TONALITY: 8/10
TECHNICALITIES: 9.2/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9.5/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.8/10
INTRO
SIMGOT is an experienced chinese audio company that have been around for more than 5 years, but get notice lately due to their quite popular EA500 single dynamic driver IEM that put the bar extremely high in term of sound performance under 100$.
Personally, i've discover this company near a year ago with the EN1000 IEM which I adore and highly praise, then like everybody else, i've been blown away by their EA500 and officially become a Simgot fanboi.
This push me to test their flagship model call EA2000 Boson.
The EA2000 is priced 320$ and use a 12mm double magnetic dynamic driver with an impressive magnet flux force of 1.9T, as well, it's perhaps the first IEM using a passive radiator that permit to control the resonance and add a sens of extra speed and control to the sound. So, the EA2000 are 1DD+1PR hybrid we can say, and they take acoustic seriousness to next level.
Let see in this review if the EA2000 offer a sound performance that is truely above average.
CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES
The craftmanship of EA2000 is simply mind blowing and can put to shame IEM at 4 times it's price. It's litteral perfection in term of well machined and matched IEM part, their no amateurish imperfection I can find even with passionate macro pics. It's a piece of industrial art at it's finest, that is captivating to look at, but very sturdy too and not that easy to scratch even with a mirror finish. I rarely rave that much about construction and believe me, my eyes are sharp to find built cons, especially when the price is higher than 200$, but I was prepar for greatness with both their EA500 and EN1000. So, with Simgot you don't have to be worry about the IEM construction, for the cable it's a bit of another story....which i will devlop further.
As seen, the number of fine details in construction aren't left to randomness, it's both thinked for acoustic and elegant beauty, it have a mature audiophile look to it and doesn't look like a toy at all. The shell is soft, the metal material isn't stated but feel thick and durable and not too heavy even if not light, the mmxc connector are solidly embeded in the housing. The nozzle is long enough and angled. It seem the front protuberance tend to push IEM weight into your ears too, so even with cable that don't have ear hook these have a solid fit. The built is truely amazing. Isolation is OK too, and sound leakage is average, which is to be expected with open front venting for the passive radiator.
Now, I would like to praise the cable too, which is made of great quality silver plated 8 cores, is soft, thichk and well, feel sturdy until we begin to play with the tuning module plug. If you follow my review, you perhaps know how much I hate this type of screwable plug, especially with FIIO cables and let say it certainly damage durability potential of modular cable in general and this one is no exception. In fact, the interconnection get loose and it seem one of tuning plug already begin to unglue its plastic part inside metal part. As well, at they end, i'm not a big fan of the so called tuning effect on the sound which is very similar to using impedance adapter to mess up with dynamic push. All in all, i'm not a fan of this cable and will never use it after this very review.
The packaging is very nice and come in an elegant box. Number of accessories is OK but lack varied ear tips choice ,which seem typical for Simgot. It's a bit puzzling because ear tips is very cheap and we expect a good amount of them with a flagship IEM of this price, yet we got...3 pairs. The carrying case is beautifull but a bit small. And well, I already tell you what I think of the cable.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
Let's clear this up right away: the EA2000 aren't basshead IEM at all, and while I would call them Bass-Fi in term of low end quality, the quantity is just average, perhaps about 5db mid and sub bass boost. But it doesn't mean it's bass light or lacking extension or rumble too.
In fact, these are treble monster first and foremost, it's the highs quality and speed and sens of openess that hook and engage you first. After it's the impressively wide and deep soundstage and then the bass....and lastly, the mid range which take a step back within a vivid W shape tonal balance.
Yes, sharp, speedy and highly engaging W shape. Edgy bass, open bright mids and crisp treble is what the EA2000 offer in a very glorious way. Think about a Sonic Memory SM2 with just a hint more bass and a notably more sparkly and extended treble, and your not far from what this marvel have to offer.
These aren't for the faint of hearth, nor little princess ears, the EA2000 are near analytical, highly revealing and sharp sounding and will please more the treble head than the basshead.
But this bass scream quality. It have this definition edge for kick drum that I rarely found with any other IEM, it's speedy, textured, super well separated from mid and extend deep with a airy resonant yet controlled rumble.
It's more thumpy than rumbly though, so you have greater mid bass boost than sub bass boost, it's not a chunky bass that feel thick in it's roundness. Very unique and very addictive is the low end since it don't need crazy boost to be authoritary here, the presence is very clear and detailed but don't lack density, the punch is fast and tight, with fast decay and clean resolution.
And it have this unique mid and sub bass layering which permit you to follow bass line accurately as well as kick drum sharply and yes, feel the punch too without both mixing up like it often happen even with great IEM.
But, still, i would have low a bit more boost! Especially in sub bass region which i find a bit thin, i'm more attract to kick and slam than rumble and bass line extension with the EA2000.
But would I will be able to follow sub bass pitch that precisely in the track ''DJ Cam bro'' from Skeemask, which basshead IEM tend to render in muddy or one pitch way? I don't think so.
