necessarily think either set is shouty. I suppose for those sensitive to it you may consider the EA500 grating to the ear. Timbre goes to the EA500 by the smallest of margins. I just feel that the EA500 sounds more authentic to a realistic sound in this region. However, if I was judging soley on the ability to render and playback vocals… I’d have to give the nod to the more colored sounding DZ4. The DZ4 are simply wonderful for vocals, and this takes nothing away from the EA500’s vocal chops. I’d also say that the DZ4 has a hint better detail retrieval in the midrange with better layering and depth to the sound. Small margins people.

Treble Region​

The Simgot EA500 comes across quite a bit more lustery and shimmery with a more efflorescent and lively treble. That said, the DZ4 has a fuller treble with less chance at coming across peaky. Basically, less offensive. I feel the EA500 has a more detailed treble region, but this is easily debatable. What the EA500 has is more clean treble bite with a crisper leading edge at attack and perceivably tighter decay and better audible extension up top. Basically, the DZ4 is less bright while the EA500 was tuned with more of an emphasis.

In the end​

I have this natural affinity for the EA500. Something about that set that brings joy to my heart. However, I may be prisoner of the moment here, but I am drawn to the sound of the DZ4 as well. When all is said and done, I just cannot overlook how good the EA500 is. I think the EA500 fits me a bit better, but I absolutely enjoy the sound of the DZ4.

Is it worth the asking price?​

This is the big question, is the DZ4 worth the $89 dollars that Letshuoer is asking? Is it a good buy? Are there other iems at or around the price point which would make more sense? To answer this question for you I’d have to ask a question; what is your preferred sound signature? Do you love upfront vocals? Is bass quantity something that you need in your music? Are you the type who wants the treble to have a sense of brilliance and luster? I would ask these questions because they are absolutely necessary to answer the question in the title of this section.

Particular tuning…​

The DZ4 is very particular in its tuning. Extremely particular. Which also will make it very polarizing. Mark my words… There will be those who won’t be very happy with the sound of this set. They will regard it as if it isn’t worth the price of a budget KZ set. On the filpside, there will be those who celebrate the tuning and absolutely love the sound. We are all very much different and no one person is the gate keeper to what sound is “good” or “right”. I do have a feeling that as reviews begin filtering out that each one will either be “love” or “hate”. That is what the DZ4 is. As for me, I really enjoy this set.

Subjective thoughts​

“To me” and “for me” I will answer this question. I enjoy the sound of the DZ4, a lot actually. Granted, it has obvious issues. Yet, even with the issues, in my opinion the DZ4 is a good sounding set. The DZ4 is a nicely built set as well, and it’s also a set that is well accessorized for the price point. Even with the driver questions, the passive radiator implementation issue, the lack of resolution in the low-end, lack of cleanliness at note ends, or the lack of treble emphasis… the DZ4 sounds great to me. I can only relay what I hear, and this is the absolute truth. Granted, the DZ4 is not my favorite and I do feel there are a mountain of great iems in the price range.

The Why…​

The DZ4 is worth the asking price to me. We have a great build, a dope look that is unique and different and a sound that places vocals on a pedestal. Letshuoer added in a nice cable for the price, a nice case, and nice eartips as well. It’s a good package. No doubt about it. Now, if it was me pricing the DZ4 I would ask $79.99 for it. That would be a good price in my opinion. The DZ4 is not an all-rounder type set and doesn’t do well for all genres of music and likely won’t please everyone. However, for the accessories and good sound as a whole… $89 isn’t bad.

The Letshuoer DZ4 attached to the Hidizs S9 Pro is a nice pairing

Ratings (0-10)​

Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the Letshuoer DZ4 ratings below, that would be $50 – $100 iems in any configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5” is exactly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $50-$100 US is a broad scope of iems and so seeing a 9 better mean something special. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings it will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.

Aesthetic ​

-Build Quality: 8.8

-Look: 9.4

-Accessories: 9.8

–Overall: 9.3

Sound Rating​

-Timbre: 9.0

-Bass: 6.0

-Midrange: 9.0

-Treble: 5.5

-Technicalities: 7.5

–Overall: 7.6

Ratings Summary:​

Have I ever expressed how little I enjoy ratings? I don’t like anything that doesn’t come with nuance. I’m the same way in life. Nothing is black and white because there is gray everywhere, or “color” if we are being literal. However, I am digressing here. I sit too long on these ratings friends; I dwell on them. In the case of the DZ4 these ratings almost mean nothing, and it’d be better to exclude them altogether. However, I’m a gamer so imma play the game.

For instance​

For instance, I gave the DZ4 a 7.5 in technicalities. Is this fair? I mean, above average details in the midrange and treble. The bass doesn’t really do so well in this regard but all in all… better than a 7.5 in detail retrieval alone in the $50-$100 range. However, there are other attributes which fall under the “technicalities” label. Separation is average, imaging is slightly above average, but the soundstage is pretty intimate. Now for me, I like this intimate stage, but I have to be a bit more objective when ratings come into play. So, I figure 7.5 is justified against the field that this rating indicates. Do you see why I have a problem with Rating things with such broad strokes when you only really get the full picture when things are broken down. I have an issue with each of the sound ratings in similar ways and could break down each one. So, take it with a grain of salt.

Get it right​

You have to also think of the amount of crazy good iems which reside between $50 to $100 US. It is a long list of nice sets. Giving the DZ4 a 9.0 in timbre must mean something pretty special. Or a 9.0 in the midrange. However, a lot is lost in that. Nuance my friends. There’s always more to the story. This is partially why my reviews are ridiculously long most of the time. Just to explain myself, lol, and I’m not always that good at doing that (explaining myself). Anyways, I truly don’t ever want to disappoint any of you, I want to get it right so that you get it right. Not everyone is made of money. Lord knows I grew up with nothing and so I understand very well what $89 means to the great majority of people who read this.

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Conclusion​

To conclude this review, I have to emphatically request that you check out other reviews as this has been one of the more difficult reviews for me to navigate through. Again, mark my words, others WILL have differing opinions. We are not all the same. Some may have better or worse hearing even. We don’t all have the same gear to listen to these earphones with, we all have different likes and dislikes as well as different libraries of music. Most importantly, not all of us reviewers have been down the same audio road. We are all at different parts of our journey, However, I do believe that most of us have only good intentions and want to help the consumer. So, please finish this review and jump onto other reviews to hopefully help you make an informed and educated decision.

I want to thank Ivy Gao and the good people of Letshuoer for providing this unique iem to me for a feature at mobileaudiophile.com. I also want to thank you, the reader for taking your time to read the thoughts that I have about the Letshuoer DZ4. Take good care and try to stay as safe as possible. God Bless.

