Simgot EM2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The nicely accessorized, well fitting/isolating Simgot EM2 impresses by its balanced, crisp, transparent, bright, neutralish sound. A more forward (lower) midrange would move it closer to perfection.


INTRODUCTION

I have seen a few reviews of the Simgot EM2 already, most positive, one negative. I was rather surprised when putting these in my ears as I could not remember anything this crisp and clear in the $100-150 class. These Simgot EM2 belong to yet another new generation of multi-driver earphones that sound sleeker, fresher, and more natural than the previous one (as you will see below).


SPECIFICATIONS

Transducer: 10 mm high magnetic compound dynamic driver & Knowles balanced armature RAF-32873 polymer compound titanium-plated diaphragm N50 strong magnetic circuit, acoustic hanging system, Brass stabilizing rings
Frequency Response: 15 Hz – 40 kHz
Sensitivity: ≥101 dB（at 1000 Hz）
Impedance: 15 Ω
Distortion: <1% 101dB（20μpa）
Channel Imbalance: <1.5dB（at 1000Hz）
Rated Power: 10 mW
Cable: 4 cores of SPC braided cable with 2-pin connectors.
Price: $116 (at the time of the review)
Simgot Amazon Store: LINK


IN THE BOX…

…is quite a lot. The Simgot EM2 are generously accessorized including the best leather case coming with any earphone I have unpacked. What is particularly nicely done is the presentation of two sets of eartips, one narrow-bore for bass emphasis, and another wide-bore one for treble. Although, this turned out to be less useful for me than expected.




PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY

The Simgot EM2’s housings are made of acrylic (similar to the NiceHCK DT600 [review] and the $$$ Sennheiser IE 500 Pro [photos) is good but not as good as CNC machined. The 4-core 2-pin connector cable is flawless, has a chin slider and no microphonics. The cable’s metal parts are coated with protective clear plastic.


ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT

Isolation is marvellous, the EM2 are great for street use. Even with cars around I did not miss any of the music’s details. Worked also well when my wife watched television next to me. The shells are small and comfortable. I’d compare them in this respect to the Sennheiser IE 40 PRO [review].

SOURCE AND EARTIPS

The EM2 were easily driven by my iPhone SE. The included wide-bore tips generated a treble-happy, blurry, unbalanced sound that didn’t do it for me. The included narrow-bores, on the other hand, worked just great for me.


TONALITY

JK’s tonal preference and testing practice

The included narrow-bore eartips allegedly emphasize bass. But all they do is move the lower treble peak to the left and attenuate the upper treble resonant peak, which creates only the perception of a stronger bass.


Simgot EM2 frequency responses with narrow-bore and wide-bore tips.

The overall image is a gentle U with a forward inclination from between the nicely extended sub-bass into the lower midrange, similar to favourites such as the Sennheiser IE 40 PRO, Soundmagic E10C, or the original black Brainwavz B200. This means that the bass slam comes from way below (and not from the mid-bass or upper bass), which avoids a thick low end and generates clarity in the vocals department of the lower midrange but also keeps warmth to a minimum. The bass is fast, focused and crisp, but not overly punchy, just as purists like it.


Simgot EM2 frequency response with narrow-bore tips.

The lower midrange is a slightly recessed and low voices/rhythm guitars could be a bit denser with more body and lustre, but this recession adds depth to the image. Vocals are clear, well contoured, and natural. The slightly boosted upper midrange adds brightness to the sound but not enough to create harshness. The whole midrange is close to neutral.

Treble fits in with the midrange. It is not overly extended and devoid of strange peaks, which excludes sibilance and piercing. High piano notes are well defined and cymbals are crisp and well resolving but they don’t have the sparkle and pearliness of the ISN Rambos [review].

Soundstage is of average width, good height, and lesser but still average depth. Instrument separation and layering are good and so are transparency and sense of space. The timbre is almost there for classical music, a bit of natural warmth is missing in the string instruments, but this is rather minor. I find that the DD and the BA work well together and produce a coherent image.

