SGOR LUNA 13.5mm Planar IEMs

Recently, many brands have released planar IEM drivers. There are the latest ones like LETSHUOER S08, TinHiFi Dudu, HZSound with the same name Luna, and now SGOR surprisingly enters with a very promising price. How does this IEM compete with the current crowded planar market? Let's find out, starting from:

Packaging & Accessories




The packaging of this IEM is compact. Inside the package:
- The IEMs
- Cable
- Eartips



The cable quality is standard for its price, reminiscent of KZ Silver Cable "if they are paid attention to cable quality". I wish KZ could improve their cable at least like this one on their higher model. Despite the barebone accessories, what matters is the sound, which we'll talk about later after: Design, Build Quality & Fitting




The first time I noticed this IEMs has a large shell, with build quality looking sturdy it uses QDC pin which may not be everyone's favorite—"matter of taste". Also, this shell quite heavy too, The fitting in my ears doesn't have problem, different ears may vary.

Before Talk out further, thank you to Shenzhenaudio for sending me the IEM for review purposes, you can find here: https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/sgor-luna-13-5mm-planar-in-ear-headphone/

Keep in mind, although this IEM was given for free, I will share my impressions based on what I hear, honestly, and this is very subjective, so don't take everything for granted

SPECIFICATIONS
>Plug type: 3.5mm
>Pin type: 0.78mm
>Sensitivity: 96dB/mw
>Frequency: 7-40000Hz
>Impedance:27Ω±5%
>Drive unit: Hybrid Technology
>Weight: 37g±5%
>Cable Length:120cm±5cm

Sound Quality

My impression below is using the iBasso DC07 Pro with Dunu S&S eartips. This planar IEM has moderate drive power, which means some cheap dongle DACs can do the job, but a better setup will scale up the sound.

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Upon my initial observation, this IEM has quite safe sound, it won't hurt your ears. So if you wants to try out planar IEMs, especially budget ones, and scared to try those with piercing sound like KZ PR2 or PR3 series, I think this one will be a great choice.

Bass

After burn-in for about 48 hours or around 2 days, the bass of this IEM gets better. It has fast quality like any other planar, it's very good for metal songs. If you get a good seal and the right eartips, the bass on this IEM is quite enjoyable. It doesn't have the quality bass that you can find on higher model such as P1 Max 2 from Tin, but it's still good bass. For texture and rumble, for me it's better than some planar in the same price range like the KZ one, for $38, I just couldn't recommend it enough.

Mid

The mid on this IEM, honestly, isn't my favorite part. doesn't mean it's bad, but pretty submerged for my taste. The low-mid on this IEM is quite thin, so for male vocals, it's not up to my taste. However, for female vocals, it's helped by it's safe upper-mid. So if you are upper-mid sensitive and pretty scared of sibilance, this one will be a good pick since it doesn't sound too piercing and shouty at all. there are plus and minus, everything can't be perfect considering the price of this IEM are very affordable.

Treble

The treble on this IEM is safe, but that doesn't mean has muddy or dark sound profile. Considering the price, it's quite rare to get good treble quality that doesn't hurt the ears. The guitar strings on this IEM are quite enjoyable to listen to, also, if you are treble sensitive, I think you're going to love it. But for trebleheads, this one might not for you since the treble is relatively safe and lacks airiness.

Technicalities

Let's start with timbre, this IEM has quite a natural timbre. While listening to this IEM, there is no shimmering that you always find in planar IEMs, especially the budget ones, this one is very safe and won't hurt your ears. The soundstage is decent for its price, also imaging and instrument separation is a standout point on this one. For its price range, it's pretty impressive. if you want something good for complex tracks like metal songs with minimum budget, this will be a good choice.

Comparison:

Vs KZ PR3:

Bass, SGOR Luna has greater bass, with the PR3 i find quite unnatural bass response. SGOR Luna provides a more balanced presentation of male and female Vocals, whereas the KZ PR3 it empaze on upper. Treble, The PR3 offers crisper and airier treble compared to the Sgor, which have a smoother but less details high-end.

Vs HZSound Luna:

Sgor is a bit tamer and warmer compared to HZSound, which is more neutral to the bright side. It has similar bass dynamics and depth, but HZSound has better texture and layered delivery. The mid-range is very different; HZSound has more forward mids and more energetic treble. If you are sensitive to upper-mid and treble, I think Sgor will suit you better, but the mids here are quite thin and not forward enough for my taste.