LETSHUOER DZ4 Review: Lean Into The Vocals!​

PRICE: $89 (PHP. 4,800.00)

PROS:

• Superb unboxing experience
• Decent set of accessories with an interesting screw-style case
• Comes with one of my favorite stock cables (similar to Galileo)
• Pretty shade of beige with an interesting design and colorway (subjective)
• Clean, generally neutral sound
• Detailed, well-defined bass
• Fantastic vocal clarity and detail for the price
• Relaxed but still decently detailed treble presentation
• Solid separation and layering
• Great value considering the driver configuration

CONS:

• Driver configuration doesn’t really match what it sounds like
• Larger nozzle might cause fit issues
• Material might corrode over time
• Might be too lean sounding
• Bass lacks texture and weight
• Lower mids are featherlike and borderline thin
• Upper mids have tendency of shout
• Treble might come across dark to people who prefer more extension
• Narrow staging

WHO THIS UNIT IS FOR:

• Driver aficionados
• Mid-heads
• People who want a clean but detailed low end
• People who want a fatigue free treble
• People who want a complete package on a budget
• People who want a more than decent separation and layering capabilites

WHO THIS UNIT ISN’T FOR:

• Shoutlets
• People who don’t like lean sound signatures
• People who want a textured, tactile or weighty bass
• People who want sparkly treble
• People who want wide stage
• People who have small ears (due to the large nozzle)

FAVORITE GENRES TO LISTEN TO:

• Classical
  Jazz
• Vocal-centric (like adult contemporary)

SHORT SUMMARY OF REVIEW:
“The Letshuoer DZ4 provides a lean, vocal-centric presentation with really good vocal nuance along with a solid unboxing experience and great accessories for the price. However, the 3 dynamic drivers and passive radiators seem to not do much to give body and weight into the music, as well as the somewhat poor fitting makes it a little cumbersome to wear. Regardless, the DZ4 is a competent set for vocal lovers and neutral-heads on a budget.” RECCOMENDED WITH CAVEATS

FULL REVIEW:​

We’ve recently gotten a plethora of IEMs with weird or unusual configurations in the market with varying levels of effectivity. Granted, it is quite difficult to pull off a completely unorthodox driver configuration without going really deep into the R&D. But what if a brand who’s been in a market for quite a while and have proved themselves capable of working with multiple driver types takes a gander? Well, then you get something interesting.

DISCLAIMER:
This unit was tested as a tour unit provided by Lethuoer and managed by Mr. Eiji Romero of KVLT on Euphonia. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. However, I was not paid to say anything and all my thoughts and opinions on this review are mine and mine alone. Audio is a very subjective hobby and as much as I try to objectively explain my thoughts and opinions, your mileage will vary. My preferences will also affect how I perceive the gear that I review. Sources and other accessories will also modify your experience. Lastly, my reviews should always be used only as a guide and not as the definitive bible. Trust your ears to know what’s good.

SOURCES USED:

• Zishan U1 (AKM variant)
• Hiby R2 Gen II
• Audioquest DF Red
• Not-by-VE Avani
• Non-HiFi Phone (Huawei Nova 7 SE)

TRACKS USED:
A mixture of lossy, lossless and Hi-Res files will be used to give a general overview of the different formats in which the gear will be used.

Docs file explaining each track and what to look for: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oMa7GPLaqtpnnoR9tixvWI4aK-7tXMyTEZCJAVkIZx0/edit
Spotify Playlist:


PREFERENCES:
I currently prefer a lot of R&B, Indie, Funk and Adult Contemporary/Vocal centric. However, I am very flexible with the music that I listen to and always try to look for the best genres for the gear.

ACCESSORIES USED:
Tips:

• Stock tips (in S&M)
• Final E (in S&M)
• Newbees (in S&M)
• TRI Clarion (in S&M)

Cable:
Stock Cable (3.5mm)

NOTE ON ACCESSORIES:
The stock tips were adequate for the DZ4, but using smaller tips improved on the overall stability. It also tames the upper mids, but also affects the already narrow stage. For this review, I primarily used the stock tips in Medium, but tip-rolling is recommended.


BRAND BACKGROUND:
Letshuoer is a brand many of us are familiar with in the hobby with their legendary planar prodigy, the S12 and their EJ series taking up the mid-fi market by storm and even having the likes of HBB, Zeos and Timmy collaborating with them. Least to say, they’re no unknown Chi-Fi brand in 2023. However, not only is this their first 3DD + 1PR IEM, this is THE first 3DD + 1PR in the market. So whether this is merely a tech demo or something compelling, we’ll find out today.

UNBOXING: ​

Of course, we can’t talk Letshuoer without talking about their unboxing. I’ve really only unboxed 2 Letshuoer’s as of writing, but both provided some of the cleanest yet prettiest external packaging in my experience. The Letshuoer Galileo being one and the DZ4 now keeping up the pace (spoiler: that won’t be the only similarity they have)

Greeting you as you receive your box is a clean, white background with what seems to be a series of lines and circles that, presumably, represents the 4 drivers that are inside of the DZ4. Clever stuff, haven’t seen it before. But what else have I not seen before? Different printing textures and different paper materials. Yes, I know I’m probably the only one who is amazed by this but the orange bits and the printing of the DZ4 and Letshuoer are debossed and embossed respectably, giving a three-dimensional tactile experience to the DZ4’s packaging. This also applies to the Letshuoer logos on the side of the box which is a pretty awesome touch. Flipping the packaging, you’re met with the usual specification sheet, warnings and contact info on different languages.

Removing the sleeve reveals a clean, white box with Letshuoer’s logo printed in silver in the middle. Removing the top box, you’re met with a couple of paperwork and a rather pretty instructional manual printed in a thematic orange. It’s not as intricate as the Galileo’s pamphlet, but still very much creative in intention I’d say. Removing the paperwork reveals the dope looking IEMs, as well as the puck case right below it, housed in a foam cutout. And that’s about it.

Here is a full list of the inclusions:

• The IEMs themselves
• Puck Case
• 3 Pairs of Vocal eartips
• 3 Pairs of Balanced eartips
• Cable
• Warranty Card
• Instruction manual

Inspecting the puck further, you’re met with the nice 4-core braided cable that I’m quite a big fan of along with a circular tip-holder and some silica gel packets.

The puck itself is very sturdy, akin to the Galileo’s case which is made from a very sturdy material that I’m not so sure what. And just like the Galileo, Letshuoer decided to challenge their consumers with their case as I was a little dumbfounded at first on how to open the case. Eventually, I realized that it was a screw-on cap which was nothing I’ve seen prior. It’s a decently spacious although definitely not pocketable case that is best to store whatever the DZ4 came in with (along with the IEMs) and nothing more.You can opt to store more than 1 IEM, but that could be a little cramped if I may say.

The tips are decent with a slightly wider bored clear tips and black narrower bored tips. The clear tips seem to be the vocal tips, although the labeling seriously needs some work because it was not aligned to a specific tip. The balanced tip on the other hand is of a similar style and material with different color schemes. They’re alright tips, the clear ones being reminiscent of the KBEar07/AET07 tips which are my darlings, but upon further inspection, they are quite different on the stem area. Whether this affects the sound, I couldn’t really tell as both the tips sealed crap with the IEM itself, but they do feel nice and might work for you.

Overall, a decent unboxing experience that is akin to the Letshuoer Galileo in which it’s more than satisfied with what it comes with for the price. The box is intricate but tasteful, the presentation is good and the inclusions are alright. Nothing much to say about it, honestly.

BUILD AND FIT​

Cable:



The cable that the DZ4 use is a 4-core, 216 strand 0.05mm Silver Plated Copper Cable with a 3.5mm SE termination and a 0.78mm 2-pin interface.

If you’ve seen the Galileo, this is exactly like the Galieo’s cable in a different color scheme. No kidding. So here’s my cable impressions from my Galileo review since I’ll just be saying the same things.

The build is definitely on the beefier side with an interesting stiff but malleable material that allows it to behave while feeling durable. Each strand feels quite thick and durable but never felt too hefty or weighty in any way. It is, however, definitely on the stiffer side which would occasionally make it feel a little bit janky to pull around. Due to the thickness, it does not tangle easy and when it does, it's quite easy to untangle.

