THE SHOZY T1 OPEN-BACK UNIVERSAL IEM
What?
SHOZY did something special here. They created a unique sounding budget IEM. It’s easily one of my favorite 29.90 IEMs of the year, maybe ever? This story starts with the SHOZY TWS IEM the AVA.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/shozy-ava-tws-universal-iem.26119/reviews#review-29573
When I reviewed the AVA I really liked it, but as far as reviews go something happened to me afterwards. It was my favorite TWS IEM. But to make a long story short I started using the AVA at the gym about 9 to 10 hours a week. Yep…….I got used to the AVA even more. Now I’m not saying you have to expose yourself to an IEM for months before you like it. I liked the AVAs right away, but just like the T1 here, they were a different beast. This 8mm single full-range PU/PEEK dynamic driver is incredibly different, more mid-bass and lower mids emphasis, also a boost to the region at 6kHz. Normally manufactures put a anti-sibilance dip at around 6 kHz, but here there is the opposite. Balancing with the low-end somehow this peak gets extra treble placement, and contrarily to what you might think it works out for modern music.
So you can get an idea of my situation, the AVA is the best sounding TWS IEM I have, and I’m slowly getting even more familiar with this different tune as I use it 4 or 5 days a week. So when it came time to do this T1 review, I was very familiar with the sound already.
The cables:
You have a choice of getting the standard kit which included the regular black cable…..that’s the $29.90 option, also the same $29.90 if you get the black cable with mic. Or you can just get the (silver mix) white cable “Pro version” for $25.00 extra. To tell you the truth I liked both cables, as each offered a slightly different ways to enjoy the T1.
The ISN S2:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/isn-audio-h2.26206/reviews#review-29803
https://penonaudio.com/isn-audio-s2.html
Normally I wouldn’t suggest this style of addition being more than the IEM itself, yet here you could actually save money in a way by simply getting the standard edition of the T1 and getting the S2, for a grand total of……
$79.90 S2 cable
$29.90 T1 IEM
Grand total $109.80
This really gets the T1 into a special place, in a way surpassing the AVA due to it being wired. And at $109.80 it’s definitely a roughly $100 sounding rig, yet if you truly find yourself migrating to this style of sound, it’s far more valuable than the asking price, and remains unique among my collection. Plus you may find the ISN S2 cable as being incredibly versatile, bringing out the best of many IEMs you currently own. So even though some may guess the included “Pro” cable to be an improvement, and it is, especially if you’re dialed into getting the most from just a phone output, you may just be happy getting both regular included cables. But IMO the 4.4mm output, combined with the S2 and an audiophile DAP brings the total sound way up. If you don’t think a $29.90 IEM brings it……brings an audiophile sound, think again. In many ways this reminds me of the start of my journey here at Head-Fi, falling in love with a $29.90 IEM. As we all know when a certain sound pushes your buttons, there is nothing like it at any price, and that is what we have going on here.
Packaging:
In standard SHOZY flair they are going you 6 ear-tips and a nice case. Strangely this is the largest case I’ve seen from SHOZY, so maybe people complained about the smaller IEM cases of the past? As this case it really something, laughably the case is more than 2X the size the previous wired IEMs I have got from SHOZY. The case has an inside pocket as well as actual side walls for once? Maybe it’s designed to hold both cables, or three cables for that matter?
Build:
Coming in at only 2 grams a piece, you would be forgiven for judging them as a toy, in fact the T1 beat out my last super-lightweight (2 gram) review............the NF Audio RA10.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/nf-audio-ra10.26196/reviews#review-29837
While weighing the same as the RA10, they have a way of gaining my respect with the all important note-weight. Yep, something as simple as one element can make all the difference in the world. Still many are going to gravitate towards the RA10 (anyway) due to it being a much more carful tune, and following the rules.
