Shozy & Neo BG

Shozy BG 5BA Earphones Review
- Expatinjapan



http://www.shozy-hk.com/bg-5ba-iem




Unboxing
















Exquisite cable, no need to upgrade. imho.


A wide selection of tips to choose from.


Specifications







Specifications

Impedance 22ohm
Sensitivity 110dB SPL/mW
Frequency response 20Hz-20000Hz
Driver config 5ba Electrical + Passive crossovers
Passive noise isolation 25db

Technical highlights:

"5BA drivers with metallic filter nozzles, 22955 Bass driver from Knowles paired with custom made tweeter for a grand, dynamic presentation with sweet vocals and smooth extensions on both ends!"




Build
Hand crafted resin shells with flecks of gold. Oh so pretty. A alchemical balance of the masculine and feminine, sun and moon.

The nozzles are very thin so when choosing aftermarket tips be aware.
The nozzles are short but the cone like shape of the shell approaching the nozzle allows for a satisfactory insertion.

The size of the shells is on the small size and should comfortably fit most ears. They are styled for comfort and sit easily within my outer ear.







Price

Priced at US$279 on Amazon and elsewhere.




Sound

The Shozy BG is fairly inoffensive as I listen to it with the iBasso DX200 and Amp1, using FLAC files.

Shozy writes: "5BA drivers with metallic filter nozzles, 22955 Bass driver from Knowles paired with custom made tweeter for a grand, dynamic presentation with sweet vocals and smooth extensions on both ends!"
Its a fairly good summary in itself.

The Shozy BG is an earphone that seems large, dynamic and expansive in itself, and within that it loses a bit of intimacy.

The Sub bass is fairly tame and the bass does not really kick in until the upper bass with dovetails nicely with the lower mids, from there the vocals and upper treble show through.
Resolution is satisfying and the Shozy BG does have accuracy but lacks a certain realism, perhaps due to focus on upper treble and vocals.
I would like a little bit more lower bass and upper mids, perhaps to add a bit of warm to it all.

Separation is top notch, and sound stage is akin to a medium sized hall with vocals being forward upper skull, good width for guitars and brass and a decent depth where the bass lives. I would like a bit more layering myself, yet the positioning seems to take the forward seat in this matter.
It is fairly natural with a slight metallic glint at times, plenty of emotion.

It is not a bass head IEM and might be more suited to casual listening and classical music, it lacks a certain heft to the sound. But I guess thats a personal preference.

Rolled off at both ends of the sonic spectrum, with occasional extended highs and the afore mentioned sweet vocals makes the Shozy BG a mountain of an IEM in this crowed sea of IEM V shaped valleys.

It is not an all rounder, but one that has a certain signature that many will find pleasing.



Overall

The Shozy BG is a sweet looking IEM with its black depths in its handmade resin shells with pretty flecks of gold. A nice balance between sparkly sparkles and noir kool looks.

Fit is excellent, the shell size is fairly small so would probably be accommodating for most ears.
The nozzle is short, and not wide in the girth, but the design of the approaching shell shaft allows a pleasing deeper than expected satisfying insertion.

There is also a decent array of tips to choose from. Although the photos showcase the white silicone double flanges I opted mainly for the black tips as I got a better fit with them. the sound was reasonably similar between the black and white tips. The foam is also similar in sound.

I did not experiment with after market tips due to the width of the nozzle being so small I would have to look hard through my earphones to find a similar size (lazy).

Build is quite gorgeous as already stated, the shells themselves seem solid, but with any earphone especially BA encasing ones I would be gentle with them.

The cable visual design is a step up from previous Shozy offerings (Zero, Hibiki). I do not feel any need to cable roll, the sound is not effected in any adverse way by the cable.

I was first enamored by the the Shozy Zero as one of the first budget offerings at the time to really excel at its meagre price point. I actually at the time bought six sets to give away to friends who were budding audiophiles.
I enjoyed the Hibiki, the fit and build was comfortable but had too much of sense of mass manufacturing about it, sound was representative of the Shozy house sound, dynamic, deep, forward vocals, crisp treble and permeating mids and the cable though internally was great, visually it did not move me.

The Shozy BG handles well at above my usual listening levels, no sense of a loss of coherency.