There are thankfully no microphonics despite the textured and beefier nature which I absolutely adored as I really liked the stock cable.



Starting with the jack, it’s your standard 3.5mm gold plated jack housed in a minimalist cream housing with Letshuoer’s typography printed near the jack itself. It then tapers off with a jack tail to the 4 core strands.

There 2 grey strands and 2 silver strands and they are both housed in a textured material that allows them to feel quite durable.



Moving up then reveals the y-split which uses the same material as the jack and a chin-cinch which, interestingly, is of a clear material and seems somewhat out of place. Thankfully, due to the combination of the cable material and the shape of the chin cinch, it is quite usable and I’d argue is one of the most sturdy chin cinches that I’ve tried.



Moving up, the cable then split to the two 2-core strands all the way to the preformed ear hooks and the 2-pin interface. The earhooks, for the first few hours of listening, is definitely on the more aggressive in terms of fitting as I found that it really dug into the back of my ears and gave me some discomfort not only behind the ear but also in the inner ear due to the fitting.. However, the earhooks would then form into your ear and it becomes more comfortable. Of course, if you choose to do it manually, you may use a hairgun or heatgun to form it to your desired shape. The interface itself are smooth and uses the same material as the jack and y-split and has a small engraved section for easier pulling. The right side is indicated with a red ring covering the interface while the left is covered with a plain opaque material.

Overall, a solid stock cable that rivals even more expensive IEMs. I seriously wouldn’t mind using this cable for my other IEMs and even more expensive IEMs. It feels durable but not beefy, although a little bit stiff for my liking. The chin cinch, as mentioned is one of the best that I’ve tried in stock cables. The texture definitely helps making it feel more premium than it is. But definitely keep the preformed earhooks in mind, especially if you’re buying a new unit. And honestly, them using a similar cable to the Galileo is a very smart way to save money because as the famous saying goes: if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.

IEM:

The DZ4 features a total of 4 drivers. Three 6mm Dynamic Drivers and One passive radiator. This is all housed in a 3D Printed Resin topped off with a CNC-milled Aluminum with a semi-open design. Letshuoer also states that the drivers are connected to the dual-pin receptacle via a flexible printed circuit or an FPC crossover board. They also collaborated with HeyGears in the creation of the IEM itself

To those uninformed, a passive radiator according to Sweetwater is defined as;
“A passive radiator is an element that is designed to move sympathetically with the energy in the cabinet. They generally resemble a low frequency driver or woofer, but have no voice coil or any element to actively generate sound.”

The faceplate features an awesome looking pattern that is similar to the packaging of the DZ4. Looking closer into the faceplate, you are met with the design actually showing a somewhat grill that could potentially be the faceplate vent to make the DZ4 a semi-open back IEM. It’s effectiveness is debatable, but that’s a really cool touch to see the small circles or vents in between the pattern. The faceplate itself feels like a metal with a distinctive tactile feel when you rub your finger against it. It then transitions into a different material for the inner shell that holds the drivers and the 2-pin connectors. It’s a very smooth construction with a very small wing to hold the IEM in place. The nozzle is very reminiscent of the Galileo as it is absolutely massive. I found myself needing to use my smallest tips in order to properly fit into my ear as the stock tips just would not fit. More on this later. I’m quite a big fan of the usage of cream as I don’t really see a lot of IEMs having a cream or skin color which I think is a shame. Cream or beige is a very pretty color when done right, and I’d say that the DZ4 has got that in the bag.



The IEM itself admittedly feels a little bit cheap. Reminiscent of the Hola, it has this somewhat matte texture giving off this somewhat smooth, rubbery but concerning feel. You know, the type of plastic that if enough heat from long periods of use will cause it to melt or just feel icky.





As for fit, the IEM does feel comfortable, but that large nozzle definitely causes some problems. Initial fitting may be problematic for those who aren’t used to large nozzles and long term fitting may cause fatigue around the ear. This is also due to the earhook angle being so darn aggressive and ending up causing more pain than stability. Stability however is very good as, when I get a good seal, it really stays in my ear.




This then transitions into its surprisingly impeccable seal and isolation without causing and air pressure build up or driver flex. Occlusion effect is also very well controlled as I didn’t find my voice too annoying while I spoke with the IEM which was seriously surprising considering its seal.

Comparing this to other IEMs, I can’t help but really find that this and the Galileo fit very much alike. No other set has given me a mixture of comfort and discomfort as the nozzle can be quite problematic, yet a good seal with this is absolutely perfect.

Overall, it’s a mixed bag for me as the build can raise concerns over its longevity due to the material and the comfort due to the larger nozzle, but on the other hand, the cream color as well as the unique stylings and its solid isolation and comfort, when paired with the right tips, give it a pass for me as I genuinely think that this is a very nicely built IEM that has had to take some compromises somewhere to keep it as cheap as it is.

SOUND:​

Sound Signature:

The DZ4 follows a neutral sound signature with extra energy in the vocals, reminiscent of a diffused-field target like an Etymotic. Although not exactly, they follow a very similar lean and vocal centric tuning that should appeal to those allergic to bass and like a lot of vocal energy.

Efficiency and Source Pairing:
The DZ4 is middle of the ground in terms of efficiency. It’s not the easiest to run set with it still needing to crank the volume quite some ways but also not insanely difficult to drive that a smartphone can’t effectively power it. Speaking of, a smartphone can decently power it but not at its full potential. Pairing it with a dedicated DAC/AMP will improve your listening experience and it does scale quite decently with power in smoothing out the edges of the treble and vocals

Bass:
The overall bass presentation is sub-centric with a very lean, clean and tight midbass that is more quality over quantity.

The subbass goes in decently deep but not necessarily hitting harder than it should. It’s quite tight too, despite the 3 dynamic drivers pointing out that it would be a very bassy set along with the passive radiator to enhance than even more. But to my surprise, it was a very clean, non-boomy subbass. This is DEFINITELY not for bassheads as there is barely enough bass to get you to shake your head.

Midbass is even cleaner and tighter. You hear the notes more than you feel them, which means the texture is virtually absent. Grunginess and engagement in this region is low, but details and tightness is very high, just like the subbass. This then gives it a leaner, more grounded and clearer bass listening rather than being immersed into it. What it lacks in authority, it makes up for in clarity.

Tracks that have any thick bass, the DZ4 really won’t do any justice. But it does bring out a lot of the notes and is quite articulate in providing some of the tigthest bass I’ve heard in an IEM in a very long time. The intro to Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys is very clean with the electric and bass guitar having quite the detail, but not so much the warmth as well as the impact coming from the kick drum or the heaviness of the bass guitar.


Mids:
The overall midrange of the DZ4 is very neutral, but starts to fall into the leaner side due to the upper mids being prominent and lower mids being quite pulled back.

The lower mids have the tendency to sound quite thin and, dare I say, a little bit stale when listening to tracks that need more energy in the low end. Vocals are affected by this too as male vocals, while not entirely recessed or pulled back, tends to sound a little bit underemphasized and thin on certain tracks. Generally however, male vocals come across as very articulate and clean without any semblance of bleed from the midbass and a tightness in the vocals that never gave out any coloration or unnaturalness in that region.