Simgot gives a channel imbalance of maximally 1.5 dB at 1 kHz (see specs above) — I achieved a close to perfect match in my measurements across the frequency spectrum.

In summary, the sound of the Simgot EM2 can be described as leaning towards bright and neutral (but not sterile), with excellent clarity. I found they brightened up some of my dull, muffled old 1980s recordings.


Frequency responses of the Simgot EM2, Ikko OH1, and the Kanas Moondrop Pro: similar graphs, different tonalities.

In comparison, the warmer and more organic sounding single DD Moodrop Kanas Pro ($179) [review] have a stronger bass slam, smoother midrange and treble, and less transparency. And they have bigger and much heavier earpieces.

The $139 Ikko OH1 [photos] have even more emphasis on sub-bass than the Kanas Pro and a more pronounced V-shaped image than the Simgot EM2, while being warmer across the frequency spectrum. Their alloy shells are marginally bigger and CNC machined.

The fact that the frequency responses of all of the above are essentially identical from approx. 2 kHz down, shows the limitations of the usefulness of measurements for characterizing/comparing the sound of different driver configuration/tunings…and/or that my fantasy took over.

The Sennheiser IE 40 PRO also have a warmer, fuller sound with a more robust low end and more upper treble than the Simgot EM2.

In summary, the EM2 is the closest to neutral, clearest, and the least bassy of the bunch and will appeal to the demanding and mature listener.


CONCLUDING REMARKS

Overall, these Simgot EM2 are a keeper which excel by their clarity — the only improvement I would suggest is bringing the lower midrange forward. The sound quality of this 1+1 hybrid shows once again that less is more and that the race for the highest number of drivers is futile, at least in the budget and mid-price segments. I am sure we will hear a lot more from Simgot in the near future. And since their products are available from amazon, you don’t have to wait long for your shipment.


DISCLAIMER

I received the EM2 unsolicited and free from Simgot for my independent review. Thank you very much!
This review was originally posted at https://audioreviews.org. You find a series of photos of the iem THERE.

Our generic standard disclaimer

About our measurements

Acknowledgement:
I would like to thank Simgot for providing me with a pair of the Simgot EM2 free of charge in exchange for my review.

Introduction:
I reviewed the Simgot's EN700PRO, which was a single DD IEM with a very nice balanced tuning. When I learnt Simgot was coming out with a hybrid line-up, I was looking forward to it. After reading reviews on EM3 and EM5 which appear to be brightly tuned IEMs, I knew they were not my cup of tea. So when Simgot reached out to me if I was interested in reviewing either the EM3 or the EM5, I turned down the offer in the beginning of 2018. I was told that they were coming out with the EM2 in a few months, which they thought would better suit my taste. Around fall of 2018, they shipped the EM2 to me and I had been caught up with some work that I couldn't get to the review sooner.

Packaging, Accessories and Cable:
You get the standard accessories that you get with all Simgot IEMs. A beautiful brown leather case and 6 x sets of eartips (3 x Bass Tips and 3 x Upper-Mid and High Tips). Simgot’s brown leather case is the probably one of the best stock cases one can get these days. Unlike most cases, which turn out to be not very practical for everyday use, Simgot’s leather case is hard enough to protect your IEMs from falls, is slim enough to fit your pocket, and the magnetic flap makes it a breeze to access the storage compartment for stowing or retrieving the IEM. I just can’t stress how much I love this case. And the best part is, it does all that and looks very sophisticated with the brown leather finish. As for the included cable, it is very flexible but is slightly prone to tangling. As the IEM is worn with the cable running over the ear, microphonics is almost non-existent.



Comfort and Isolation:
Both, comfort and isolation are very good for a universal IEM. As these are lighter than the EN700PRO, these sit more comfortably in my ears.

Source Matching and Hiss:
EM2s are very efficient and sensitive and they play just fine even out of a smartphone. These don’t hiss like some of the multi-BA IEMs, but pairing these with amps that have a high noise floor will make the IEM to pick up some hiss. But that is the case with most IEMs. So in terms of balance between ease to drive and hiss, EM2 works just ideally.