It is quite a pleasing sounding earphone, certainly a non offensive one. It does not tick all the boxes for me for my present personal preferences but I can not fault it for fit, build or sonics.

Rolled off at both ends of the sonic spectrum, with occasional extended highs and the afore mentioned sweet vocals makes the Shozy Bg a mountain of an IEM in this crowed sea of IEM V shaped valleys.

The Shozy BG seems to be a bridge that the company has passed over to a new world, not to mention the other offerings that have been hinted at and announcements of future releases.



Thank you to Shozy for sending the Shozy BG to Head pie for review.

Disclaimer: Shozy has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views discussed below are a reflection of Project A3's thoughts surrounding the product. The sample has been run-in for at least 50 hours prior to review in order to achieve an accurate representation of the product.




CLICK HERE TO JOIN US now in Project A3's Official Telegram group for exclusive news and more.





Introduction:
Today we have the Shozy & Neo BG5, a midrange entry that uses a 5 Balanced Armature per side configuration that Shozy promises to deliver detail retrieval, natural sound presentation, and high-frequency extension in a high-quality shell. We will see if they managed to deliver this promise. The BG5 retails for $279.

Specification:

• 5 BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVERS (1 KNOWLES 22955 FOR BASS, 1 ULTRA HIGH-FREQUENCY SUPER TWEETER) WITH A PASSIVE CROSSOVER
• 22 OHM IMPEDANCE
• 110DB SPL/MW
• 20HZ-20,000KHZ

Gear Used & Tracklist:
ifi xDSD | Hiby R6 | xDuoo Link | xDuoo XD-05 | Hidizs AP80 | FiiO Q1 Mk II |



Unboxing:
The BG5 comes in what is already standard for Shozy at this point, a compact box, some accessories, and a zipper case, that while feeling fine for the Form at the more budget price class, leaves me feeling wanting. Inching towards the $300 price bracket, I was hoping for a more premium package. But the range of tips are plenty, if generic, and the cable feels very good, definitely much better than some others so that makes up for it a little bit.

Scalability:
Being a fully Balanced Armature configuration, the BG5 unsurprisingly takes very little to power to get it loud enough for listening. However, this also means poorly built sources will lead to immediate audible hissing. So while power is of very little concern, a high-quality source would still be something you'd want and at the price it sells for is a reasonable expectation of Shozy to have towards the consumers.



Fit:
One of the highlights of the BG5 is the exceptional fit. The shell is compact, well molded, and the finishing is very smooth leading to a very comfortable wearing experience. Lack of noticeable heft also means that even over longer periods of time it does not begin to feel uncomfortable. While the nozzle is short insertion depth is moderate and isolation is very good and as far as aesthetics is concerned the glossy black finish with gold flake accents toe the line of eye-catching without being too loud pretty well.








The synth bass notes, as well as the rolling bassline on the song, just feel hollow on the BG5. Then again it's not unexpected given the configuration. It's articulate and performs admirably in recreating the different notes, but the sense of impact is definitely not there.





In a slow-building composition, the strengths of the BG5 are especially highlighted with the delicate vocals, string, and percussion work being held in the spotlight, and yet the BG5 never gets overwhelmed once the chorus hits full swing and the cacophony of instruments and still delivering a full and natural and enjoyable listen.





The BG5 delivers in the treble region as well. The introductory resonance of symbals are clear, while the synthesizer sounds are well defined, and there is a good sense of air and space, without being overwhelming in harsh tones.





The BG5 presents the stage in a large, particularly wide room setting. Everything is centrally placed and while sometimes tightly recorded songs start to feel weird. Overall the soundstage of the Shozy is very good.





Instrumental tracks do a great job in highlighting the strength of the BG5 because the truly great tracks tend to be greater than the sum of their parts and without the vocals to serve as the usual focal points, the ability of the BG5 to discern and reproduce is on full display.





This slower song covers for the BG5s lack of engagement and instead highlights its strengths. Deliberate musical beats mean that each and every nuance that the revealing tuning delivers really hits the listener and there isn't an aspect of dullness when you have something more upbeat and dynamic seemingly falling flat.