Upper mids however tells a mixed story. One one hand, vocals and instruments are phenomenal in terms of the clarity and detail being put out which makes critical listening on this set wonderful. However, there are instances of vocals and instruments in this region sounding a little bit too forward which affects the timbre of some vocals, particularly with a more contralto vocal quality. This in turn induced shout on higher volumes which was quite uncomfortable, especially paired with the leaner and thinner midbass not really counteracting the forwardness and elevation of the upper mids. Regardless, it presents vocals and instruments in such a way that really puts them front and center and quite intimate that gives such a crisp image.

A track like Mess U Made by Michelle sounded a little thin in the lower end, but my goodness the vocals of the band sparkled like never before with the DZ4. The ensemble of the vocals along with the percussives gave such a crisp and clean listening experience that truly made me fall in love with vocals in general with this set.

Treble:
With the shout coming from the upper mids, you might expect a similar story to the treble. Yet, this is arguably one of the most baffling parts of the DZ4 as it’s both smooth and insanely resolving and detailed. However. Extension can definitely still be improved on this set, but never coming across as dark. Just closer to a Diffused Field type of treble.

Lower treble thankfully does not follow the upper mids by not inducing and harness and sibilance, yet still forward enough to be able to pump out percussives, air and string instruments to such a degree that gives them a very articulate and detailed presentation while keeping it silky smooth. I usually find smoothness attributed to the lack of incisiveness or attack in the upper frequencies, but in this case, it was genuinely so smooth and refined that I was shocked not to find any hints of sibilance.

This was even more evident in the mid treble where I often find the problems with leaner sets as the lack of bass to compliment the treble presentation give a somewhat grainy or sharp sound that can get uncomfortable which the DZ4 did not exhibit any. Microdetail was absolutely superb with each note sounding very crisp and fast which, considering this is an all DD set, was a splendid surprise.

Upper treble does relax the overall treble presentation a little bit as the air wasn’t as much as I wanted, yet sufficient enough for most people who will try this set. It has enough extension to not make vocals and instruments choked or compressed, but not elevated enough to tickle my ears.

Can’t Hide Love by Earth Wind and Fire will always be a perfect treble test for me because this track often induces quite the harshness on sibilant sets, but the DZ4 passes almost perfectly without any harshness, barring the shout region being quite problematic. Each cymbal strike sounds so detailed and fast with cleanliness that compliments the vocals more than it takes away from the mix.

Technicalities:
While stage may be a little disappointing, DZ4’s separation capabilities are superb with a fantastic layering between instruments minus bass as I just found most tracks to be single noted in that region. Stage is definitely affected by the upper mids having a little bit of a hump at around 1-1.5k which I also noticed in other sets with a similar quality and found that toning this area down makes a difference in the perceived stage.

COMPARISONS: ​

Vs Letshuoer Galileo ($109)

• Similar overall unboxing experience and inclusions
• Galileo has a more traditional resin finish that feels more durable but similarly cheap
• Both have a similar neutral sound signature
• Bass is clean and tight on both, but Galileo has more weight while DZ4 has more impact
• Mids are also similar, but Galileo sounds more natural while DZ4 sounds more analytical
• Treble is MUCH more extended and crisp on the DZ4
• DZ4 has better overall technicalities

Vs 7hz Legato ($109)

• Legato has more inclusions, but DZ4 has a better overall unboxing experience
• Legato has a more confident yet more awkwardly fitting build
• Legato has a BIG bass v-shape sound signature
• Legato has MUCH more bass, but DZ4 sounds cleaner and together
• Legato has recessed and colored mids with DZ4 having a much more neutral and vocal centric mids
• Legato has slightly sibilant treble with DZ4 having a smoother yet more detailed treble
• DZ4 has MUCH better technicalities

vs TRI Star River

• DZ4 has a better overall unboxing and inclusions
• Star River has a shinier resin that fits better in my ear, but both have a similar build quality
• Star River has a U-Shaped sound sound signature with more energy on both ends
• Star River has more bass quantity, but considerably less bass quality and clarity
• Star River has considerably worse midrange presentation, although have a similar shout quality but not at the level of the Star River
• Star River has a more elevated, more extended but harsher and more sibilant treble
• DZ4 and Star River has similar staging but DZ4 has better separation and layering

VERDICT:

The Letshuoer DZ4 is an IEM that tests the grounds for weird driver types that are often found in full sized speakers or ballsack looking IEMs. Yet, execution was quite well done with enough technical chops to make it a compelling choice not only to those looking for weird IEM setups, but for those who want a lean, clean and crisp sounding IEM.

The argument whether the passive radiators actually work is anyones guess, at least until someone breaks one apart and compares the measurements. To me, I don’t think that they work as well as they intend it to be. I mean heck, I’m in doubts whether all the DDs work due to how lean it sounds.

But regardless, these definitely have its shortcomings when it comes to bass impact, note weight and potential shoutiness, but I would say that the DZ4 does not target those big, bassy tracks moreso than taking their usually neutral mid and flagship sets to a much cheaper demographic. And if that indeed is their goal, then they’ve provided one lean, mean crispy machine with the DZ4.


Thank you so much for reading my review! I would appreciate it if you followed my page if you enjoyed.

If you would like to avail the product reviewed today, check the non-affiliate link below!:
https://letshuoer.net/products/lets...ngle-passive-radiator-edc-hifi-in-ear-monitor

Have a nice day and enjoy music!

TONALITY: 8.2/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8/10
CONSTRUCTION: 8.2/10
ACCESSORIES: 8.5/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.2/10

INTRO

Letshuoer don't need long introduction. It's an earphones maker company from China that exist since 2016 and release diversify IEMs model including hybrid, tribrid, single DD and planar. Their best seller is the S12 which is a very good planar earphones offering a energic and fun musicality.

Today I will review their newest release, the DZ4.

Price 90$, the DZ4 is one of a kind IEM using 3x6mm dynamic driver and 1x passiave radiator.

Let see in this review if the DZ4 offer a special musicality and technical performance that will stand above the crowd


CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES



The DZ4 have a good looking design made of half mate plastic and metal built with semi vented open back which isn't decorative. It's light and comfortable but the nozzle is a bit short but I don't think DZ4 is designed for deep fit anyway.
As seen, their 3 hole in nozzle instead of full open one with mesh, this is a sign of serious acoustic engineering and justify the use of wide bore eartips to avoid blocking any of these holes.
Overall construction doesn't feel cheap but I can't say for durability.



The cable is quite nice, especially for a sub-100$ IEM, its a good 4 strands silver plated cable that feel sturdy but I would have love to be able to choose a 4.4mm balanced cable too.



The package experience was nice too, with an interesting design that share same esthetic as the IEM back plate design. It's quite generous in good quality accessories too, i love the carrying case with screwable top. The ear tips choice are mostly valuable, especially the wide bore. Cable is great too as noted above. All in all, packaging and accessories is very good here.


SOUND IMPRESSIONS


Did anybody is familiar with this ''analog sound'' rendering? I am but I know we don't all have common ground about it, since their the solid state and tube amp vintage memories approach as well as the DAC of ol'time that tend to boost more the musicality than technical plain cold high fidelity approach…

So, we could say it's about ol'memories of an audio era where musicality was main focus, and the fun and immersive experience it deliver.

In that regard, the DZ4 nail it for me since even if the use of 3 dynamic driver with 1 passive radiator can seem like an acoustic perfectionism for better technical performance, it's not exactly that, it's about delivering a musical experience a single DD can't...but does it mean it's in a big wow effect way?

