Reecho SG-03

This review is also available in Spanish on my blog here and on YouTube here.



The Reecho SG03 have been loaned to me by @cqtek from hiendportable.com, allowing me to try them out and post this review. If you would like to see his review of them, please check it out here: https://hiendportable.com/reecho-sg-03-english-review/

Intro…

A while back, a subscriber of Acho Reviews on YouTube asked me about the SG03 and if I could review them. I remembered seeing a review of them on hiendportable so I reached out to CqTek asking to borrow them and give them a listen.

His first reply was “Sure, I’ll send them you but I’m not sure they will be your flavour”. I guess he knows my tastes fairly well because he was totally correct, they are not a set of IEMs that I am overly delighted by.

However, that does not make them any less eligible for review, nor does it mean that, as they are not my cup of tea, that they won’t be perfect for others, so I’ll try and give my impressions on how I hear the Reecho SG03 without being pessimistic



Presentation…

As these were sent to me by CqTek, who probably has even more IEMs than me, it is understandable that he doesn’t keep the packing and accessories around for most of them. In this case, the Reecho were shipped to me in a transport case along with an aftermarket cable, therefore I cannot comment on presentation of the product.



Build and aesthetics…

The IEM shells are metal and on the large side, with a fair bit of weight that comes along with that combination. They are not the heaviest IEMs that I have had in my ears but they aren’t really a lightweight either.

The faceplate use a design that combines shapes and gives them a look that is different from the majority of IEMs on the market. Although the faceplate does use strange shapes and angles, the interior or the shell is smooth and well contoured. resulting in a farily comfortable set of IEMs to wear.

The also seem like a sturdy build, due to the full metal shells, but the edges of the faceplate are starting to show a little sign of wear in the paint. Of course, this is something that is not really fair in comparison to other IEMs I review as these have been used (not sure for how long) whereas the IEMs I usually review are new, with approximately a week of use, but I thought I would mention it anyway.

As I mentioned, the cable I received is not the stock cable, therefore it isn’t relevant to this review, however, I will say that it is the thickest IEM cable I have ever used. I think this cable is a perfect EDC carry for a prepper, as it can be used as a rope if necessary




Sound…

I already said in the intro that these IEMs are not for me, I am not going to go further into that as I think I have made my preferences clear in previous reviews, so I will just focus on the Reecho SG03 as I hear them.

In the subbass category, there is plenty. In fact, there is more than plenty. Using “Chameleon” which has become my default test track for subbass, the SG03 provide a wall of it. At a low listening level, the subbass is very present, give it some power and it just becomes a huge low end monster.

“Chameleon” is an exaggerated track, one that pushes the low end to an extreme, but even with tracks that are not quite as subbass focused, such as “No Sanctuary Here” by Marian Herzog feat Chris Jones, the low end is nothing short of brutal. The thing is, the SG03 actually manage to pull off this amount low end without it getting too out of control. I mean, there are times when “Chameleon” does sound dirty in the low end, or even “No Sanctuary Here” can feel a bit out of control when pushed, but the exaggerated bass doesn’t really have a negative affect on the remaining frequencies, or at least not to the extent that I would have expected.

Although this is a very V shaped tuning and there is certainly some bleed into the lower mids, this bleed is actually a lot less prominent than I would have thought by listening to the bass these IEMs put out. That is not to say that the transition from the bass to the mids is clean and articulate, but it is cleaner and more articulated than one would expect.

The mids are recessed in comparison to the lower registries. Depending on the choice of music, voices can go from being present enough to actually struggling, depending on the amount of bass and information happening in those lower registers. As an example, “Breezeblocks” by alt-J is acceptable while it is in a tranquil part of the track, but once the bass kicks in, the vocals disappear behind a mass of rumble.

As we move up towards the higher registers, there is presence in the 2kHz to 4kHz which manages to not be harsh but is also not quite enough to bring the presence of vocals back through the rumble. To be fair, they haven’t done a terrible job as I can understand that it is very difficult to make voices cut through the elevated bass rumble without them being overly harsh in quieter and more tamed passages.

That doesn’t mean that they sound great with vocals in simpler and quieter tracks, they still have a harshness to them that I am not fond of, but it is certainly not as bad as it would have been if they had continued to try and cut through.

In the higher regions, there isn’t a great sensation of air or extension. This is partly due to a roll off in the higher frequencies but also due to the tuning itself. I feel that the higher regions are similar to the higher mids in regards to having to counteract the bass without becoming unbearable in parts of tracks where there isn’t a huge amount of bass.

The soundstage is also not very large, although it doesn’t come across as claustrophobic, it just seems to hit a “do not pass” line off to the sides. For example, when listening to “Letter”, the pencil moves across the center but once off to the side, it seems to sit there for quite a long time. Saying this, the SG03 does manage to separate things fairly well inside the soundstage it has to work with. You can still pick out details in the higher mids and lower treble, even in the center of the mids to some extent, just don’t try to focus on bass details when there is a lot going on.