Due to the strong technical ability of the BG5, vocals are something it is proficient at and Orange Mint is no exception. Saori Hayami's vocals that are backed by the sweet synth tones really articulate well the nuances of the character voice she employs.





The aforementioned technical performance, in general, bodes well for the BG5 in terms of handling instrument sections, instruments come through and they come through clear enough without much in terms of getting lost. Again though the lack of body in the overall sound means that some songs that are aided by a "thick" wall of sound of sorts just don't synergize well with this IEM.




In summary, the BG5 has a clean sound that in general fulfills the promise the Shozy gave for it. The technical performance is hard to fault, and it really fits the niche it has. Thing is that exactly what it is a niche, there is a little something that feels missing from the BG5 to fully have an "experience" listening to music, however analytical listeners can rejoice as it's a good option in the price range.


Comparison Chart
How we compare: We chose other similarly priced earphones or similar offerings from the same brand that Project A3 has reviewed in the past, to ensure that we remain as impartial as possible in our comparisons.




Conclusion:
The BG5 is an interesting model. It's has a very specific direction, a concrete goal. To deliver lots of resolving capability. The BG5 excels at this aspect, in fact at this price there really isn't much that's out there like it. It fits a particular set of customers in mind, and it's for those really looking for what it offers. I'm hard-pressed to recommend it as a general-purpose IEM unless you're really into laid back and relaxed tunings. But if you're looking for something along this price that gives you details and heaps of it? Then look no further, the BG5 delivers that performance, a comfortable shell, a gorgeous cable that frankly is a pretty good deal.

Be sure to follow Project A3 on Facebook for more reviews*.




*All ratings are accurate as of date of publication. Changes in price, newer models may affect Project A3's views on the performance and value of the reviewed product.

Before starting this review, I would like to share technical aspects and package details.

Also, I would like to thanks to Penon Audio for this great opportunity. Here is the link of the Shozy Neo BG: https://penonaudio.com/shozy-neo-bg.html



Specifications:

Driver: 5BA

Sensitivity: 118db

Frequency；20 Hz-20KHz

Impedance：22 ohm

Noise reduction: -25db



Package Details:

3 Pair Single Flange Silicon Tips

3 Pair Double Flange Silicon Tips

3 Pair Foam Tips

Shozy Neo BG Earhpone

Stock Cable

Carrying Case



Test Equipment:

Astell Kern AK120

Opus #1

THX AAA 789



Package, Design & Isolation;

Shozy Neo BG comes with small printed cartoon box. When you open the box there are carrying case and everything inside. There are 3 pairs of single flange silicon tips, 3 pairs of double flange silicon tips and 3 pairs of foam tips in the box. Package content is not rich but there is not much to complain.

Shozy Neo BG has only one-color option. Translucent black with gold nugget shell looks gorgeous and it is really beautiful. There is a gold Shozy logo on the faceplate, Neo BG name and serial number are located at the back of the shells. Nozzle is constructed with metal; it feels solid and its small size is easy to find after market tips. Shozy Neo BG has 5 balanced armature drivers per side. This is the second version which has 2 pin sockets instead of MMCX. I believe there is no sound difference with V1 and the only change has been made with the sockets. Stock cable is the thickest stock cable I’ve ever seen. This is like a rope and I believe it might hold pretty heavy weight. Cable is so beautiful; it is 8 cores braided with nylon shielded. I like its looks and feels that it gave. There is no memory wire which I’m super grateful for that. Cable Itself is thick but soft material makes it easy to carry and it never gets tangled.

Isolation is great with the proper tips, so I don’t have any complaint here. Stock tips are great but I found RHA Dual Density ear tips are better to my ears.



Sound Type:

Sound is natural and slightly bright which brings so many details on surface. Highs are star of the show for me, so detailed, extended and rich and it adds extra dimension to the sound and makes the details easy to hear. Mids are tad of laid back, timbre is neutral and slightly bright. Lows are tight, fast and it doesn’t mess up with fast passages. Sub-bass doesn’t reach deep but it has fairly enough power to taps your toes. Soundstage is airy and wide; it never feels congested. Instrument separation, detail level and resolution are top notch.