Here it will depend where your psychoacoustic sensitivity tend to focus. If it's timbre, dynamic and vocal, you'll sure be in for alot of joy and wow effet, smooth cozzy way. If it's about highest definition and attack speed and control, you'll be underwhelmed.

The DZ4 tonality is a warm W shape to me, with rolled off upper treble pass 10khz, which mean it's a sticky meaty musicality, that surround you in a close and intimate way, suck you in music closely and with good tactility of main instrument or voice presence. Warm way, which doesn't mean plain dark, dull or muddy way at all.

It's a one of a kind dynamic and sound layering within a familiar tonal balance, like a warmer thicker and boomier (in a good way) harman target. Their no thin mids to my ears, nor there overly agressive peak. If it's anything Harman, it's the most euphonic and beefy in slam approach i've ever heard within this target whatever the source I use.

But this mean there something imperfect with the bass too, even if the punch is chunky we have a peculiar sub bass dominance here. It's not a clean and boring sub bass like Moondrop Aria, which have pros and cons about this maturity and control, it's a chunky boom with fast rumble and extension sustain, this sustain have slight euphonic warmth in it which make the mid bass heavier and better rounded but not very resolved for kick drum, and strangely not very well separated too. I mean, it's not clean sounding.
We don't have lot of texture bite too, so the pulling of bass line will be softed but it's density boosted.
So it's mostly about slam here, meaty one, fast enough and well layered enough.
DZ4 are 2 way crossover, i do think 2DD work for bass and mids in tandem since it's what dominate the tonality here, then the treble try to pop out but is too well balance for that. We will go back to treble section soon.
The tone of the bass is very nice, timbre is rich and tick and tactile, if i use the word boomy, it's in a mostly positive way here since i dont feel it lack alot of mid bass, just a bit of separation between bass line and kick drum and then mids. Cello sound good and can even produce vibrant grunt, but in a warm way, while conterbass is where the word boomy come to mind, yet, electric bass will sound very focus. But in rock track i struggle alot to ''see'' the kick drum density while its presence is well rendered enough.
Euphonic impactful bass don't fit all music genre and I was expecting better technical performance due to passive radiator, which in fact seem to add this extra density to rumble, for the better and the worst.

Mid range is very appealing to my ears, dark and lush way where tone color is magnify and presence of instrument have a creamy blurry edge. It's not an open sounding and crisp mid range, nor recessed and thin, and vocal lover are in for alot of joy since it's the main focus.
Female vocal are fowards, full bodied and offer a thick natural timbre in phase with macro resolution, is loud but smoothed in edge so no sibilance nor problematic shoutyness. This type of mids favor woodwinds and vocal, saxophone sound very natural and tonaly right, dense with textured air and well layered enough with other instrument. Piano in the other hand will lack a bit of attack definition, so each note aren't fully carved in presence and can feel foggy in resolution and prompt to get lost in the mix with busy jazz track, for example with Adam Baldych and Helge Lien Trio, the violin dominate center stage and piano seem more distant, even when goin solo the dynamic amplitude is restrain.
Then for male vocal, they are warmer in resolution but full bodied and sweet, without upper mids spike that can affect their tonal balance, Califone singer feel a bit mixed in the music in an overly homegenous way unlike female vocal that will pop out better this one is a bit darker than other instruments surrounding him.

Then the treble, this is where i'm a bit underwhelmed since I do think their a whole 6mm DD cover this section, yet it's roll off after 10khz and lack sparkle, brilliance, decay and air on top.
It doesn't sound thin, nor very edgy, it's a safe treble we can say and this explain the lack of excitment it trigger in me. This isn't a very technical treble either, the attack control is average and foggy in sustain-release, it's not snappy nor speedy but not completely dark or dull. We do have minimal crunch and bite, which explain violin attack is abrasive and well define though it will not release natural resonance after stroke due to lack of clean black background to achieve proper macro resolution crispness.
The highs are full and tactile, not half cook in term of micro rendition it's bodied, the percussions are round but....again this word....euphonic, a bit contoured with harmonic distortion blur, buttery way.
It's part of this holographic rendering where all sound seem rounded but not perfectly delimited in presence contour, nor very transparent.
It's hard to find something to hold on in the treble section, it's cozzy, darkish, but dynamic and dense with texture naturalize with romantic sustain distortion. I try to explain this treble with a mix of esoteric and scientific repair, so don't take the word distortion in first degree here, it's micro blur that color the texture with peculiar warmth in fact.

Now, the soundstage is perhaps the most esoteric part of this unique sound experience the DZ4 deliver. It's like puting your head in a ''holographic bubble'' , not a gigantic one but not one that asphixiate you either. Its immersive and fascinating, with a 3D rendering. Wide and tall, but not deep.

Imaging isn't the highligt of DZ4 due to thick sound layering, which are perceivable and possible to pull apart but not with alot of space in Y axis, while for instrument separation in X axis, it lack clean air and wideness between them as well as proper definition edge for positioning precision.



COMPARISONS



VS PENON SERIAL (3DDs-300$)


Let's begin by saying the Penon Serial is at least 3x the price of DZ4 and it's evident they are superior earphones both tonaly and technicaly. In fact, it represent the logical upgrade to DZ4, which is more compressed in layering and grainy in timbre, not as open, transparent and smoothly balanced as the Serial.
Fact is that I was a bit sad to know DZ4 use 3x6mm titanium DD instead of 3 different model that can permit a richer and more capable sound performance. The Serial use 3 superior DDs, all different (10mm-8mm-6mm) and this permit a more transparent, clean, well layered, technical and detailed musicality.
The DZ4 feel more V shape and punchy, thicker but noiser in timbre, with more fowards upper mids but less open and well resolve mid range, the texture isn't as detailed as Serial too and have sign of harmonic distortion going on.
The bass doesn't extend as deep, isn't as well layered and transparent in rumble, bass line are more clean, articulate and resolved with the Serial, but not as thick and energic in punch.
Mids are a hint leaner with Serial and can keep up with fast busy track without going muddy like the DZ4 wich have more compressed center stage, less wide vocal and instrument presence, more euphonic timbre and more fowards female vocal in a less smooth and organic way than Serial.
Treble is really where the Serial put to shame the DZ4. Its more open, airy and sparkly, we have way more micro details, cymbal crass decay naturally while it fell splashy with DZ4, attack is more controlled and definition notably cleaner and airier.
The Soundstage is way wider and deeper with Serial, while a bit taller but notably more closed and boxed with DZ4 that have near zero depth and an intimate holographic presentation.
This mean Imaging is sharper, cleaner, more precise and accurate with greater spacing between instrument with the Serial.

All in all, i wasn't expecting the DZ4 to beat one of my fav sub-500$ IEM, so i'm not surprise by the fact tonal balance is smoother, cleaner and less V shape, nor that imaging, resolution, attack speed-control and soundstage are all superior. Yet, to some extend, some people might find the DZ4 more fun due to more punchy and energic dynamic, thats to be noted.

VS TRI Star river (2DDs-60$)

This is a 2 dynamic driver IEM which sound more technical and W shape than warmer more V shape DZ4.
Bass is cleaner, more mellow in impact and lean in extention, sub bass line are less muddy and more transparent. DZ4 offer better rounded punch, chunkier sub bass but less textured low end.
Mids are more open, thinner and more agressive in upper mids so more shouty, presence is less euphonic and thick but more textured than DZ4.
Treble is superior and sharper here, more emphasized too, it dig more micro details, sound more open and airyand attack is more speedy and less distorted in sustain release, but it's more spiky and fatiguing than DZ4 too.
Soundstage is notably wider, taller and deeper, less congested and filled with thick sound layers.
This mean center stage is more recessed too, but imaging have cleaner resolution and clinical separation, it's not as holographic and realist sounding as DZ4, but more precise in separation and cue.