Sound:
EM2 has a bit of a U shaped signature, which is a result of slightly bumped up mid-bass and lower-treble. I am typically not a fan of U shaped signatures, but there are some IEMs with a U shaped signature that actually sound good. Unfortunately, EM2 isn’t one of those good sounding U shaped IEMs. As the enhancement in the lows are focussed towards mid-bass and lower-mids, EM2 creates boomy bass and thick notes. There is decent sub-bass as the DD driver helps with the extension. While the mid-bass is boomy, the impact and slams are palpable and nice, adding a fun factor to the sound.

The warm and thick sounding mids work well for male vocals and lower harmonic instruments. But there is a lack of balance between lower and upper mids that the warmth and thickness cast a veil. This is due to insufficient upper-mids. So the female vocals and instruments with majority of frequencies lying in the upper-mid region sound dull and lacking in articulation. While the lower treble bump tries to compensate for that, it doesn’t do a great job and ends up sounding bright.

As for non-tonal aspects such as separation, layering and soundstage, EM2 performs at a level of what you can expect from a $100 IEM. Meaning, it is going to be noticeably better than the earbuds that come with your smartphone, but not as good as some of the champion IEMs in the price range.

Comparison:
Vs EN700Pro:
Compared to the EM2, 700 is more balanced sounding. It is a more coherent sounding IEM with better balance not only on the entire spectrum, but also within bass, mids and treble. As a whole EN700Pro is more accurate sounding than the EM2. While one might think that the EM2 might work better for genres like electronic and pop, as a result of EM2’s U Shaped signature, those genres still work better on the 700, as it sounds energetic. 700 also does the non-tonal aspects like soundstage and separation slightly better than the EM2.



Conclusion:
I can’t recommend the EM2, when the EN700Pro is available for the same price. While Simgot is trying to offer something different with its hybrid series IEMs, they probably need to rethink the tuning of the EM2. While the EM2 is in no way a bad IEM, they have not surpassed their own EN700Pro.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Headphones-SIMGOT-Detachable-Noise-Isolating-Smartphones/dp/B07JXZD7LG

The EM2 is a new (single Knowles BA/DD) hybrid from Simgot, whose single dynamic EN700 Bass is still one of the best-tuned $100 phones I’ve heard. Packaging and accessories are lavish (silver cable, great leather case); the unboxing experience is orgasmic. Build is solid, although I prefer the metal aesthetic of the EN700 to the less elegant-looking acrylics of the EM2. Sleek, tear-shaped shells provide for excellent fit and comfort; for some reason these isolated well outdoors and less well in the gym. Very efficient and easily driven with a mobile; however these also scale well with more powerful sources, which deepens subbass impact.

I hear these as mildly U-shaped, with a neutral to slightly bright tonality and moderately crisp note texture. Soundstage is very holographic, with more width than height, and layering and imaging is pinpoint. With the “bass” eartips (and esp. with foams), subbass extends quite low and, in contrast to the EN700, the EM2 has impeccable bass control and speed, although midbass is fairly flat and modest in quantity; these lack the seismic slam and physicality of, say, the Ibasso IT01 and are not optimal for EDM or technoid genres. (Note that the included “treble” tips do, as advertised, markedly attenuate high end, but render these overdamped/ bass shy and somewhat unbalanced; in general the Simgot EM2 are extremely tip-sensitive). Mids are slightly recessed but very revealing; voices have very good clarity and audibility despite sounding slightly far back from the center stage. High end is well extended, with a nice sibilant-free sheen and sparkle and are also very detailed; I heard new subtleties on familiar recordings and these sort out complex orchestral passages very, very capably. Driver coherence is flawless; the EM2 lack the sizzly, overbusy character of many of the new breed of cheap multidriver Chifis. They are, however, ruthlessly revealing of bad recordings.