Trebles:

Highs are the most prominent area of all frequencies. It is extended pretty well and has a nice sparkle without being harsh. Its bright presentation makes the soundstage airy and it puts enough air between instruments. Presentation of treble is fantastic, it is accurate, detailed and sparkly. Some people may find it just a bit bright but I can contentedly say that it is in safe zone. No sibilance, harshness or ear drilling peaks at all. If you use with super bright source you may hear some stress on highs but still it will be in tolerable level I believe. Resolution level is pretty impressive for its price. Cymbals, crushes every instrument are clearly presented. Overall, Shozy Neo BG is so generous earphone to bring details, so you can hear so many details that you never heard before.



Mids:

The mids are neutral and detailed, but a little laid back since there is more bass and treble sparkle on overall sound. Frankly, it is a bit lack of musicality and dynamism, but it has great detail and high level of resolution. If I have to choose only one word for Neo BG, it would be the details. It is pretty successful to make it audible to every detail in the music. Vocals are not in front of your face; it is slightly centered on the soundstage and felts laid back. Both male and female vocals are good to hear but it is missing on emotion, and naturality for my taste. It’s not dry or clinical but I prefer just a bit warmth on sound. Overall mid frequencies are very detailed and good for serious listening to hear micro details.



Bass:

Bass is well controlled and tight which doesn't muddy up the rest of the sound. It is not much in quantity and if you want bone shaking, rumbling bass, it is not for you. It goes deep but don’t expect too much. It has a good amount of weight, it is not bleeding or dominating the mids, it is tight and it never lose its control, even though fast passages. Tonality is dry which typical balanced armature sound. When I listen EDM I felt little lack of punchiness and wish it was a little more in quantity. I just criticized but it has right amount actually but for my taste I would prefer little more. By the way, you can always add some extra warmth with pure copper cable, Penon Fiery has a good match with Neo BG, it adds some weight on bass and make the overall sound slightly warmer.



Soundstage:

Neo BG has quite wide soundstage that is better than average in this price range. All the instrument placement is in wide area and easy to listen. I like instrumental music and mostly listening Le Trio Jeoubran, Renaud Garcia Fons, Pink Martini etc. on my stereo system or my portable setup. Listening stringed instruments like violin, guitar, oud is a great experience with Shozy Neo BG and the space between instruments are easy to discriminate. Depth is not the best but layering and imagining are good for its price.



Comparison:

Shozy Neo BG & Audiosense T800:

Both earphones are beautifully made and they look gorgeous and also, they have only one color option, so that means doesn’t have any other color option. Neo BG looks fancier because of its gold nugget shells. Both earphones are super comfy to my ears but Neo BG is slightly might be better due its small size. T800 has 8 balanced armature drivers per side while Neo BG has 5. T800 is using industry standard MMCX socket on the contrary of Neo BG’s 2 pin socket. Package and contents are similar but T800 feels more elegant, but its stock cable is not as good as Neo BG. Neo BG stock cable is fantastic and I don’t feel to upgrade it. They sound so different. Neo BG has neutral, bright and more accurate sound while T800 has slight warm, rich and vivid sound. Neo BG’s trebles are more detailed, prominent and sparkly, no doubt. T800 is not as bright as Neo BG but still it holds great details and resolution. Mids are thicker and bolder on T800, it is more musical and engaging which Neo BG is more neutral, accurate and reference like. They both are shining with the right genres. T800 is very pleasant to listen EDM, R&B or Rock, at the same time Neo BG is great for classical, jazz, vocals or instrumental music. Bass is more in quantity on T800 and it hits harder and goes deeper than Neo BG. There is more weight and punch as you expected. Neo BG is tighter, faster and more right in quantity. Soundstage is wider on Neo BG but there are no big differences. Both earphones are great on sound, it’s all about preferences.