All in all, i'm surprise to conclude the TRI offer superior soundstage, imaging and resolution since the balance is a bit wonky and displeasant, in term of cohesive tonal balance and most of all musicality their no doubt i prefer DZ4 more dynamic rendering, and thicker less artificial timbre.

VS UM 3DT (3DDs-400$)

3DT is notably brighter and more W shape. Resolution is more boosted and sound layers more define.
The bass is similar in punch but less chunky and muddy in sub and mid bass layering, it's faster and more controlled too, more textured and sub bass is leaner in rumble.
The mids are less warm, more vivid and agressively bright, they are better layered too and definition is more edgy and abrasive. DZ4 mids feel more intimate and natural, with concentrated presence thickness that isn't as open as 3DT but not as prompt to sibilance and harshness in upper mids.
Treble is crunchier and again more agressive with 3DT, its more snappy and attack speed and control is superior, it dig more micro details and texture info without going imbalance or wonky.
Soundstage is similar in wideness, but taller and deeper.
Imaging is superior, we have more transparency and definition of each instrument layers, it's accurate and near monitor like, bright way, while DZ4 is too euphonic for proper instrument placement and separation.

All in all, technical performance are superior with 3Dt, which was previsible at this big price difference and well, better dynamic drivers quality and diversity that permit more heterogeneous macro-resolution that still keep it's coherence. DZ4 feel more laid back and smooth though, it's not as vivid and captivating, but it's more fun and cozzy. So, tonaly wise it will be the winner for me due to thicker smoother timbre mostly.



VS TEMPOTEC IM05 (1DD+4BAs-160$)

DZ4 is warmer, more balance V shape and main difference is thicker, more natural timbre that offer fuller mids and bass.
Treble is darker though, and spatiality is less open and airy.
IM05 sound more technical, W shape with sub bass resonance boost, recessed in mids which are notably thinner and more artificial (colder)timbre wise
Upper mids are more upfront with IM05, treble is more focus with sharper definition and attack speed which make the DZ4 sound darker, bit rolled off pass 10khz, so less sparkle, brilliance,decay.
Note weight is heavier, bass is warmer less well separated but better rounded, chunkier, punchier, more textured too.
Soundstage is notably more open, wide and deep with IM05. Imaging too is next level compared to thicker more blurry, thick in layering DZ4 which doesnt offer same level of transparency.

All in all, technical peformance is notably superior with the IM05, but tonality is more clinical and timbre lover might prer the DZ4 which feel more mid centric and less spiky, less prompt to hear fatigue than IM05.


CONCLUSION



I really enjoy to listen to the Letshuoer DZ4 warm holographic musicality, which offer among the most beautifull female vocal in sub-100$ price range. In that regard, they are very close and perhaps even better than my beloved Raptgo Hook X HBB (logical upgrade to DZ4 in fact).

With DZ4, I listen to music first and foremost with great emotional response and a cozzy immersivity where I can get lost for hours. Its not a technical nor clinical sounding IEM, and timbre naturalness is one of it's highlight which benefit vocal, and instrument like saxophone and piano.

While I find them versatile due to the safe tuning nature, it excell with female singer and music like Soul and R&B.

The DZ4 offer one of a kind musical experience that is impossible to mimic with other driver configuration, it's rich colorfull tonality with dense sound layers is something to be enjoy, laid back way.

Recommended!

-----------------------------


PS: I want to thanks Letshuoer for sending me this review sample after I try to get more info about how it sound. As always, I think it's evident i can't be bias for anything I review and these are my 100% true subjective sound impressions.


The DZ4 will be available for order July 15th for 90$ here:
https://letshuoer.net/products/lets...ngle-passive-radiator-edc-hifi-in-ear-monitor

Review of the Letshuoer DZ4​

In the world of portable audio, finding the perfect pair of in ears that deliver exceptional sound quality and immersive listening experiences can be a quest in itself. Letshuoer, a brand known for its dedication to some quite great products such as the S12 Pro, Galileo and EJ07M, presents the Letshuoer DZ4, an impressive in-ear monitor (IEM) boasting a unique configuration of three dynamic drivers and one passive radiator. The DZ4 aims to captivate audiophiles and casual listeners alike. In this easy to digest review with no fluff or tomfoolery, we dive into its features, sound signature, build quality, and overall performance. For the price of $89 let's see what you get!



Specifications:
Drivers: 3*6mm Titanium Dome Dynamic Driver + 6mm Passive Radiator
Crossover: Two way crossover with four way acoustic tubing
Sensitivity: 104dB/mw (1kHz)
Impedance: 12Ω±1 (1kHz)
Distortion: ≤3% (1kHz)

In this diagram we can see the three drivers neatly laid out and the passive radiator in blue, they are hooked up via use of a flat flex with what they advertise as a two way crossover, the use of flat flex greatly improves ease of manufacture and leads to an internal that is as good looking as the exterior, the passive radiator works by using excess pressure of the active drivers by resonating on it's own, creating a deeper lowend and allows the iems to work more efficiently.

Inclusions:​

In the box you will find some paperwork, a plastic tin with a screw lid; quite similar to the one that comes with the EJ07M. It is rubber lined to offer some protection and happily stores the tips, cable and IEMS. You get the as mentioned cable, IEMS and some great quality tips also.



The cable is similar to ones Letshuoer ships with most of their IEMS, it is soft, pliable and presents minimal microphonics. The feel is soft and the earhooks form nicely around your ear. It is a four core, two-hundred and sixteen strand silver plated copper cable for those curious, terminated in 3.5mn and 0.78mm at the IEM. On the IEM side it has a clear and red plastic to denominate left and right (Clear is Left, Red is Right)

Build Quality:​

The design of this IEM is undeniably striking. The combination of the aluminium faceplate and the orange mesh under a lightning bolt type pattern creates an eye-catching aesthetic that is both stylish and attention-grabbing, However the semi-open designs leads to isolation that isn't the best, it lets in almost everything below 1khz and attenuates frequencies higher than this by only about 15dB. Despite this the resin body provides a lightweight and comfortable fit, allowing for extended listening sessions without fatigue. The build quality is solid, and the materials used feel durable and should be capable of withstanding regular use and many years to come.

Sound:​

What is most obvious at first is how natural and punchy they sound, they render vocals clearly and with utmost salience, with only 104 dB/mW at 12 ohms, they are fairly easy to drive, only needing 0.35V (RMS) to drive to 114dB so you'll have plenty of headroom on anything from a phone to a laptop to a dongle. Tested on an EU Apple Dongle, Macbook Pro, iFi Nano iDSD BL and an iFi Zen Can Sig.



Bass:
The punchiness of the bass adds a more dynamic and impactful element to the overall sound, giving each note a distinct and energetic presence. With excellent extension, the bass reaches deep into the lower frequencies, creating a rich and full-bodied sound that hits you with rich, depth and power. The texture of the bass is finely detailed and articulated, allowing for the subtle nuances of each bass note to be fully appreciated. Whether it's the rumble of a kick drum or the smooth grooves of a bass guitar, the texture adds layers of complexity to the sound, resulting in a truly engaging and satisfying listening experience.