Anyways………here we are shown a style of clear hard plastic shell which is only two pieces with the nozzle being the main construction element, actually holding the driver. The back-end of the driver delivers the 8mm PU/PEEK dynamic driver reverberations and resonances out of multiple vents/ports. These are open-back IEMs, probably the third or fourth I have heard in my life. Crazy as it looks as if there are three ports off to the side, as well as three more on the faceplate top. This style of construction optimizes soundstage. The inner-lip of the nozzle holds black screen, and offers almost the exact same part number as the AVA. For a crazy moment I thought the T1 had an early serial number with C3877 on the right nozzle, and SN011 on the left nozzle. The nozzle is actually a different part, as C2978 are on the right AVA nozzle, and the (exact same) numbers SN011 on the left.
Cables fit well into a recessed 0.78 2 pin. Whatever this shell manufacturing process is, it’s new to me, and while appearing like regular plastic, like model cares kits are made with, the material holds cables on very well, and offers a robust feel for what it is. While looking inside you can see the silver backside of the driver as well as the positive and negative wire electrical supply. The form fits just inside of your ear, with the greatest feel. While often I’m using the S2 cable which works, there is an added benefit of switching to the included cables to turn the T1 into the ultimate sports IEM.
Yep, the SHOZY T1 was made for traveling when you’re not at home. At 2 grams a piece it stays right next to your ears when active out and about! You could still keep them attached to the ISN S2, though really the thinner cables have better athletic ergonomics. Also when out and about you (may) start to care slightly less about sound quality, at least I do?
Ear-tips:
I tried the included tips and found them 1st rate. Though out of familiarity I went with some Hidizs extra-long length medium nozzle tips, just because the extra length gave me some wiggle-room with fit. With that said, really they fit nice with a wide-range of ear-tips.
Sound in general:
If you were looking for something a little different here it is, and I don’t say that in a bad way at all. The low-end is thick and moving, and while not the end-all in detail, the SHOZY T1 is simply a continuation of the SHOZY house sound, yet I wouldn’t exactly call this entry level? In fact the tune has jettisoned the treble and allocated it to a style of unevenness which goes ahead to actually make the whole signature work-out. How? Why? Well it’s a carefully orchestrated maneuver pushing up the 6 kHz presence region to counter balance the deep-end. Strings are slightly muddled-up yet when the super-low-end comes around you could care less.
Can you say bass drop! These have this amazing clear and separated open-back imaging and transient response. They’re just so darn fun.
Bass:
Tight and controlled, these are not necessarily the consumer tune your thinking right now. No, washes and presence of fun controlled tight authentic bass bounces. Really while the rest of the frequencies are catered to........this is the L shape experience. Yet that low-end traveling is totally audiophile, and gains levels of scaling to be some favorite-fun IEMs. The difference here is that older consumer tune didn’t have open-back technology making the bass fully audiophile and clear. While textured, the bumps get out-of-the-way just in time for the next ones.
DOOM Eternal OST
Mick Gorden and Chad Mossholder
"Phobos Space"
48 kHz - 24 bit
The bass washes in this opening goes full-tilt to bring it. Yep, this is styling! Released April 20th, 2020 this will go down in history as one of the greatest game OSTs ever. Big, pulsating and interactive.
You can’t help become apart of this action! While I’ve heard better renditions of the bass in this song, I’m not sure I’ve ever been so satisfied at this price point? While yes, it’s a little blurry in comparison to top-tier playback, still, there is a nice rhythm to it all, and most importantly nothing is out of place. At times with playback it’s what you include and not what’s left out!
Midrange:
I have 30 IEMs in my collection which play the
other style of midrange, here it’s different and you know what, I welcome that difference. Due to the spacial properties it all works out. Now the TWS AVA has an electronic signal processing to get the ear distance going. Here we are more clear how we these process the mids, being less cloudy but narrower, because nothing (short of heavy signal processing) gets you what the AVA does. The mid-range is like that time you were cruising with friends and found that kicking house party. You had to do a double-take when you heard the stereo because at first it sounded messed-up. But the longer you stayed at the house, and the more you listened, the more it grew on you. To the point of after a few beers you were congratulating the owner on both his choice of music and his LOFI/HIFI! It’s all mood in the end. This totally doesn’t seem like it would work, but it does? I haven’t seen a graph on these, and I’m not sure how practical they would graphically present? Still there is something here, something special!
