Introduction
 
Simgot is a new name in Asian audio that is getting some attention with their new EN700 model. Supposedly, some that were involved in tuning the Ostry IEMs have tuned this one, so it immediately caught my interest upon hearing this.
 
I’d like to thank Shenzhen Audio for providing me the Simgot EN700 for review.
 
 
REVIEW
 
Specifications

1. Housing: Aluminum and stainless steel
2. Driver unit: Single 10 mm dynamic
3. Frequency response: 15 Hz – 25 kHz
4. Impedance: 24 ohm
5. Sensitivity: 101 +/- 3 dB/mW
6. Power rating: 10 mW
7. Cable length: 4 ft (1.2 m)
8. Conductor: Silver-plated oxygen-free copper wire, antibacterial TPU
9. Connector: 3.5 mm

 
Accessories/Packaging

1. Leather storage case
2. 6 pairs of silicone ear tips

 
 
 
 
 
The packaging is high quality, with the leather case being the highlight of the accessories. This kind of presentation is what I want in a purchase inching towards the $100 range.
 
Housing/Fit/Isolation
 

 
 
The design heavily borrows from HiFiMan’s Flagship HE-1000 headphone, no question about it.  It does makes the EN700 look very good, but also takes away from any originality that could have come from the design. I don’t think Simgot when I look at these, I think HiFiMan, which isn’t something you want when building a brand. The housing isn’t the most comfortable either, as it’s over-ear, shallow insertion creates seal and eartip issues. I was able to get the best results from the newest KZ black whirlwind type tips, which are quickly becoming my favorites alongside the JVC Spiral Dots.
 
Cable
 
Chin slider, sturdy, memory wire over ear. Nothing special, but not bad either.
 
Sound
Testing Gear (in order of quality)
 
LH Labs Pulse X Infinity 2.0
LH Labs Geek Out V2+ Infinity
Axon 7
Asrock Fatality amped onboard DAC/amp
 
Music used for testing
Alter Bridge, Iron Maiden, Buckethead, Korn, Testament, Die Antwoord
 
Amplifier Needed?
No
 
Sound Signature
 
Neutral bass, mid centric focusing on vocals, boosted and unnatural treble (almost to a point of distortion)
 
Bass
 
Insertion and seal play a huge part in bass levels. It is very easy to have little to no bass with a majority of eartips. An absolute perfect seal must be achieved or you will be disappointed in this IEM. It even throws off my Veritas measurements, with an almost 20dB difference in bass levels, as seen here:
 

 
 
With a perfect seal, bass is neutral to slightly elevated, reminding me a bit of Havi B3’s bass, with the EN700 having a bit more clarity and subbass. While you won’t always notice the bass, once you throw on a deep rap bassline you’ll all of a sudden feel all the bass that was seemingly missing before.
 
Midrange
 
If you love mid centric IEMs, you may love these. Much like the old Ostry KC06, the EN700 seems tuned specifically for vocal performances. Vocals excel and are the high point/strength of the EN700.
 
While providing the clarity for vocals to excel, guitar distortion can push into sibilant levels however. While this won’t be that noticeable during a rap or pop song, metal becomes fatiguing and a bit too sharp at anything above lower volumes. EQ can tame it, but it’s a shame because these are so close to being excellent.
 
Treble
 
While the dynamic driver in the EN700 is fully capable of providing full extension from lows to highs, I feel the IEM would have benefitted in being a BA/DD hybrid. I think the driver is tasked with doing too much, making treble suffer from the same sibilant sharpness found in the upper mids at times, making things sound a bit off without EQ to bring it down.
 
A warm source might be the key in synergy with this IEM, as the EN700 is more tolerable on my AKM DAC in the Axon 7 than with my Pulse Infinity. Still, extension is excellent for a single DD, and those that are less treble sensitive may not have an issue. At most times, a high quality sound IS there, but it doesn’t favor my music choices.
 
Soundstage, Imaging, Resolution
 
Soundstage is above average with nice width. Imaging and resolution are also above average, with a slight knock against being sibilance prone.
 
Comparisons
 
Simgot EN700 vs QY-20:  It EN700 is a detailed, mid centric IEM that reminds me of the Ostry KC06. The QY-20 has much more sub and midbass, making a more pleasing listen to me. The EN700 has more pronounced mids, a better soundstage, and equal to slightly better clarity.
 