Vs Tinhifi Dudu:

The main competitor for Dudu is HZsound as it goes toe to toe with a similar sound signature, but there's no harm in comparing them. For bass depth, I would give Sgor a plus. In terms of texture and definition, I think it has a similar approach, with Dudu being more puncier. The mid-range and treble are almost the same as Vs Hzsound; pick Sgor if you like a tame and smoother sound. Dudu has a pretty energetic upper-mid and more treble energy.

Pros:
+ Tame Treble, Safe Upper-mid
+ Nice, fast and well controlled bass
+ Sturdy build
+ Affordable planar
+ Good teknicalites performance for its price

Cons:
- Berebones accessories
- Treble, Not the airiest planar iems around
- Huge shell, may discomfort for smaller ears
- Submerged midrange, also quite hard to drive

Conclusion

Sgor Luna has a fairly tame sound for a planar–which is quite rare, considering the price at $38 and $44 for the Type-C DSP variant. However, one thing I emphasize is that this IEM does not have forward vocals for my taste, but has safe upper-mid and treble. If you want to try out planar and are sensitive to upper or treble, this IEM will become your favorite.

Introduction​

SGOR is mainly known for their Venus and Adonis, which received fairly good reviews for the community, even though the brand itself is not among the most popular in the Chi-Fi landscape.
Their latest product is the Luna, and it’s among the cheapest (if not the cheapest) planar IEMs that one can buy.
It’s been a couple weeks since I received the Luna, and after intense usage I couldn’t wait to share my opinion on them.

Disclaimer: the SGOR Luna were sent to me by Shenzen Audio so that I could write an honest review. This review represents my personal opinion on the set, it isn't promotional or paid content and I don’t get any revenue from the sales of this product.
At the time of the review, the SGOR Luna were on sale for about €35 at Shenzen Audio.

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Technical Specifications​

• Driver Configuration → 1 13.5mm Planar Driver
• Impedance → 27Ω ± 5%
• Spec-sheet Frequency Response → 7Hz-40kHz
• Sensitivity → 96 dB/mW
• Cable → 1.2m Detachable Silver-plated OFC Cable with 0.78mm QDC connectors
• Plug Type → 3.5mm

Packaging​

The packaging of the SGOR Luna is pretty simple and elegant.
It contains:

• The SGOR Luna
• The detachable 3.5mm cable with 2-PIN 0.78mm QDC connectors
• One set of silicone tips (S, M, L sizes)
• User manual

Design, Build Quality, Comfort and Isolation​

The SGOR Luna are enclosed in well built plastic shells, and the black faceplate version looks really great. For sure, the design is very subjective, but if I have to give my own opinion on this, I find them super attractive and it’s a kind of style that I really like.
The shells are very big and bulky since they also have to store a 13.5mm driver and the nozzle is large too, but they fit pretty well in my ears; those who have very small ears should definitely avoid these, but every other listener will notice the very solid and stable fit.
The isolation is pretty good with the right tips, and in this regard I really suggest getting a pair of aftermarket tips: the stock ones are ok but the choice is very limited and I found out that the Luna work better with stickier tips. For example, my old tips from the TRN V80 (the TRN tips with the red inner tube) do wonders with these and behave much better than the stock ones.

Cable​

The cable is like an improved KZ/CCA cable, but it would be unfair to complain about this considering the driver configuration and overall perceived quality.
Are there IEMs that come with better stock cable in this price range? Absolutely, but they are products with more standard drive configurations in most cases, as it’s very unlikely to find planar IEMs in the €35 to €40 price bracket.

Sound​

GEAR USED FOR THE TEST

• DAC: Topping E30
• AMP: Topping L30, Fiio A3
• Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Xiaomi Mi A3, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
• Moondrop May’s DSP cable with PEQ=0
• Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle, Fosi DS2, Hidizs XO
• Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
• Bluetooth Adapters: KBEAR S1, KZ AZ10
• Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE, Elgato Wave XLR

Do they need an amplifier?
I highly suggest a type-c dongle at least, as they need some power to be driven properly and to be used at decent volume levels.

Sound signature
U-shaped signature.

Lows
The low-end is pretty good for a planar set, with enough sub-bass rumble, decent midbass punch and overall something that doesn’t sound too shy. For sure, those who love bass should look for something else because these focus on quality and fast bass rather than on quantity and rumble.
In fact, during D’nB music reproduction or fast kickdrums lines, the SGOR Luna don’t lose control and are able to represent each bass properly without sounding congested, so those who listen to busy tracks with lots of kickdrums won’t be disappointed by the technical capabilities of the Luna.
I would have liked a bit more incisiveness in some tracks, but this kind of bass response isn’t atypical for a planar set, especially if you think about Luna’s price.