Now, if I analyze contrabass extension, i discover the ''passive radiator'' trick, which add resonance sustain as an extra sound layer, it doesn't work that well for this instrument that need more linear and deep extension down to 20HZ, so double bass is a hint ''slapped'' sounding here, but clean and well layered still. I do my best to nit pick some con!
And well, it will be easier finding cons in mid range, even if it's so far from being bad it will be too agressive in upper mids pinna gain for some. It's not a big issue for me because it's well controled, clean and have barely no sibilance, but it can be a hint shouty in higher pitch loudness, like when a soprano go louder in a song. The mids are crisp, open, clean, detailed and impressively transparent with rich texture and even some note weight, which surely come from the ''passive radiator'' since I can't explain why the piano sound so good and impactfull even if edgy in definition.
Again, the EA2000 deliver a unique musicality that is both technical and dynamic in rendering. The attack have a sens of hit to each note and a natural and clean decay, so those piano note sound superbly define, full in presence, not warmed or thicken in density yet flexible in the impact so you got both the lead impact, fast sustain then a long and clean release that is utterly transparent.
While i would call the timbre as ultra realist, it have a hint boosted texture but never to the point of being grainy, it's richly textured and not plain thin and even less lean, it's a vivid mid range here with lively rendering and it doesn't feel recessed. The real con for me is for vocal, sometime violin too can be a bit too agressive, it's in a specific pitch region so at loud volume it will suprise the ear negatively.
So yes, the female vocal are a bit shouty and compressed in presence, it feel stock in my head too and their some rare instance of sibilance, pairing the EA2000 with warm source can help for ex, both Hiby RS6 and Shanling M0pro soften upper mids and thicken widen vocal presence, to the cost of stoling air and clarity.
All in all, the mids are open, crisp, fast in attack, highly resolved and transparent and not warm, nor super thick or lush sounding, so I would not suggest the EA2000 for mid centric audiophile.
Then the crazy speedy crispy treble come in and let say you can't forget it easily, even after more than 100H of listen this extremely revealing and agile highs still blow my mind when listening fast percussions, but not only since it add this grunt to bowed instrument like violin, but to electric bass and guitar too. It's edgy in a masterful way where the sharpen definition is fully restitute in texture and presence and don't sound thin, half cook or over soften in definition edge.
That's the magic here, a treble that is brilliant and shinny, sharp in rendering but full in tone and body, their no blunted edge to definition and the level of micro details is very high. While spiky, it's not the type of highs that will just boost one part of texture, or make bowing of strings sound in your face and distracting, it certainly vivid and a hint agressive, but the control is so fast that it don't let loose the sustain-release of this energic attack.
Sure, the cymbals will not be tamed in loudness, but they will not go splashy and mix everything in noise. Whatever instrument the EA2000 deal with in high range, it will be lively, highly exciting and clean in singular resolution. The Saxophone playing will be able to offer every details of it's attack shift, from bow snap to vibrating air playing, you will be captivated by the ultra realistic presentation of violin too. We are in high fidelity territory here, and for an entry level mid range price this is fabulous.
As well, it extend far but without picking up unwanted noise or background hiss, so their a tuning trick here to magnify sens of clean clarity and airy openess. I'm very demanding when it come to sparkle, and the EA2000 deliver that in full glory too. This kind of treble quality isn't expected in this price range and I think the ultra powerfull magnetic flux in tandem with passive radiator is what permit to achieve this miracle.
And then the Soundstage, another highlight of near all Simgot IEM, they know how to add sens of air and openess that benefit deepness ot spatiality. It's open and surround you widely, it's tall too but in a well balanced way with wideness and deepness. I know i'm listening to a special IEM when i can dig super deep in spatiality and find musical cue, and this is what the EA2000 achieve, effortleslly.
With this kind of spatiality, it sure benefit the Imaging capacity too which is near monitor like in the accuracy and sharp positioning. This is particularly evident with acoustic music, like with the album ''Poetry'' from Adam Baldych Quartet....i don't struggle at all to pin point piano, kick drum, percussions and violin, which are layered with great transparency. Again, this is incredible to get this kind of high fidelity experience for less than 500$. Clean and sharply position instrument that doesn't have blurred or overly recessed frequencies range is what we seek with a well balanced yet vivid W shape tuning, TOTL way.
SIDE NOTE:
What about the tuning plug? Well, their just 2 type of slight sound difference we can get and its between the black and blue 3.5mm plug. The black is what I review above, it's the stock sound. The Blue amplify sens of openess a bit but seem to brighten upper mids even more. As well, stock cable with black 4.4 or 3.5 plug seem to tame the dynamic heft, so at they end, i'm not sure to know what's going on with the impedance of the plug and prefer using my own cable.
Eartips is very important, while for source, i would suggest a smooth but clean one, even if I say warm source do good match, it need to have a clean and deep spatiality so the EA2000 can show you it's true competence.