Dunu Titan 1 vs EN700: The EN700 is slightly better than the Titan 1 in all aspects aside from the treble sibilance. I prefer the fit of the Titan, but find the open back difficult to use on a commute without annoying everyone around me.
 
Conclusion
 
The EN700 is a nice first entry into the market from Simgot, but it could use some slight improvements. Increase the bass a bit, add a BA, and fix the sibilance in the mids and highs and you’ll have a fantastic IEM.
 
At its current price of $99, it is difficult to recommend over budget hybrids such as the Urbanfun and **** 4in1, both of which can be bought for less than half of the price of the EN700 and sound a bit better.
 
It may sound as if I'm negative about the EN700, but that isn't really the case. While they aren't my personal preference, there is a lot to like here and it may be a fantastic purchase for quite a few people.
 
You can purchase the Simgot EN700 here:
 
http://www.shenzhenaudio.com/simgot-en700-in-ear-dynamic-earphone-24-original.html

Simgot/Suzuka EN700 Earphone Review - Expatinjapan

 

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Simgot/Suzuka EN700 review​

-expatinjapan​

 

Thank you to Shenzhenaudio CN for sending us the EN700 for review​

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http://www.shenzhenaudio.com/simgot-en700-in-ear-dynamic-earphone-24-original.html​

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Facebook​

https://www.facebook.com/audiofans?fref=ts​

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Packaging and build.
 
Full unboxing here:  http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2016/07/en700-simgotsuzaku-earphone-unboxing.html
 

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The earphones are made of a light weight metal. Housing: Aluminum and stainless steel.​

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The box is a nice size, not too big. It is just the right size for the included earphones and accessories.​

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The EN700 comes with a generous array of tips.
I prefer a longer nozzle on my earphones, the EN700 has a medium length nozzle, I was able to achieve a decent seal with the larger silicone tips.
 

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Many people have commented on the striking look of the EN700 and have likened it to a mini HE1000.
I like it, it gives me thoughs of 1950s Americana and early science fiction images.
 

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Cables are fixed and not detachable. 
There is a memory wire for added fit around the ears.
 

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  It comes with an attractive case. I just noticed now on the backside of the case is lettered `Salute to Art and Science` in a simple cursive script. A nice touch.
 

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Specifications

Specification:                                                                                   
Product Name: SIMGOT EN700 In Ear Earphone
Type: In-ear 
Brand:  SIMGOT
Model:  EN700
Impedance: 24Ω
Headphone sensitivity: 101 3 dB/mW
Frequency range: 15-25000Hz
Degree of distortion: <1% 101dB (20μpa)
Sound track difference: <1.5dB (at 1000Hz)
Power Rating: 10mW
Housing: Housing: Aluminum and stainless steel.
Conductor: 25 * 0.05mm silver-plated oxygen-free copper wire antibacterial TPU
Interface: 3.5mm
Cable Length: 1.2m 0.05m
Color: Silver
Whether with mic: No mic
Earphone plug type: Line type
Vibrating membrane: polymer composite diaphragm
Drive unit: 10mm ultra high magnetic composite dynamic unit
 

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Fit
 
I could achieve a comfortable fit with the EN700 after trying out several sizes of tips and adjusting the memory wire in the cable.
The nozzle is of average length, but with some playing around I was able to get a satisfying seal.
The earphones are fairly light weight.
Due to the bulbous shape of the housings results may vary person to person.
 

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Value
 
At around US$100 the Simgot/Suzaku EN700 is well within the affordable range.
 
For cool looks alone it is worth it
Build is decent and the cable is strong and supple.
Sound scales up well with different sources.
 

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Sound
 
As per usual I got some decent hours on the earphones before proceeding with the review.
 
I used the Opus#1 Dap, Centrance Hifi Skyn, ipod touch 6G and Shozy Zero Gold for testing.
The music I listened to was a wide range on shuffle to check the best points and limitations of the EN700.
 
I have found the EN700 to be fairly clear and even overall. The main focus seems to be the mids and vocals, then the treble, and lastly the bass. It appears quite neutral.
 
It is a $100 earphone and performs as such, but with that there is a pleasing aspect to it.
 
Bass: The bass is there, but is fairly narrowly presented. On occasion deep, but not in your face heavy.
Mids: Are clear and add a musicality to the presentation.  Crisp, smooth and lush. Not overly warm.
Treble: Has a good clarity. Adds a lightness and airiness to the presentation. No sibilance or harshness to the treble. 
 