Shozy Neo BG & Nocturnal Atlantis:

Atlantis’ price is almost twice of Neo BG, but I decided to compare them because their sound signature is very similar. Both earphones are made with acrylic and shell design is very similar. Both are super ergonomic in my ears and also both are so beautiful. They have the same 0.78mm 2pin socket type. Atlantis have 4 balanced armature drivers while as you may know Neo BG has 5 drivers per side. Both earphones’ sound is neutral and both trebles have highlighted. Neo BG has slightly more extended and sparkle trebles than Atlantis but quantity is very similar. They both sharing same tonality, bright and neutral. Although they have similar tonality, they are differing in mid frequencies. Atlantis is slightly more forward and vocals are more upfront while Neo BG has laid back and slightly centered. Atlantis’ low mids are little bit thicker and it makes sound more bodied. Bass is more in quantity on Atlantis, it goes little deeper and hits harder but just a small margin. Soundstage feels wider on Neo BG but I can say that it is almost the same. Detail and resolution levels are also similar, Atlantis is slightly better but not as twice like its price. Neo BG is surprisingly amazing earphone and it is easily stand out much more expensive earphones. Impressive.




Verdict:

Shozy is a well-known brand in audio community and they have many good products like, dap, dacs, and earphones. This is the first time that I’m hearing one of their products that makes me pretty impressed by its sound and build quality. Shozy Neo BG is shining star for its price. It’s not hiding any details and its crystal-clear trebles are better than most earphones that I’ve ever heard at this price. Furthermore, it doesn’t refrain from any other expensive earphones to challenge them. Sound quality is above its price and it’s hard to see at this price. Build quality is also fantastic and it looks gorgeous which is hard to dislike its design. Due to its shape, comfort level is very good for long listening session. All in all, Shozy Neo BG is very good earphone up to down, also it won’t hurt your wallet.

Headphone Shozy BG

Tips Spinfit CP100
Cable DIY Mania Imagine Cable terminate with Edolic MMCX and 3.5mm plug with titanium splitter
Source Opus#2
iFi xdsd (via bluetooth)
V-moda VAMP with iPhone 4s mod with dual MUSE02 (Venturecraft Go-DAP GD04)
Play lists
Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the wall P.1-3
Pink Floyd – One of my turn
Livington Taylor – Isn’t She Lovely
Stevie Ray – Tin Pan Alley
Metallic – One
Chet Baker – Alone Together
Muddy Water —Good Morning
Annue Murray —Fever


Build quality and Usability
Build quality is significantly stepping up from previous generation Shozy iems. The body made from jet black acrylic with golden glitter that look great and the body of BG is quite small and easy to fit into ear canal. Stock cable within the package is one of the best stock cable in term of materials and sound except 3.5mm plug which I think better quality plug cab further improve the sound quality of BG (although the sound quality of BG has already exceeded my expectation)


Sound
Shozy BG is one of the best price-performance price ratio iem that I have been listening up to date. BG is very resolving and arguably the best in this price range. BG sound signature is lean toward bright side of spectrum but just slightly making BG very well round iem that can play well with any genre you throw at it.
Although BG is not a bass oriented IEM that delivering impactful punchy bass. While low frequency may not reach as deep as dynamic driver but I not feel BG lacking in any mean. Drum attack is precise both speed and decay resulting in clean bass with excellent details and texture.
Mid range is lively without recessed or forward which like sitting in mid row. Vocal and instrument on this region have right amount of body. The string instrument are very clear with great harmonic
response in every minuscule details.
High frequency on Shozy BG is where its truly shine. This iem have extraordinary details retrieval that reveal every single details that hidden within the track making it very unforgiving that exposed every fault in both records and sources.
Soundstage of BG is quite wide for close multi-ba iem without lacking any headroom or depth. The position of singers and instruments is very accurate. You can easily point-out the direction of sound especially on track Pink Floyd- One of my Turn you can accurately located where the woman walking across the room.
Separation is excel on BG as it can distinguish the instruments can be heard from separate layers without disrupt another. And the distant sound of the track that usually melded within track background can be easily revealed by BG and often with high accuracy.

Synergy
BG is very easy to drive that require powerful amp to unleash it potential. However, high quality sources especially the sources that has clean output. The sources that I find has good synergy are Opus#2, V-Moda Dac/Amp fully mod and iFi xdsd, which have black background. I found that iFi xDsd offer best background noise that almost impossible to find thank to built-in iE-match inside, however this com with some drawback as it has smaller soundstage compare to Opus#2 and V-moda VAMP. Opus#2 offer largest soundstage of three source that I used and also the best dynamic contrast, realism and image. On details retrieval Opus#2 and xDsd are very close to each others. V-moda VAMP is not very good pair as it have some background noise compare to the others even though it has better harmonic compare to other source and well balance across all frequency range.