These aren't hard to drive and will not scale up with amount of power of your source but amount of DAC quality, like SNR, THD and clean background noise floor. In fact, at 23ohm of impedance and 114db of sensitivity, they are not too sensitive nor too hard to drive.
COMPARISONS
VS RAPTGO HOOK X HBB (1planar+1 piezo=260$)
HBB is warmer and more balanced W shape with thicker and fuller mids range but less clean and crisp resolution.
The bass is darker in definition and embrace-thicken-warm more the mids, it have more sub bass boost and greater slam, EA2000 bass is more define in punch, more textured and transparent, faster but thinner in density and less thick in rumble.
Mids are crisper, more open and transparent with the EA2000, it's cleaner and airier while HBB is warmer, more hazy and smooth, more dense and euphonic in timbre making vocal less prompt to sibilance, less thin and dry, more pleasant an natural as well as wider and more holographic in presence.
Treble is sharper with the EA2000, crisper, sparklier and more detailed, airy, brilliant and open, more agressive too compared to thicker and crunchier but leaner treble of the HBB which is fuller sounding and more organically balanced.
Soundstage is wider and taller with the HBB, but notably deeper and cleaner with the EA2000.
Imaging is superior with the EA2000, which have sharper instrument separation and definition but a more recessed center stage.
All in all, we will break the myth that planar is superior to dynamic driver again since technical performance are notably superior with the EA2000, while I find to smoother darker lusher and fuller sounding tonality of the Hook X HBB more cohesive, natural and musical.
VS SIMGOT EN1000 (1DD-190$)
The EN1000 is smoother sounding, offer a more organic W shape while the EA2000 is notably more vivid and sharp sounding, with more edgy note definition that more softed one of EN1000.
The bass is more textured and extend deeper with the EN1000, its better define in kick and mid bass since even bass have a definition edge to it, while EN1000 bass seem more warmed and blurry in mid bass definition, less fast and controled in attack and less well layered too.
Mids are denser and warmer with EN1000, less energic but wider in presence, so timbre feel a bit more natural and thick than thinner crisper mids of EA2000 that have better and cleaner resolution and transparency but hotter upper mids.
Treble is notably more open, airy and detailed with the EA2000, it dig more micro details and offer edgier definition. Highs have more snape and bite too, which make for ex the violin sound very softed in attack lead with the EN1000. Attack speed is superior and offer cleaner timing for complex fast percussions in jazz or rock.
Soundstage of both is very impressive and they are on par, with perhaps hint more deepness for the EA2000 due to it's extra crispness.
This inflict on imaging rendering which is more analytical and accurate with the EA2000, due to edgier definition of each instrument, separation is clearer and more precise in positioning.
Well, it's evident that technical performance of the EA2000 is superior here, but tonality is more agressive than smoother and slightly lusher sounding EN1000, yet, i find more exciting and engaging (and impressive) the EA2000 even if not as well balanced tonaly.
CONCLUSION
I didn't know what to expect with the EA2000, and this is due to my obsession about the passive radiator hybrid technology which at they end didn't inflict as much as I think on bass quantity but certainly blow my mind in term of quality. This is the shock here, i was expecting a fun, near basshead yet vivid and technical sounding IEM, but it was a balanced W shape I got instead, something reminescent of my beloved HZsound Mirror but on steroid.
So, while I would not call the EA2000 fun, i would certainly not call them boring at all since it's the type of vividly crisp, snappy and impactfull musicality that wake you up.
Simgot isn't your typical chinese audio company at all, they push technical performance bundaries and make it available for the mass in a refined way, it's not about fake clarity here, nor about V shape bassy wow effect, it's about mature engaging high fidelity sound rendering.
I rarely if ever use this term: High fidelity. But for the EA2000 I feel it's the right term.
The EA2000 are extremely engaging to listen too, offer technical performance that can compete with kilobucks single DD IEM and this isn't a click bait statement but my own truth. But it doesn't mean they are perfect, the tonality will be hit or miss even if it's not wonky, unatural or unbalanced. And it's due to mid range ''ideology'' approach, which fan of Harman target will find appealing due to the focus on presence before fundamental harmonic. Let simply say they EA2000 are technical sounding but don't lack any dynamic heft, quite the opposite, it offer a sens of captivating urgency to your music.
All in all, I love them alot. And the EA2000 confirm that Simgot is among the best chinese IEM companies right now. Their no doubt I will follow their evolution closely, even if I hope they will diversify their tuning and don't fall into an house sound that limit the musicality offering.
Highly recommended!!
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PS: I want to thanks Simgot for sending me this review sample. I have no official affiliation to this company, and just follow them by passion. As always, those are my honest and unbiased audio impressions and opinion.
You can order the EA2000 for 320$ here (non affiliated link): https://www.linsoul.com/products/simgot-ea2000
For more honnest and diversify audio products reviews, give a look to my audio blog here: https://nobordersaudiophile.wordpress.com/