Conclusion…

I have said it already but I’ll repeat it, the SG03 are not for me. They don’t suit my tastes and don’t really make anything that I listen to sound better than I would expect. There have been a few moments of “wow” when listening to certain genres or tracks, like the first time I played “Chameleon” through them, but those weren’t really “wow, I’m impressed” moments, it was more “wow, that's not what I expected” moments.

That doesn’t mean that they are bad IEMs, I am sure that there will be plenty of people who love these IEMs. Maybe for those who like to listen to deep throbbing Dubstep (which I do on occasions also) will find these perfect for their taste, they just don’t suit mine.

I don’t think I have mentioned the price yet, these sell for around 75€, which is not terribly expensive but is not ultra budget either. I suppose I would need to take into consideration whatever is included as far as accessories etc. before saying these are expensive, but based solely on how they sound, I feel they could be cheaper.

In fact, if these were a set of IEMs that fell into the ultra-budget category, like some of the offerings around 30€, then I would probably be interested in a set just to have in my collection of IEMs, as the bass really is… well… bassy. But as I wouldn’t use them regularly to listen to music, I wouldn’t pay the current price.

Again, this is all personal preference, as with all my reviews, they are personal opinions and are only relevant to my own taste in music and how it is reproduced. If you feel that these may suit your tastes, then give them a whirl!

Sg03 Reecho



Easily driven but scales with power ( sounds good on a phone but even better with an amp )


Warm low end, tight punchy fast bass


GREAT IMPACT ( caps on purpose )


Excellent sub bass, musical


Sound signature is a W profile with boosted sub bass


Energetic sound, natural tone and good dynamics


Clean clear mids


Good vocals


Sparkle and air in treble


Not harsh or sibilant


Good seperation and details


Good micro nuances


Average width in soundstage but tall and deep


Good imaging


Good fit and isolation


Comfy


Awesome build and shell


Looks really cool


Improves with stock cable, I prefer pure silver


Stock cable is meh, slightly better than kz etc


Not a huge selection of tips or accessories


Totally worth 69$ holds its own with any sub 100$ iem ( I prefer way over the new FiiO FD3 )

Reecho SG-03

Once in a while there are surprises in this hobby. You can probably remember the first time you heard your first hybrid or an all BA earphone with way more detail than you were used to. You can probably remember the first time you heard a higher end can or speakers at a show. For me it was during high school and my buddy who was one of them rich guys. You know the type. Young man who works full time and his family owns a lot. Guy ended up with a red BMW M3 and if that wasn’t enough he ended up completely revamping his stereo. I mean your ride is not the ride when you have the stock stereo in the ride if you know what I mean. Guy had to go full Alpine system complete with video player and such with no less than 4 12 inch subs 2 in the trunk and 2 in the rear seats with too many speakers integrated to the body panels inside the cabin to count. Guy was proud of his stereo almost more than the car.

Bass was unreal in the ride; it was one of those you hear it before you see it rides. As soon as you heard the thumping you knew who was arriving.

How does any of this have to do with the new Reecho SG-03? It is a party in your ears and yes these earphones remind me of a sound that was emanating from my friends car. Sure we are talking about completely different mediums to which we are getting this sound, after all the SG-03 could be considered a budget level earphone something the ride was far from. However the sound is how you say. Not what you would expect.

Before I start I would like to thank Penon audio for the review sample. If you feel the need to get a party going on with your earphones you can purchase the SG-03 here. These here are my thoughts about Reecho's newest earphones, the SG-03.

First impressions
Taking the earphones out of the box, the semi custom formed aeronautical grade aluminum alloy metal shells has some substance. All metal shells are a bit unique in this price range. Most earphones at this price use a lot of plastic. I noticed the nozzles of the shells have a slight uplift in trajectory which makes them fit nicely snug in my ears. I would imagine if I ever tred the custom waters they would fit me a bit like how the SG-03 fit my ears. Not only a snug fit but the comfort is outstanding for a universal design. Isolation was actually pretty good here as well simply due to the thicker metal shell these earphones are using. It is inside the shells that make the SG-03 what is it. A highly rigid titanium plated 10mm diaphragm using a strong N50 magnet.

Titanium plated dynamics are nothing new or exotic but I have always had an affinity for titanium plated dynamics. If folks remember Dunu Titan 1 that was also using similar dynamics. And much like the Titan 1 the strengths lies in the excellent dynamic overtones with a strong bass foundation. Never heard a titanium plated diaphragm with neutral bass. Again going off of the bass foundation of the SG-03 if you're looking for something neutral in tuning. The SG-03 is not it. But if you want something you can be proud to say has some outstanding bass presence and you take more of a liking toward the low end of the sound spectrum. Read on my fellow bass fans.

The accessories package comes with your standard set of silicone tips a zip up case and a thin 4N Oxygen free copper cable in single ended termination. The cable does the job but is average among throw in cables here so nothing worth noting on them. Upgraded cables is highly recommended for better performance on the SG-03. Preferably something with a bit of silver in it to help balance the abilities more toward the treble and detailed aspect of the sound tuning.

Sound analysis was done using my DAPs. Fiio M15,Shanling M6 pro, M5s, M3s, Ibasso DX160, Cayin N5ii, Fiio X3ii on a E12A amp, IFI Black label, and Ibasso PB3 amp.