Compared to the EN700, the EM2 are more analytical and “audiophile tuned”–more revealing, with a rounder stage and tighter (if less voluminous) bass; next to players like the Tehnz P4 or even the Moondrop Kanas the EM2 sounds less smoothed-over and more accurate. That said, I won’t say the EM2 are clearly better than the EN700 or the Moondrop Kanas, which sound “tubier” and beefier than the EM2, although the EM2 are the better choice for critical listening, esp. with less bass-heavy fare. Very fairly priced at $115.

SPECIFICATIONS

Transducer: 10 mm high magnetic compound dynamic driver & Knowles balanced armature RAF-32873
Polymer compound titanium-plated diaphragm N50 strong magnetic circuit, Acoustic hanging system, Brass stabilizing rings
Frequency Response: 15 Hz – 40 kHz
Sensitivity:　 ≥101dB（at 1000Hz）
Impedance: 15Ω
Distortion: <1% 101dB（20μpa）
Channel Imbalance: <1.5dB（at 1000Hz）
Rated Power: 10 mW
Cable: 4 cores of SPC braided cable

DISCLAIMER

I got the EM2 unsolicited and free from Simgot; I bought the other IEMs mentioned above.

disclaimer: Simgot kindly sent the EM2 and MTW5 for review. I have no financial interest in Simgot, nor are my words here influenced by any outside concern. If you are interested in Simgot products, please check here for more details or visit their amazon store to purchase.



Unboxing / Packaging:

Packaging on the Simgot EM2 is classy and understated. An outer slip-cover has a large stylized drawing of the EM Series earphones on the front. Specs (in English) are on a sticker that is affixed to the shrink-wrap on the reverse and covers the original specs (in Chinese) beneath. Also on the reverse is an exploded diagram of the EM2 done in a tastefully subdued gray on black background. Once the slip-cover is removed, a black pressboard box is exposed with the Simgot Emblem on front again in subdued gloss black on flat black. Lifting the cover off the box reveals a foam tray with earpieces at top and a leather carrying case below. The cable and warranty cards are hidden beneath the foam tray while two cards of tips are tucked neatly into the carrying case. Overall the packaging seems fitting for the price point represented and done very tastefully.




Accessories/Tips:

The EM2 comes with a well made leather case with Simgot logo on the front, slogan on the rear, and magnetic closure. Inside the case are two cards that each contain a set of silicone eartips in three sizes. Card 1 contains the standard tips while card 2 has bass enhancing tips. The Cable has a velcro retainer but lacks a shirt clip. If there is a ding, it is that the case is not large enough to store both the tip cards and the earphone but for most they will pick a tip from the cards and use it so carrying both cards of tips around is probably not all that likely anyway.

The two sets of tips do indeed make a difference in sound. Both are made of the same material and seat to roughly the same depth, but the bore diameter is enough different to change the sonics. I found Tip 1 to be more accurate and provide a closer to neutral signature while Tip 2 was more relaxed and more musical for long listening sessions. Tip 1 is brighter and can verge on too bright at times while tip 2 emphasizes the lower end more and helps offset the natural tendency of the EM2 to be a bit bright.






Build/Fit:

Shells are transparent plastic with a mild smoking as I received what Simgot lists as the black model. This is a nice change of pace as all the color options are subdued. A single vent is on the underside of the shell immediately behind the nozzle. The Left earpiece is labeled "BA x1 Dynamic x1" while the right earpiece is labeled "2 way hybrid iem". Nozzles exit the lead edge of the iem with a slightly forward rake. Tips seat deeply on the nozzles which does limit insertion depth and a large ring on the nozzle prevents slippage of the tips. The earpieces themselves are mid-sized and I think only the smallest of ears might find them problematic. Comfort is good as they sit firmly in place without any high spots or odd angles and the ear-hooks work well to prevent movement during activity. I also found the EM2 to be lighter than many earpieces which contributes to overall comfort as well.