The stock cable is good enough however, it can be enhanced with better quality after market cables. I found that the best synergy materials for BG is copper base cables while silver-plated and silver cable will further emphasis on high frequency making BG to very bright iem. The after market cable that I use is Imagine OCC litz 46 awg TPU isolator with full titanium Eidolic 3.5mm plug and splitter. This cable does not shifting the signature of BG but it remove all the veil that stock cable has making BG a detail monster!. The soundstage is enlarge and the midrange also slightly forward.

Conclusion
Purchasing, Shozy BG is highly recommended this price range, I don’t think you and find other iems that as good as BG for now. While it may not have deep bass and coherent of high-end single dynamic driver but it is very close especially consider the price of BG. Moreover, it relatively easy to drive but a little picky on good record and source.

Introduction

The well-known brand of portable audio products, Shozy, in collaboration with Neo Audio, has designed and manufactured the Shozy & Neo BG. These IEMS, made of resin, with metal nozzles, have 5 BA drivers for each capsule. For the reproduction of the low zone, they mount the driver of Knowles 22955, of the CI series. The rest of the drivers have been designed and manufactured specifically, independently, and built by hand. The result is a clearly Premium product, with a luxurious and glossy finish, never better said. The BG have a stellar manufacture, a very adequate size and ergonomics and a cable totally at the height of the quality of the capsules.



Specifications

• Type of Drivers: 5 Drivers Balanced Armature: Knowles CI 22955 Bass driver, custom made BA.
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20000Hz
• Sensitivity: 110dB SPL/mW
• Impedance: 22Ω
• Driver configuration: 5BA, electric + passive crossovers.
• Passive noise isolation: 25dB
• Jack connector: 3.5mm audio, gold plated
• Capsule Connection Type: 2Pin 0.78mm

Packaging

The first thing that catches the attention is the reduced size of the box: 127x94x45mm. Accustomed to Premium products coming in large and disproportionate packages, these BG come in a small and compact black box. On the top there is a real photo of the capsules. In the right margin is shown the name of the model and its description. On the back side, the characteristics of the model and its specifications are shown. The box opens like a chest and when it is done, there is a small black cardboard box, with the logo of the brand in its center. After removing it, you access a transport box, with zipper, which also has the logo of the brand, inscribed in its center. Inside, there are two transparent zip-type plastic bags. One contains the IEMS, with the cable connected and black silicone tips attached. The other contains silicone and foam tips. In short, the total contents of the package is:

• A transport box with zipper.
• The capsules.
• A cable with 2 Pin 0.78mm connector and 3.5mm Audio plug, gold plated.
• Three pairs of black silicone tips, sizes SxMxL.
• Three pairs of tips bi-flange, white silicone, sizes SxMxL.
• Three pairs of grey foam tips, two pairs are large size, one pair is medium size.

The packaging is totally practical and functional, no bragging, it gets to the point, it's something I like. Maybe the transport box is something big, but I declare myself a big fan of this type of cases, because of its extraordinary versatility. The additional set of tips is quite correct, but the size of the silicone sets is too small for my ears: not even with the larger size, I have achieved a proper seal. However, I must also say that the size of my ear canals is naturally large.



Construction and Design

The BG capsules have been hand-built with semi-translucent black resin. Mixed with this resin, there is a multitude of golden glitter, which gives a very lustrous and particular finish. The shape of the capsules is semi custom type, of medium size. The mouthpieces are totally metallic, short, narrow and in the shape of an arrow. They have metal filters to ensure the best tuning of the sound and ensure a safe cleaning. These nozzles have been designed for tips with an inner diameter of 3.8mm.

The capsules look very solid, flawless, with a very polished finish. Both have their own serial number, as well as the word "NEO", inscribed in gold, on the side. On the outside of each, you can read the logo of the brand. They are golden letters found inside the resin. But, because both the glitter and these letters are golden, they are confused and the logo is difficult to distinguish.