Vocals: They come across as natural and are nicely matched to the music. Prominant, but neither too far forward nor recessed.
 
Sound stage: The sound stage is medium, but the separation of instruments makes up for this.
If I were to describe what I am hearing, the bass is in the middle of my head, the mids and treble reach the outside rim of my head and ears.
 
Instrument separation: This is done quite cleverly. The EN700 houses a large 10mm driver and it performs quite satisfactory. Quite musical, a bit of bleed in here and there but overall very enjoyable and laid back with decent details.
 
 
 

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Overall
The Simgot/Suzaku EN700 is an affordable, beautiful looking earphone.
 
The sound quality scales up well with different sources. The better the player the better it sounded.
 
It is more treble and mid focussed than bass centered.
Whilst I have down played the bass, it is there, fast...but more closer to the neutral side of things.
 
The sound stage is medium, but acceptable and enjoyable due to the decent instrument separation.
 
It has a decent sized dynamic driver that helps it in overall performance.
 
The EN700 does not seem to distort at high volumes.
 
All in all the EN700 is an enjoyable and non fatiguing earphone. It tends towards the neutral side of things but has enough energy, separation and soundstage to be pleasing. 
 
It has honestly exceeded my expectations. Nice job.
 

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Thank you to Shenzhenaudio CN for sending us the EN700 for review​

-expatinjapan​

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Preamble:

I saw the SIMGOT EN700 some time ago and haven’t really thought about it much at all. Then I read some people saying that it kind of looked like if the HiFiMan HE-1000 transformed into an in-ear, and I have to admit that this is kind of true and the outer grille design of the EN700 does indeed look somewhat similar to the HE-1000 in a miniature format.

I was recently asked by Penon Audio whether I was interested in reviewing the EN700 or not, and before I could even accept or decline, the in-ears were sent to me free of charge for the purpose of an honest, unbiased review. Thank you for that.
As always, I am neither affiliated with either of the companies and am not receiving any compensation or profit.

As far as I have seen, the EN700 that goes for $99 and is a single dynamic driver in-ear that is supposed to be worn over the ears. It is also SIMGOT’s first in-ear, nonetheless their appearance and website looks (http://www.simgot.com/en/products/detail/5.html#!/detail) well-structured and professional, hence I wouldn’t be too surprised at all if the SIMGOT staff doesn’t consist of rookies but in fact of at least halfway experienced people from the audio industry, but that is to be found out in the course of this review.

So without further ado, let’s get started.


Technical Specifications:

Price: $99 (http://penonaudio.com/SIMGOT-EN700)
Transducer unit: 10 mm high magnetic composite moving-coil driver
Frequency response: 15 Hz - 25 kHz
Sensitivity: ≥101 dB (at 1000Hz)
Impedance: 24Ω
Distortion: <1%  @ 101 dB
Rated power: 10 mW


Delivery Content:

The professional impression from the website continues with the package.
On its front and sides, it shows nice pictures of the in-ears and cable, and displays an interesting exploded diagram on the back.
The actual package that is black can be slid out of the white sleeve and features a picture of an interesting animal that looks like the mixture of a dragon and chicken and is probably something that comes from Chinese tales or mythology.
Inside, one will then find the in-ears, a manual, warranty card, cleaning tool, leather carrying case, two paper sheets with three pairs of long stem and short stem silicone tips on each and last but not least a small bag with one pair of foam tips as well as one pair of extra small long stem silicone tips.
 

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Looks, Feels, Build Quality:

The in-ears look extremely beautiful and are perfectly built.
The matte silver housings have got a shiny silver grille on the outside that really resembles the HiFiMan HE-1000’s design and is surrounded by a copper-coloured frame.
The cables are permanently attached and have got memory wire. The cable is flexible and well built, and above the metallic y-split, one can find a metallic chin-slider. The straight 3.5 mm connector is made of metal, too, and has got good strain relief.
In the cable’s lower section is a Velcro cable tie that can fortunately be taken off, as I don’t fully like such ties.
Overall, especially the unique design and excellent build quality leave a very positive impression, even more so at the price point.
 

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The carrying case could be a little larger inside to better fit the EN700 with attached long stem silicone tips, however it is still possible.
 

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Comfort, Isolation:

The in-ears are supposed to be worn with the cables around the ears which is also the professional standard in higher price ranges. This is also my preferred wearing style with all in-ears as it makes the fit better and reduces microphonics.
The in-ears are on the slightly larger side but sit flush in one’s ears.