Overall the sound balancing has an upper mid enhancement with a stronger sub bass lift and enough treble to balance out the tonality of the SG-03. It does have sloping W shaped frequency with the strongest point of the sound design being the sub bass which rises up toward the sub 20hz frequency. Rises up here meaning it probably can go as low as 10hz without a drop off. This strong sub bass presence does influence the tonality to shift toward a natural warmth. Not enough to sound veiled or burly, there is enough clarity on the upper mid pinna gain to counter that warm bass end quite well. While having enough treble presence and extension to complete the sound balancing. It is most definitely a colored sound but hey I clearly told you that these are not neutral so be aware you're gonna get some stupendous sub bass performance. In fact, I have only heard a few earphones in the price range that reach the depths of bassdom quite like what is on the SG-03. The DM-480 by Dunu and the Reecho SG-03 but the real surprise here happens to be the rest of the sonic signature of the SG-03.

These are clearly made for folks that want that bass in their tuning. Be it some hard hitting rock, metal to EDM, Pop, RnB and hiphop. These earphones are right up your alley. This being said I do appreciate some semblance of mids and a detailed treble end to counter that beefy subbass and that is what you're getting with the SG-03. Truth be told there are not too many sub $100 earphones that are what I consider good bassy earphones. Either they are all about the bass and nothing else or tonality is muddy AKA 1 More quads. I forgot the quads sell for over $100 but in all seriousness. Not too many good to great sounding bass earphones. SG-03 is the exception.


Titanium coating makes all the difference, speed punch dynamism with natural tone is all there. Lower treble has the most treble energy and is fairly even to the mid treble which sees the main focus of the high notes with an anti sibilance dip at around 6-7Khz. This ensures your vocals are smoother and musical vs sharp and sibilant. Upper treble gradually a slope in presence to 16khz with a drop off from there. You can say there is a bit of a roll off in the treble ranges but sounds surprisingly complete at the same time. Overall treble lacks a touch of air but has good presence to balance out the sound and is surprisingly well detailed with no obvious peaks that will fatigue or sound out of line.

Clarity for the mids come from the upper mids region which makes up a big portion of the mid band presence and while the lower mids sees a regression in comparison, it is not as lopsided as you would imagine especially when heard. Infact genres that require vocals to be front and center due to that ample pinna gain your gonna hear vocals front and center. Lower mids sees a dip before the bass does a steady rise toward the abyss which gives a cleaner separation for that brawny bass end but for most genres the sound is surprisingly balanced and spacious. Mids has good clarity in performance and is detailed enough for acoustic tracks. While not forward in the overall mix is not missing much in the process. Male vocals could have used a bit more lower mids presence but the SG-03 tuning is all about compromises for that bass to have a cleaner presence.

Bass is the star of the show here and when adding an ample treble and mid range with a good technical foundation to complement that burly low end. It is not too common to have your cake and be able to eat it too. Your tracks require an ample low end being the foundation for your music. Be prepared to be impressed. Bass end of the SG-03 takes your bass notes to a different level for earphones at this price range. In fact I am going to doubt your gonna find anything better bass wise for the price.

Good bass earphones require stage, you can't have bassy and narrow stage at the same time or that would be tragic. I have heard numerous cheaper sets that try to do bass to appease the young and your non knowing enthusiast which ends up sounding muddy and too warm. This is due to bass overlap and non control. Never have I heard a proper bassy earphone with a small stage. The SG-03 follows suit. Not only does the SG-03 have some proper stage but sounds surprisingly spacious at the same time. A distinct sideways oval shaped sound stage wider than tall or deep. Bass focus is more sub bass than mid bass though there is plenty of mid bass the sub bass is even stronger and if you're a true quality bass fan isn't that what we want? It is the very definition of audiophile bass in a sub $100 price point. Intrigued? You should be as bassy phones this good at this price simply does not exist. I am gonna go out on a limb here, well my fellow reviewer @cqteck here seems to agree. These might set the bar for such earphones in the sub $100 earphone range for bass. But the real surprise is that they have proficient mids and treble too which ultimately makes them sound much more versatile than any bass phone has a right to be.

In the end the Reecho SG-03 is clearly a statement piece. As far as I know these guys have only 4 models under the Reecho name including the SG-03. Offering such a compelling product for way under $100 spot the SG-03 is not an obvious downgrade from their previous higher end Insects Awaken which cost 3X more. In fact I would say I can see how some might actually prefer the SG-03 over the Insects Awaken at not even a 1/3rd the price, especially if you're a dynamic bass fan. The SG-03 gets my pick for value phone of the year thus far as it is punching way above what they are asking for a set. And if you're in the market for a compelling dynamic bassy phone with some balance, technically proficient, spacious, with surprisingly good imaging in an all metal solid build. No question an SG-03 will compliment anyone's collection.

This isn’t your garden variety single dynamic earphone my friends. Don’t mistake the price point with the SQ you're gonna get from owning a SG-03. These are amazing performers. If you're gonna get an earphone bass massage make it one that has a good quality tuning to go with that bass. This is what you get with the Reecho SG-03. Happy listening folks and you will be glad you picked one up.