The cable consists of 4 thick strands of pure copper, covered with a dense transparent plastic insulation, forming a single cord. This sheath has little rigidity and good handling, despite the thickness of the whole. Both the pin cover and the splitter are metal cylinders, with a dark interior, which has an alternating ladder pattern. The adjustment piece is a translucent hardened plastic ball. The sleeve of the 2-pin connectors is a polished metal cylinder, which has two grooves in the shape of rings, at its closest part to the cable. This cable, right in this connection area, has an extra, semi-rigid transparent plastic sheath, which adopts the shape over the ear, to facilitate the adjustment of the capsules in this manner. The way to differentiate the cable on each side is a small plastic separator, located at the edge of the 2 connection pins. This separator is red on the right side and transparent on the left side.

As it could not be otherwise, in a product of this level, both the construction of the capsules and the cable, as well as the design of the whole, is excellent and totally Premium. The only thing that could be questionable is the excessive use of gold glitter, which may have some detractors. But this is a purely visual detail, design or style, unrelated to the quality of construction.



Adjustment and Ergonomics

The BG's metal nozzles are short. In addition, the tips that come also do not help to lengthen the set, since they have been designed so that its edge, is at the level of the filter. This makes the insertion completely superficial. The wider tips are small for my ear canal, so it has been impossible to get a proper fit with the silicone tips, which come as standard: neither with the simple ones, nor with the bi-flange. Only the foam tips included have given me a proper fit. But the best adaptation, I have obtained it with tri-flange tips, of big size, that I use normally with other IEMS. In this way, the fit obtained is almost perfect, achieving a good insertion, a firm and lasting adjustment, good wearing and comfort of the capsules inside the auditory canal. With these tips, the isolation is also increased, achieving a remarkable level of immersion.



Sound

Profile

The Shozy Neo BG have a balanced profile, of analytical tendency, with enormous clarity, well extended but controlled trebles, where the bass are pure BA (compact medium bass, limited sub bass). These 5 drivers stand out especially in the recreation of details and micro nuances, scene and separation. Despite their excellent degree of analysis, the BGs are not completely cold and their brightness is contained within the analytical naturalness.

On the other hand, the BG move very easily and you get great volume with little power, as they are quite sensitive.

In this section I wanted to point out that the sound of the BG can vary depending on the tips used. It is obvious that it happens with almost all IEMs, but this time I wanted to recommend the use of tri-flange tips. The possibility of deep insertion brings the mids and voices closer together, emphasizes the lower zone and maximizes the detail. Keep in mind for those who achieve a good seal and comfort with this type of tips.



Bass

As I have already said, the bass is from a pure BA, where the deepest sub-bass is perceived as limited, both in extension and in emphasis. But, from there, the zone is quite linear and extensive towards the mids, bringing a very light warmth to the central zone, without interfering at all. The execution of the bass is ultra precise and controlled, with a remarkable dryness, but with colour, sparkle, life... they have a fairly smooth and soft texture. Their real development is so exact that their listening invites to increase the volume to perceive them more closely. Really, it is something that is missed, something more presence in this zone, to be able to enjoy its obtained quality. One more point of emphasis and more sub bass extension would have been perfect. But, possibly, it would have broken the delicate existing balance with the rest of the ranges. Nevertheless, it is not a suitable range for bass-heads, but it will not disappoint good bass lovers.



Mids

Although the balance is great, the voices are slightly behind the lower zone, especially in genres with a greater presence of bass. Even small details and nuances are perceived close to them. This means two things: 1- the tremendous resolution and analysis capacity that the BG have. 2- How delicate the voices are executed in this joint creation of Shozy & Neo. In addition, they are surrounded by a certain warm atmosphere, which humanizes their color and texture, endowing them with naturalness and more body. But this small distance does not imply any lack of detail, clarity, separation or micro nuances. All these parameters shine regardless of the sound, tone, voice or instrument played: they are always large. They deserve the richness of details and nuances. As I say, all of them feel close and perfectly defined, but without any hint of excessive brightness or sharp sharpness: the mids enjoys all these qualities, without feeling overwhelmed by excessive highs, maintaining their naturalness and realism, within balanced parameters, almost neutral.

Delicateness, clarity, speed, spatiality, openness, definition, timbre balance, separation, richness of nuances and micro details, great resolution... Such are the means of the fantastic BG. Use your best source and the result will be highly enjoyable.