Internals:

The EM2 is a hybrid using the same titanium coated 10mm dynamic driver of EN700 fame paired with the Knowles 32873 balanced armature to handle top end duties. Nominal impedance is listed as 10Ω which may be low enough to cause some issues with impedance matching. Sensitivity is listed as 100dB/mw (at 1kHz) suggesting that the EM2 should be easy to drive using a smartphone or tablet. I found it performed well from Android (Moto) and Apple (10r) phones but does benefit from having a bit more power available to it. It scales well to a point but beyond that I saw no additional gains. (My Opus #1s on mid gain showed the same characteristics as going to the Burson Fun with its significantly higher horsepower).



Cable:

I was particularly impressed with the .78mm bi-pin housing on the Simgot cable. The connectors are recessed inside the housing to protect the pins and to strengthen the connection when installed. This is an excellent idea, but does limit use of 3rd party cables as they tend to look a bit disjointed in comparison. The cable itself is a 4 core copper braid up to the splitter and two twisted pairs above. The jack and splitter both feature a rose gold colored metal housing encased in a clear rubber like plastic. The Chin slider is the same metal but lacks the coating. The Jack is a straight 3.5mm TRS design with good strain relief so should last well unless abused. the bi-pin connectors also share the same rose gold metal ring giving the cable a very nice overall look. Two minor issues do warrant mentioning. First, the Chin slider is mostly ornamental as it is too loose on the cable and simply falls back to rest on top of the splitter during use. Second, the L/R markings on the connectors are clear on clear and can be very difficult to make out. A colored dot would go a long way to making this easier to see.




Sound:




Bass:

Sub-bass is present but in limited quantity and is enhanced some by using the bass tips provided. I found the bass on the EM2 to be very tip sensitive so tip rolling to find the best combination for the individual will likely be needed. I Found the provided bass tips worked well, but Spiral dots and the Auvio Wide bore worked even better for me. With the larger bore tips, sub-bass is still recessed but slightly less so and the EM2 manages to have some low rumble. Mid-bass is a bit more forward but equally well controlled. Attack is slightly faster than decay leaving a bit of warmth lingering but decay is not so slow as to feel overly thick or heavy. Even with bass tips, this IEM leans toward the neutral or mild w shape and will not please a basshead.



Mids:

I'm well pleased with the mids on the EM2 as they are much more the star of the show than on most other brands at this same price point. Lower mids transition from the mid-bass smoothly and have good weight to them giving lower register vocals good body and timbre. True mids are slightly behind the lower mids but still not pronouncedly so. The upper mids rise above the rest of the signature (along with lower treble) but only mildly so and give female vocals and higher strings a bit of extra life. Higher pitched vocals are slightly more forward and intimate than their lower voiced counterparts as a result, but not so much so as to feel incoherent in the overall.



Treble:

This is what I was most interested in hearing. Having had a couple of earlier Simgot models, I know treble has been a struggle for them at times. (I was unabashedly not a fan of the EN700 pro for exactly this reason). Well, I can say that crossing the dynamic a bit lower and adding the 32873 Knowles BA has definitely improved the treble on the EM2 compared to earlier efforts. This is movement in the right direction. The lower treble flows from the upper mids without a big forward jump and gives snare a nice clean edge that was not present in earlier versions. Roll-off is fairly steep above 10kHz which removes any tendency toward stridency and I found I could wear the EM2 for extended periods without notable fatigue. Air and sparkle could be slightly better, but this is an obvious trade off to achieve the polite treble of the EM2.



Soundstage / Imaging:

Soundstage is wider than deep and makes the listener feel as if they are slightly back from the stage in a small auditorium. I did not find any tendency to get congested as tracks got more complex and instrument separation is very good throughout the entire range. Imaging is good and instrument position on the stage is easily discernible as well as movements around the stage. I did not find them to have a holographic stage as most detail seems to come from more or less directly in front of the listener rather than feeling like you were at the center of the production.



Comparisons:

Ibasso IT01

The IT01 is more V shaped than the EM2 and has more bass slam but mids are recessed compared to the EM2 and lack some detail. The EM2 comes much closer to neutral and treble has a more natural timbre than the IT01. Those looking for a fuller, more bass heavy sound will prefer the IT01 while those looking for more detail in a thinner more neutral profile will prefer the EM2 (even with the bass tips).