Mids
The lower midrange is slightly warmer than average but this isn’t as obvious as on typical DD sets. In fact, you can hear some warmth here and there but it’s not going to introduce congestion nor does muffle acoustic instruments. Everything is at its own place, just like it should be.
The upper midrange almost never becomes too hot, it’s for sure forward but in a good way: female vocals sound energetic and vivid, just in front of the listener.
Instances of sibilance are a rare thing, but if you feed the Luna with songs that are prone to get sibilant, then it’s something that could happen.

Highs
If you are treble-sensitive, the Luna are not for you, but if you can stand a bit of treble emphasis then you’ll eventually get rewarded by a very good amount of detail.
If someone told me I should be nitpicking, the I’d say that some cymbals have longer than average decay, resulting in an unnatural reverb in some tracks, but it’s a minor complaint that I had to find in order to say something bad about these.

The soundstage is above average in terms of width and depth, whereas the height of the portrayed stage is average. The imaging is not perfect but most sounds are portrayed right where they should be, which is good news. The instrument separation is also very good for the price.

Some comparisons:​

SGOR Luna vs KZ PR2
PR2: slightly more detailed treble (very small difference) at the expense of more thinness and much more fatiguing sound. The Luna are more mature, more balanced across the spectrum, they have a speedier low-end, better midrange and vocal reproduction, better instrument separation and soundstage, better treble tuning and better isolation.
Design is good on both sets but the Luna are more distinctive, and they also come with a better stock cable.

SGOR Luna vs Celest Pandamon 2
The Pandamon 2 use a SPD driver (square planar driver) so it’s not a traditional planar, but they are in a similar price bracket so someone might find this interesting.
In a nutshell, the Luna are so much better in terms of technical performance that it makes no sense to compare them under this point of view. If we speak about the overall tuning and timbre, instead, the Pandamon 2 are much more relaxed and neutral overall, smaller, more comfortable to wear for most people probably and also a lot easier to drive.
In terms of vocals, both present vocals well, but the Luna are more vivid and engaging while the Pandamon 2 tend to produce more relaxed vocals across the board.
Design is good on both sets but I find Luna more eye-catching. Isolation goes to Luna.
Pandamon 2 stock cable is a bit better.

SGOR Luna vs NiceHCK F1 Pro
The fact that I am comparing these two is already a sign of the high value for money that SGOR has managed to strike with the Luna.
The signature is not that different overall but the F1 Pro are way more aggressive in terms of treble (especially in the mid-treble section) and hotter in the upper-mids, even though they also sound a tad fuller in the low-end, thanks to the better sub-bass extension, and they are easier to drive than Luna.
The Luna are a lot more controlled and I am also surprised because they are a lot more mature than the F1 Pro, with more controlled upper-mids, a smoother transition between the upper-midrange and the treble, and a very good treble extension that doesn’t annoy like on the F1 Pro because of the mid-treble peak.
The resolution is slightly better on the F1 Pro but this comes at the expense of some enjoyment due to the more aggressive signature as well. The bass is also more textured and punchier on the F1 Pro, but the Luna still managed to handle fast basslines effortlessly, yet sacrificing the overall texturing ability sometimes.
In terms of soundstage the Luna play in a more expansive stage, with slightly more accurate depth and height rendition when pinpointing instruments, whereas width is well managed on both sets.
In terms of comfort, the Luna is bulkier and could be less pleasant for longer sessions with respect to the smaller shells of the F1 Pro. The isolation is very similar, but I find the Luna to be a tad better thanks to the safer grip.
The stock cable, the tip selection and the build quality are better on the F1 Pro.

Final Thoughts​

The SGOR Luna are a true bolt from the blue in a very “boring” market that is suffering from very similarly tuned products in the budget range.
For around 35$ I can think of good earphones, but I really can’t think of anything similar in terms of balance between a well done tuning and above average technical performance.

The Luna are already a favorite of mine, and the fact that I have compared them to the NiceHCK F1 Pro (which most people say it’s very similar to the S12 Pro from Letshuoer) and that I prefer the first one over the second should already be a sign of the nice work done by SGOR.
Can’t wait to try their next releases and hopefully they’ll be as surprising as this one.