Treble:
It may be that the S2 cable brings up the detail, but at the same time the cable that comes with the $29.90 kit totally works. This style of treble works because it’s adding more girth in phone replay………in fact, having the phone playback have extra analogue sound, that is the charm in the end. Analogue treble is what I’m after, and this fits that bill. While not airy, still there is the correct amount of information..........to never call the SHOZY T1 boring. If it’s your end-sound or not that’s the riddle. Still get me this style of replay and I can listen all day long.
Using the Shanling UA3 Dongle was a surprise in that the black copper cable only went so far revealing the electronic hi-hats in EDM, where a quick switch over the the PRO cable showed how the added sliver was a noticeable difference, especially with the top-end of EDM. While finally switching to the ISN S2 cable there was a difference but less of a difference than the Pro cable in comparison to the hi-hats with the standard black 100% copper cable. So why am I including cable rolls in the treble section? Probably because it’s here that you will notice the most difference between cables, and if I didn’t know any better I would be happy with the included black cable, but the Shanling UA3 is on the warmer side of the street yet still shows a style of perfection when switching to the Pro cable or ISN S2 cable. There is somehow room here to go, to establish a next level of detail where it’s not exactly air, but it’s going in that direction. Spacial effects into the stage are gathered due to this slight increase in treble/midrange energy, providing just a tad of extra definition which is accepted as not too much.........especially with EDM. Often with EDM sound producers will add a small amount of treble which helps in nightclubs to get the top-end to travel through the mix and counteract the bass and midrange, here in essence in the SHOZY T1 being like that nightclub in response allowing room for that wanted top-end to gather energy with-out causing sibilance of stark highs. Perfect!
Conclusion:
The SHOZY sound. I hope they continue with this tone, as they have kinda cut their own fame with this sound. If anything it’s getting more unique and different as production of new IEMs moves along, at least that’s my take on SHOZY with using their third (to me) IEM? Big washes of bass, all held captive into a form of musicality that you would just have to hear to believe. Truly if you wanted something different that zigs when all the other IEM companies zag, this is it. An original that isn’t getting different sounding playback by playing music wrong, but simply showing us that there is more than one way from point A to point B. The perfect low-end to drown-out traffic while out and about. Playing great from just a phone, but at the same time scaling with your best gear into audiophile places you thought only reserved for high-ticket items. There is nothing wrong with this style of replay as it’s both easy on the ears and easy on the wallet. While they have added choices in replay asking if you want a silver plated cable or a copper one, you can still have both. Or in fact, get the ISN S2 to take your experience to the next level. Is the SHOZY T1 worthy of such jewelry, I would defiantly say so! That’s the thing……this particular IEM scales and shows what signal is upstream, it goes ahead and offers a clarity beyond what you would think by only looking at it. I will be the very first to joke at how it looks, it doesn’t look like a lot, but when you start to look closer it has a function and a finite form which means business. Speaking of business, I was in slight disbelief as to the choice of cables here. I mean I believe in the tonal qualities of cables, it is just I couldn’t get my head around why SHOZY would go to all this trouble to offer the T1/T1 Pro, two ways? It just seemed like a lot of trouble to offer the extra cable as an option. That was until I started to notice the differences in the T1’s abilities to change with each cable. Of course I ended using music that would offer the biggest contrast to make that change even more noticeable.
If anything it is showing SHOZY has the ability to offer an IEM value with the T1, and that they decided to offer it two distinctly different ways. Which ever way you choose to encounter the SHOZY T1, you will not be disappointed. It’s fun and involving, it rocks and it rolls. The T1 has just enough information to get it’s point across, I was never bored or searching for more in playback, and if anything I was totally thrilled such a small IEM was open-back and offered such a stage. The T1’s rhythm is contagious, it’s groove unstoppable and if you’re down for a unique a different experience, here it is.
Get it here:
https://penonaudio.com/shozy-t1.html
$29.90
Disclaimer:
I want to thank Penon Audio for the love and for the SHOZY T1 review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one persons ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Equipment Used:
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5m
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
UA3 Dongle DAC/Amplifier 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Samsung Smartphone 3.5mm
"This is NOT one of my friends, I do not want to be seen at the same social event with them!"