Fiio F9 Pro

The F9 Pro is much more V shaped than the EM2 and delivers more bass and especially sub-bass. Those wanting bass slam will appreciate the F9 while those looking for a more neutral and natural presentation will prefer the EM2. Treble is more polite on the EM2 than on the F9 Pro and while the pro improved on the overly sharp treble of the original F9, it still has more of a tendency to become strident than the EM2.

NiceHCK M6

The M6 is much more V shaped and even with the filters is more bass heavy than the EM2. Both have really good mids, but the M6 requires the use of the DMG vented filter to really bring them out. The M6 wins on tuning options, while the EM2 has a more natural sound out of the box without having to add additional filters. Those who enjoy modding will prefer the M6 with the greater flexibility, while those who wish to just use their eims without having to fiddle with it, the EM2 provides a solid option.



Thoughts / Conclusion:

Simgot has departed from the norm with the EM2. While most of the Chi-fi world has gone to packing in as many drivers as possible and tunes for the big V with lots of extra treble energy, the EM2 eschews this for a much simpler and more coherent approach. The upside is a much more fluid presentation without the choppiness and grain often associated with the multi-BA budget iems. The detail is better in both quantity and quality than expected and no single range jumps out at the user. Those tired of the over-emphasized bass and treble at the expense of mids will really enjoy the EM2 as will those looking for snare and cymbals to be crisp without being metallic as is so often the case. Overall, I find the EM2 represents good value as it offers a very different signature than typical at the price point combined with solid construction and a well thought out kit.

My background- I am a professional musician, producer and audio engineer with experience in the performing, recording and pro-audio industry. I test products on a technical and musical level and try to write reviews as simple as possible from a music fan's perspective.

Genre preferences- I majorly listen to rock, acoustic, pop and metal genres and occasionally checkout EDM music which is doing the rounds on the radio and charts.

Reference Songs list-
1. Foo Fighters- The Pretender, Best of You & Everlong
2. Imagine Dragons- Radioactive & It’s Time
3. Coldplay- Paradise, Up in Flames & Everglow
4. Ed Sheeran- Thinking out loud, Bloodstream & Don’t
5. Gavin James- Always & Hearts on Fire
6. John Mayer- Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, Stop this Train & Say
7. Switchfoot- Meant to live & Dare You to Move
8. Linkin Park- Papercut & Somewhere I belong
9. Porcupine Tree- The Sound of Muzak & Blackest Eyes
10. I Am Giant- Transmission
11. Karnivool- Simple Boy & Goliath
12. Dead Letter Circus- Real You
13. Lamb of God- Redneck & Laid to Rest

About the IEM- The EM2 are hybrids with 1 Dynamic Driver and 1 Balanced Armature. According to the company, the dynamic driver is the same core driver as found in the EN700 Pro and the Balanced Armature is a Knowles RAF 32873. They are available in 5 colors and come with a 1 year warranty.

Included in the box- Simgot EM2, 6 Pairs of Ear-tips, Leather storage bag, Manual, Global Warranty and VIP card.





Build Quality- The company hasn’t specified what the shells are made up of but they look like acrylic/plastic. This design is unlike the previous EN700 range which were made up of aluminum and had a nice vintage look. I would’ve preferred if the shells didn’t have visible center seams but I’ve tested them against rigor usage and they seem solidly built. The cable provided is a 4 core SPC with a modified 0.78mm 2 pin connector designed with a protection slot which prevents the pins from breaking. This is great since I always fear the pins breaking when I’m pushing the cable in. I felt a very minor driver flex in the right IEM but it’s not a deal breaker as I’ve experienced way more in similarly priced popular DD IEMs.

Fit and Comfort- I prefer over the ear design IEMs. The shells are small enough to fit comfortably in my ear snugly and with the right ear tips they provide decent isolation against exterior noise. I got the best fit with the RHA large tips out of my stash but the included tips will work great as well. The fit is like Fiio F9 Pro but they are way lighter and were comfortable to wear over long periods of time.