Treble

As I have said in other reviews, the true quality of a headphone is demonstrated in the high range. In this case the BG show their mastery in this area, through a very accurate tuning, which combines great capacity for resolution, recreation of details, ultra definition and a precious treble, realistic, controlled, natural, balanced, extensive and delicate. The upper zone of the Shozy & Neo is to be enjoyed, without losing a note or a nuance and, most importantly, without any hint of excess, wheezing or undesirable peaks. It is true that the Shozy have a certain brilliant tendency, but within a balance, without ever seem excessive or irritating, but quite the opposite: a real pleasure.



Soundstage, Separation

Another of the Shozy Neo BG's strong points, without a doubt, is their soundstage. It's big, but not only in the sense of width, but it's totally surrounding. The good balance of the sound, the richness of the nuances, the great capacity of resolution, of analysis and the facility to reveal details, together with an excellent sensation of separation and opening, recreate a very three-dimensional and spherical scene, There is height, depth, width and distance in all the directions. Another product of extra range in this sense, which offers a sensation of scene similar to that of the large open earphones.



Comparisons

Tansio Mirai TSMR-2

At the size level, the Shozy are smaller, less fat. Their nozzles are shorter and narrower, but their ergonomics are slightly more adaptable.

The sound presentation of both IEMs is different, the Shozy have a more relaxed sound, balanced as a whole and somewhat warmer. While the Tansio offer a much more frontal and direct sound, in the foreground, more aggressive comparatively speaking.

The lower zone of the TSMR-2 can be modified at will and can reach a high level of presence, with a clear hit and impact in its middle zone. The Shozy are very close, in presence, to the higher gain bass positions of the TSMR-2. The qualities of both zones are very similar, produced by great BA drivers. Although the bass of the Shozy are perceived deeper, with a tighter timbre.

The differences between both profiles are shown in the central zone: the BG have a wider mids, something that is felt in the voices, although they are somewhat more backward, have a larger body, in addition to a smoother accentuated. Meanwhile, in the TSMR-2, their presence is closer and more direct, sounding a finer point, but more frontal. Globally, the mid range of the BG, is perceived as larger, bigger, more complex and richer, with more details.

The upper zone is tuned differently in both IEMS. The Tansio continue to have a more direct and emphasized presence, in the first part of this range, sounding somewhat more crisp and crunchy. The Shozy sound more relaxed and soft, but it is something that makes the rest of the details more subtle, are better appreciated, being at a more similar level, getting higher resolution throughout the range, making it more extensive.

The scene is bigger and spherical in the BG. There is more air, more separation, in the conception of their sound. On the contrary, the Tansio offer a more frontal and direct presentation, which narrows the stage, bringing it closer to the listener. Both are at a different level in these parameters.

As a conclusion, it is clear that the resolution, the greatest richness and amount of detail, is reflected in the Sozhy Neo BG, thanks to its greater number of drivers and different tuning, there being a greater degree of refinement in this sense.



Conclusion

Shozy & Neo have created IEMS to be enjoyed. Very comfortable, with great ergonomics (depending on the tips used) and very adequate size. They have a compact, precious and beautiful invoice. In addition, their cable is consistent with the quality of the finishes of the capsules. Its profile is balanced, gently warm, just brilliant, but, above all, pleasant and controlled, fits a large number of genres. Its virtues include splendid, detailed and extended treble, as well as its large soundstage and three-dimensionality. The power of resolution and its great richness in nuances, accompanied by its relaxed, clear and excellently aired sound, generate an intoxicating presentation, very detailed, sweet and highly hypnotic, which moves away from the typical canons of the strictly analytical sound, produced by multi-drivers BA.



Sources Used During the Analysis

• Burson Audio Playmate
• Tempotec Serenade iDSD
• Tempotec Variations V1-A

Ratings

• Construction and Design: 92
• Adjustment/Ergonomics: 92
• Accessories: 75
• Bass: 85
• Mids: 91
• Treble: 93
• Separation: 92
• Soundstage: 93
• Quality/Price: 88

Purchase link

https://penonaudio.com/shozy-neo-bg.html

You can read the full review in Spanish here:

https://hiendportable.com/2019/12/13/shozy-neo-bg-review/