Colarad C01. The High Clarity Red Earphones on Ultra Low Price
Technical specifications
Price: U$D 10~15 - LINK -
Available from Penonaudio and Aliexpress store.
Packaging
The Colarad C01, arrives in a really elegant and compact box, with the earphones very nicely arranged and an extra paper flower. Below the foam pad there’re the various foams in two styles and in different colors. It also includes a red cable wrap which is quite convenient for carrying the earphone around. At its price point the Colarad has one of the most beautiful packaging and would make a nice gift for anyone.
Design
The housings are of the most generic ones found on a lot of earbuds from many manufacturers, made of a solid plastic material that seems durable, at least for the price. In fact, the exact same design is also adopted in various earbuds that retail for $100 and more.
In terms of comfort, they are quite normal, nothing too ergonomic but should fit well for most ears from medium to large sizes, though for smaller ears getting a good fit might be a bit challenging.
The cable is strong, thick and tangle resistant. However, it can be a bit too springy, so using a clip would be recommended. It is terminated in a regular 3.5mm L-shaped plug and properly relieved.
Sound
The earbuds got a normal burn-in time of at least 50hrs at moderate volumes before giving final impressions on their sound characteristics.
On to the sound performance the C01 have been tuned with a flat reference signature in mind, without an emphasis on a certain part of the music and not being tuned for a specific genre.
The bass is tight, very quick and has a good amount of punch for being just an earbud. The texture is nice, not too thick and never overwhelming and responds very well to bass boost or small equalization from a decent amplifier (e.g. Topping NX5, Cayin C5).
The mids are presented in a pretty much neutral and colorless way that may appeal to many people but may also be found boring or emotionless for others. Especially when compared to the VE Monk+ or Fiio EM3 which have a thicker midrange and more musicality in them, even though they give up in terms of clarity next to the Colarad. Instruments are well balanced and separated, though these earbuds are less suited for voices as they lack in texture and sweetness.
Treble is the most forward part of the whole sound. It is not too aggressive but definitely far from being laid-back, and surely has more than enough quantity that can be a bit tiring after some listening. The clarity is superb and can catch even the minimal micro details without much effort.
Extension on both ends is surprisingly good for such a low priced earphone, while soundstage dimensions are mostly source dependent. The presentation can be quite open and airy, highly detailed and also a little revealing, well deserving the ‘reference’ tuning description.
Summary
Pros:
Cons:
Value: 4.9/5. Highly recommended!
Technical specifications
- Sensitivity: 115db
- Frequency response: 16-23000Hz
- Plug: 3.5mm, L-shaped
- Cable: 1.2M
Price: U$D 10~15 - LINK -
Available from Penonaudio and Aliexpress store.
Packaging
The Colarad C01, arrives in a really elegant and compact box, with the earphones very nicely arranged and an extra paper flower. Below the foam pad there’re the various foams in two styles and in different colors. It also includes a red cable wrap which is quite convenient for carrying the earphone around. At its price point the Colarad has one of the most beautiful packaging and would make a nice gift for anyone.
Design
The housings are of the most generic ones found on a lot of earbuds from many manufacturers, made of a solid plastic material that seems durable, at least for the price. In fact, the exact same design is also adopted in various earbuds that retail for $100 and more.
In terms of comfort, they are quite normal, nothing too ergonomic but should fit well for most ears from medium to large sizes, though for smaller ears getting a good fit might be a bit challenging.
The cable is strong, thick and tangle resistant. However, it can be a bit too springy, so using a clip would be recommended. It is terminated in a regular 3.5mm L-shaped plug and properly relieved.
Sound
The earbuds got a normal burn-in time of at least 50hrs at moderate volumes before giving final impressions on their sound characteristics.
On to the sound performance the C01 have been tuned with a flat reference signature in mind, without an emphasis on a certain part of the music and not being tuned for a specific genre.
The bass is tight, very quick and has a good amount of punch for being just an earbud. The texture is nice, not too thick and never overwhelming and responds very well to bass boost or small equalization from a decent amplifier (e.g. Topping NX5, Cayin C5).
The mids are presented in a pretty much neutral and colorless way that may appeal to many people but may also be found boring or emotionless for others. Especially when compared to the VE Monk+ or Fiio EM3 which have a thicker midrange and more musicality in them, even though they give up in terms of clarity next to the Colarad. Instruments are well balanced and separated, though these earbuds are less suited for voices as they lack in texture and sweetness.
Treble is the most forward part of the whole sound. It is not too aggressive but definitely far from being laid-back, and surely has more than enough quantity that can be a bit tiring after some listening. The clarity is superb and can catch even the minimal micro details without much effort.
Extension on both ends is surprisingly good for such a low priced earphone, while soundstage dimensions are mostly source dependent. The presentation can be quite open and airy, highly detailed and also a little revealing, well deserving the ‘reference’ tuning description.
Summary
Pros:
- Great sound quality for the price, with high clarity and excellent details
- Solid build quality
- Very nice packaging; great as gift
- Price
Cons:
- Cable can be a bit springy
- Generic design might not fit everyone
- Too much RED?
Value: 4.9/5. Highly recommended!