Sound- This IEM’s full capability depends on finding the right tip for the snuggest fit so I’d suggest you roll the tips. I’m writing this review by testing with Eartips II which have narrower bores as I like their fit and sound, and also the RHA large tips.

Bass- With a test signal, I checked that these IEMs are capable of producing lows from 20Hz as claimed in their Hi-Res certification. Onto the music, the sub bass is present and decent. Mid bass is good and controlled but not as prominent as the sub bass. The bass note clarity and definition is good for the price and bass sits well along with the rest of the frequency spectrum. Mind you, if you’re looking at bass head levels of bass, this one isn’t for you as the bass is more towards the neutral side.

Mids- The mids on this IEM aren’t as recessed as similarly priced V-shaped IEMs. As a result, vocals sound more upfront and do not get lost in the mix with heavier guitars. Ed Sheeran’s vocals on Thinking out loud were upfront and sounded very nice. The kick drum and the snare body on rock tracks like I Am Giant’s Transmission are well voiced and fun to listen to. Drummers or people who enjoy drums are going to love this aspect of the IEM. I would’ve liked it if they had a small dip of around 3dB in the 500Hz to fine tune stuff like lower piano notes and bass separation when they are played together.

Treble- Now treble is the strong suit of the EM2 and this is where having that Knowles BA helps a lot. The guitars sound clear, prominent and well represented. In layered music, all instruments dependent on treble quality like the guitars, sheen of the stringed orchestral instruments, cymbals, etc., are going to sound clear with good separation. High pitched and falsetto singers sound good without being sibilant because the 8kHz region is well controlled. The treble is non-fatiguing and I’ll say it has enough decent air for the money you are shelling out.

Soundstage, Imaging and Separation- It resolves width and depth well. I listen for the reverb trail to analyze depth better. Coldplay’s Up in Flames is a good song for that. You can clearly hear the depth and trail of the reverb on the snare sidestick. For checking imaging, I listen to Switchfoot’s Meant to Live and the EM2 images the hard-panned guitars in the intro well and mixes don’t seem claustrophobic. Instrument separation is good, only if the 500Hz region had a small dip, it would’ve been great but that’s me being overly particular. Well, with the price range in mind, EM2 performs well.

Comparisons-

iBasso IT01($109)- IT01 has more sub-bass and mid bass as compared to the EM2 and therefore more enjoyable in that regard for bass lovers. EM2's bass on the other hand is for the other spectrum of the audience which prefers neutral-ish lighter bass. The EM2’s mids are more present (or a little less recessed) than the IT01 and it can be a good or bad thing as per your sound signature preferences. EM2’s treble is more prominent and clearer than the IT01 because of that Knowles BA. IT01’s presentation is a bit nicer, warmer and soundstage is a bit wider than the EM2. If I had to choose, I'd be okay with either one of them as they are a little different in sound signature presentation. A cross between them with IT01’s cable, bass, lower mids & soundstage and EM2’s high mids and treble (guitars predominantly) would be great!

Simgot EN700 Bass (~$100)- These two are a little similar. EN700 Bass has a little more sub bass and mid bass than EM2. The mids on the EN700 Bass are warmer but EM2 has more impact. EM2’s treble is cleaner and more prominent than EN700 Bass. Both IEMs soundstage is good. EM2 has an added advantage of a detachable cable.

Fiio FH1($75)- This is easy. As compared to the EM2, the FH1’s bass is way more prominent and the treble is not as detailed. EM2 is the opposite, clarity driven with decent bass for an average listener’s requirements.

Conclusion- Simgot EM2 is a good hybrid IEM for around $100. In today’s world of Chi-fi where you get 3-4 Chinese made BA + DD under or around $100, Simgot have stuck to a simple configuration and tried to tune it to the best of their ability. They’ve used good capable drivers, their acclaimed EN700 PRO dynamic driver and an impressive Knowles BA to achieve that result. The two sets of ear tips help quite a bit in shaping the sound signature. Vocals, guitars and drum fans will enjoy it. I would’ve liked slightly more of the mid bass but for the price they are going for at the moment, they are a very good value proposition.