In the song "Becoming Insane" by Infected Mushroom there is a hefty rhythmic bass that kicks in at 0:26. This is presented with dominance and speed it kind of slams in your face with it's sheer power, It is as mentioned generously textured and full bodied.



Mids:
For the lower mids, instruments such as pianos have this sort of lush warmth to it, very smooth and joyful to listen to, I wish the middle mids were a little more present but they come through perfectly acceptable, The snap of snares is tight and quick and perfectly blend with the kick drum.

Upper Mids are diffuse field like, which pushes vocals forward with authority, the timbre is quite good, vocals sound, I don't know. They just sound right, I think if say 1.5k was dipped a little more they could come through a little better in the center image but otherwise they are clean and well defined.

On the song "New York Minute - Live on MTV 1994" by Eagles, the strings on the intro are presented in an almost holographic way, timbre is good and they sound full bodied and natural.



Treble:
The treble as a whole is very controlled although many will probably wish for a little more air to give these more sense of openness but otherwise it's very faithful and non fatiguing, hi-hats and the upper register of guitars, etc come through as quite natural, so not much grain or metallic layer here

Technicals:
I wouldn't say detail or resolution is much of a strong point here, It's okay but it isn't groundbreaking. They do present finer details and you can pick these out quite easily but they aren't space age and for what they are, they do everything I'd expect them to. The IEM stage isn't that wide but it's accurate and instruments are placed where I'd expect them to be. Micro and Macro Dynamics are quite good however so you can feel contrast in your music if it is present.

Conclusion:
In a market saturated with countless earphone options, the Letshuoer DZ4 emerges as a standout contender, armed with its unique configuration of three dynamic drivers and one passive radiator. Whether you're a discerning audiophile or a casual listener seeking to try something new the Letshuoer DZ4 won't disappoint you in my opinion.

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.“

--General George S. Patton, United States Army General

Click to expand...

That's how I perceived LETSHUOER's philosophy on striving for the success and pushing some innovation in their products as this quote remind on them. No need further to introduce the LETSHUOER again as I already did a lot of impressions, reviews and assessments on their products and all of their products are impressive as usual and have their own tonal character and distinctive design viewpoint.



This is LETSHUOER's latest model product for the entry-level segment, The LETSHUOER DZ4, it has an interesting driver set-up as it has three (3) dynamics drivers and single passive-radiator on each side. The three (3) dynamic drivers are of a titanium dome micro dynamic driver type and all are of the same dimensions of 6mm and each of them will handle a specific frequency range. The passive-radiator concept in IEM is quite an interesting implementation as it is usually found on a loudspeaker enclosure. This is not the first one as there are some products with this kind of implementation like a certain IEM and a headphone. The passive-radiators aren't really electrically charged, instead they are powered by air pressure from other active transducers and its principle is to trap sound waves generated from active transducers to create a resonance effect to add more depth on pitch and improve reverberations. There is another benefit on implementation of PRs as it somehow lessens the constant motion on woofers that is akin to dampening effect as it will give a longevity and less chances of degrading the quality of active drivers due to constant motion.



The drivers and the single passive-radiator were also connected into four (4)-way acoustic tunes with a tiny bi-channel crossover circuit for less distortion and cleaner sonic quality. These components are encapsulated in a 3D printed acrylic resin, UIEM-style shell chassis. It has a CNC-milled, matte-finish aluminium alloy faceplate with a zig-zag pattern with each point probably serving as vent holes that makes it somewhat an open-backed design. Like all LETSHUOER products, it uses a proven 2-pin connector as its detachable mechanism for cable swapping.



The fitting is quite comfortable as these sets rest well in my lugholes as it encompasses to give a good passive noise isolation to filter out some external noises coming from the outside environs. I can wear them for a long listening session and I don't feel any driver flexes that might be annoying during insertion or any motion.



The stock cable included on LETSHUOER DZ4 is quite good. It was carefully braided and has a sufficient thickness to give a solid yet light and flexibility. It is made of 4-core, 216 strands of monocrystalline silver plated copper wirings to deliver a better conductivity to have seamless transmission of electrical signals. And it has a gold plated 3.5mm single ended as its termination plug.




Like all LETSHUOER products, each of their product packaging has its different approach from the amazing unboxing experience with Cadenza 12 to a more simple yet satisfying product presentation of their Galileo. The LETSHUOER DZ4 takes a different approach as it has a more modest yet logical on its product presentation as we check some of its contents.




Here are the following inclusions inside the box:

■ a pair of LETSHUOER DZ4 IEMs.
■ bi-coloured braided stock cable.
■ a disc-shaped ear tips organiser plate.
■ a rubberised, circular hard plastic IEM container.
■ three (3) pairs of vocal ear tips of different standard sizes.
■ three (3) pairs of balanced ear tips of different standard sizes.
■ some paperworks like instruction manual, contact card with QR codes, warranty card and a q.c stub.



The LETSHUOER DZ4 can be powered up efficiently with just a decent amount of power output from usual portable multimedia devices like smartphones and tablets. But putting it on devices like DAPs and USB DAC/amp dongles with better power output will have a noticeable and significant improvement particularly on dynamics and ambience.



As to determine its tonality and tuning, the DZ4 has a mild-U shaped tuning to a balanced-neutral sound profile as I was able to determine its slight elevations and downward slopes on its frequency range to compensate as it delivers a well-balanced tuning.


(This graph was provided by @baskingshark , Credits to him)


LOWS/BASS:

The low frequencies of LETSHUOER DZ4 is slightly elevated just to display a sufficient slam, incisiveness and depth while retaining its clean and sufficiently separated bass response from other frequencies.

The sub-bass presence was observable as I was able to hear clearly and felt those reverberations and rumbling sound coming from low toned bass guitars, drum machines and synthesisers especially on tracks from music genres like synth-pop, classic rock, R&B and old school hip-hop. Mid bass has an ample texture. Mid-bass is equally presented and well-balanced with the sub-bass as it was able to give an ample note weight and definition on mid bass focus instruments like bass drum kicks, bass guitars, violas on its lowest register and bass baritone vocals. Bass guitars sound have a resonant and sustaining tone to produce a sufficient roar on bass lines as I listen to Steve DiGiorgio and Les Claypool, while violas on hitting their bass note have this warm and reedy sound to give that eerily sombre feel. Bass drum kicks have thudding and resonant sound as it hits its deepest tone. On bass-baritone, singers like Barry White and Peter Steele have sufficient depth, dark and woolly in nature on their distinct gravelly vocals.



MIDRANGE:

Well-balanced, neutral, dynamic and has enough warmth as it presents a solid, more density on note weight on all vocal types and tonal characteristics on different instruments, those my initial impression on how I perceived and those characteristics still retains.

Vocals on both genders are well-rendered as they sound very natural and almost tonally accurate but there are some minor gripes on which I will address later. On male vocals, baritones have a good heft and power as they deliver a lush and adequate warmth as I listen to Lenny Kravitz and Eddie Vedder. Tenors have those brassy and bright tones as I clearly hear those vocals from the great Three Tenors; Pavarotti, Carreras and Domingo on opera, then Justin Timberlake and Robert Plant on modern pop and classic rock. On countertenors, they have this captivating and pleasant vocal quality as they sound velvety and poetic on their smouldering tones as I listen to Andreas Scholl on opera and King Diamond on the heavy metal scene.

As for female vocal types, contraltos have its distinct dark and chesty tones that gives a rich vocal qualities on singers like Annie Lennox and Tracy Chapman. Mezzo-soprano vocals are smooth, velvety and full as I find them sweet and harmonious as I listen to Andrea Corr and Sharon Den Adel. On soprano vocals, this is where I was able to differentiate the limitations due to its intended tuning and probably, the limited capacity of its driver performance. The dramatic and soubrette soprano types were able to execute well as they sound natural with their silkiness and silvery vocal characteristics of Mariah Carey and Alison Krauss, but on lyrical and coloratura types like Tarja Turunen and Diana Damrau, this is where I find the limitations on DZ4's drivers as it is less energetic and insufficient air on projecting those high tonal pitches when they belted it out but at least it has a decent gleam which is not bad at all. (Try to listen the Aria: Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen by Mozart)

On instruments, all of them sound organic with the particular tones that we are familiar with. On strings like guitars (acoustic ones) and violins, the former have more midrange-y with a tad zesty on its tone while the latter have a lustrous and a flute-like sound. Brass like trumpets, trombones and horns, trumpets have a full, brilliant and rounded sound while trombones have mostly a taut and "heroic" sound characteristics and then horns have these sonorous and earthy sound in them. Woodwinds particularly on flutes and pipes have these rich and penetrating sound on them while saxophones have a reedy and warm sound on them. I tested on brass and woodwinds (with the exception of saxs) on some tracks like Luftwaffenmusikkorps band's rendition on Der Hohenfriedberger Marsch, Dvorak's A New World by New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Stockholm Conservatory Orchestra's Mozart's Requiem: Dies Irae. On percussives, toms drums have a hard, resonant and menacing sound, while snare drums have a shuffling and a more noticeable rustling sound on them. And last but not the least, Chordophones instruments like celestas and piano, celestas have a sweet, lustrous and mellow sound while piano have a tad warmer with just sufficient shimmer tone on them.



HIGHS/TREBLE:

The overall treble quality of LETSHUOER DZ4 that it is well-balanced, with enough shimmer due to a slight boost on the upper mids just give a considerable amount of detail and clarity on female vocals and percussives while retaining a smoother and evenness response probably due to gradual down slope from the upper mids to brilliance part of treble region. That smoothness will also give a non-sibilant and harsh tuning that treble sensitives can take it.

For a micro dynamic driver, it is commendable that despite of its physical limitation, it was able to deliver a decent amount of air and sparkle though not the most expansive one but at least it has an enough sparkle to give shimmer and crisp sound on cymbals. Hi-hats fares even better on this one on how it reproduce its distinct chick sound.



SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

The DZ4 projects a rather average to above average sound/speaker stage dimensions, an average width on lateral point to point, a decent height reach and a more immersive depth distance from front to rear which give me a more enveloping head room.

With its immersive presentation, it has 3D-like imaging presentation where I was able to locate and perceived a right position of instruments and vocals. It also has good spacing and gaps on separation of specific instruments and tones. But here is a quite a surprise. This is the first time where layering capabilities on either single DD or multiple DDs in an entry-level segment that are properly exhibited as it was able to perceive a decent stacking of tonal layers either frequency or dynamic layering that it handle some of the most complex tracks from multi-instrumental movie scores, orchestras and jazz ensembles at satisfactory level.

Three drivers along it passive radiator driver were able to perform a very cohesive rate as all active drivers carry out a snappy and faster transient responds without any hitches that it might distorts and out of phase issue.

It has a homogenous and emphasis on macro-dynamics while it has decent micro-detail retrieval as it was able to extract a decent amount of nuancies and subtleties of background from audio tracks though not the sharpest but at least it doesnt have blunted definition.

The overall tonality of DZ4 is closer to sound very natural as possible it was able to playback an almost faithful reproduction.



PEER COMPARISONS:

QKZ X HBB KHAN

● Like the DZ4. It has an all-dynamic driver albeit it only has 2 with different type of diaphragm and the dimensions of each driver differs on sizes. Khan have an unoriginal shell design that eerily similar to some CCA models but it has a more solid built quality. As for inclusions and product packaging, compared to DZ4, KHAN is quite inferior and meagre in quantity.

● Tonality-wise, it has more V-shaped which make it more coloured sounding, it has more authoritative bass response, more recessed and yet warmer midrange and an almost dark sounding treble thats devoids shimmer that affects the quality detail and clarity. On technicalities, it has average width sound/speaker stage, a usual two-dimensional stereo presentation, a poorly executed layering capabilities and a middling resolution capabilities.


7HZ LEGATO

● Like the KHAN, it has a dual driver set-up with different sizes as it has large 12mm dynamic driver that was supported by a smaller 6mm. It also noted that it has some capacitor to improve further the sound quality. As to compare between the shell chassis of DZ4 and LEGATO, LEGATO's shell is made of light yet solid aluminium alloy which make it more resilient and durable compare to a shell chassis of DZ4's made of composite materials. It also have a good quality amount of included accesories.

● Again on tonality, LEGATO sound profile has a more warmer, more coloured, V-shaped tuning that reminds you on vintage speakers that sounds very analogueish. On bass response, heres is an analogy, if a DZ4 is the MG42 machine gun, then the LEGATO is the Mörser 18 heavy howitzer. DZ4 has rapid, incisive bass response then LEGATO has very authoritative and bombastic bass, it has a more recess and yet warmer to give a denser note weight on midrange and a smoother and a tad darker treble response. On technicalities, it is very similar to the aforementioned KHAN albeit it has more solid and vivid macro-dynamics.


In a few days on continuous usage of this device, I can't still believe on how LETSHUOER be able to release such product that despite of limitations of micro dynamic drivers, They are able to execute a proper implementation of micro dynamic drivers on this device with its unusual application of passive-radiator to deliver an unexpected remarkable sonic performance.

LETSHUOER DZ4 is somewhat a rarity when it comes to tuning in under US$100/£79 as it is one of the few sets that focuses on a more balanced-neutral sound signature amidst to a massive crowd of other sets that has a commonality type of tuning, either a Harmanish type or a V-shaped sound profiles which make it exudes stagnation on entry-level segment. LETSHUOER DZ4 truly stands out with different perspective and philosophy on how will it make them agreeable.


LETSHUOER DZ4 is now available online, check out the unaffiliated links below:

★★LETSHUOER DZ4 - OFFICIAL STORE★★


And also, If it happens that you are currently situated here in the Philippines, you can check other LETSHUOER products by visiting the Egghead HiFi Gallery store at Shangri-la Plaza in EDSA Manduluyong. Check out their official Facebook page HERE for more information.


Here are my previous reviews on other LETSHUOER products:


◆ LETSHUOER GALILEO (First impressions)

◆ LETSHUOER CADENZA 12

◆ LETSHUOER EJ09 (First impressions)

◆ LETSHUOER CONDUCTOR (First impressions)

◆ LETSHUOER D13

◆ LETSHUOER S12 PRO

◆ LETSHUOER EJ07M





SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: LETSHUOER DZ4
IMPEDANCE: 12Ω
SENSITIVITY: 104dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 40KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.25M
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTORS
PLUG TYPE: 3.5MM
DRIVER UNIT(S): (3) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (1) PASSIVE-RADIATOR DRIVER

Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*



P.S.

I am not affiliated to LETSHUOER nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to IVY GAO for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.