I am very glad that also tips with a longer stem come included, else I would have had to strongly criticise the fit with the other included ones. With the longer stem silicone tips, fit is relatively good for me however not perfect despite my large ears.
Microphonics are by the way pretty much inexistent.

Sound isolation is on the somewhat weaker side and below average.


Sound:

Just in case, the in-ears were burnt in for 150 hours with sine and noise signals before even first casual listening started.

My main sources were the iBasso DX80, Luxury & Precision L3 Pro as well as the HiFime 9018d.

For listening, I used the largest included long stem silicone tips.

Tonality:

Before I go on with what I heard, let me tell you about one thing where the EN700 is somewhat flawed in my opinion: Chances are high that it won’t sound identical for everybody. The reason behind this is that the vent on the inside has got a huge influence on bass quantity. Depending on how much it is covered, the lows can either be very flat, super bassy or somewhere in-between. This is also why I have read some impressions of the EN700 being bass-light but others that stated the opposite, saying it has got the right amount of low-end impact.

Let me illustrate this with a frequency response measurement that displays the sound with a totally open and a totally closed vent:


 

The orange line obviously displays an open vent hole whereas the green one covers the sound with a fully closed vent. So depending on individual ear anatomy, the sound might vary.

Please note that my plots weren't recorded with professional equipment but with my Vibro Veritas coupler that was pseudo-calibrated to more or less match a real IEC 711 coupler’s response with applied diffuse-field target, hence the results shouldn’t be regarded as absolute values but rather as a rough visualisation. Especially at 3, 6 and 9 kHz, there are sometimes greater deviations from professional plots with at least 5 to 10 dB – but for a general, rough amateur comparison between various in-ears and a rough idea of how they sound, the results are sufficient, and in the mids and lows, they are even (very) accurate most of the time.

So please, pretty please, have in mind that my impressions might greatly differ from yours as in my ears, the vents were quite (but not completely) covered, making the lows relatively bassy.

What I am hearing is a sound that is sub-bass driven in the lows with (in my ears) 9.5 dB above a flat in-ear like the ER-4S in the lower midbass and in the sub-bass. The lows don’t spill into the midrange but stay completely out of it.
The midrange is a bit on the thinner and brighter side however not by too much. This is mainly as the treble isn’t really even, definitely on the brighter side and has some metallic peaks in the middle highs with less level in the upper highs, dampening cymbals a bit but making them somewhat metallic in attack because of the somewhat peaky lower and middle treble.
In the mids and treble, the EN700 isn’t necessarily a realistic in-ear. Especially treble instruments such as trumpets sound metallic and skewed to a bright tone.

Using a sine generator, I hear the bass starting to climb around 450 Hz and then continuously gaining level down to 40 Hz where the climax is being reached that is kept upright down to 20 Hz. Although the climax is reached low, the upper bass does also not appear shy. I would say this is a good implementation for a bassy in-ear, however personally, I wouldn’t mind a little less level around 100 Hz to make it a perfect lowly set start of an u-shaped bass. This is just a personal thing to make the bass emphasis perfect, because as it is now, it doesn’t spill into the mids and doesn’t have a too warm or mellow root, which is already nice to hear.
In the highs, I am hearing a first peak at 3 kHz and another one that is stronger and narrower at 5 kHz, a usually critical frequency band for most. The upper treble around 10 kHz and before then has less level, and in the super treble above 10 kHz, level starts evenly rolling off after 11 kHz towards 15 kHz.

Hmm, I really wish the treble was a good bit more even and realistic. However, with the somewhat covered vent, the highs are balanced out by the bass a bit and aren’t as obtrusive as they would be for people with an ear anatomy that leaves some space between the vent and ear, making the bass more neutral and therefore bringing the treble more to the front.

Resolution:


To pull off a bright and peaky treble, an in-ear needs a good detail retrieval else it can become annoying. And the SIMGOT is quite on the border here. It is about averagely resolving for its price, so neither an underappreciated gem nor a slouch. Still, its treble could be more detailed, as even at low listening volumes, it could be somewhat more differentiated and better layered. If the highs were less forward and more even, they wouldn’t be as artificial and it wouldn’t be as obvious that they don’t sound as detailed as the treble of a better higher priced in-ear. “If you cannot properly pull it off and make it detailed, don’t do it” is what I am thinking, as without an emphasised but even treble, the EN700 would have sounded more authentic in its price range instead of trying to fake some resolution and air by the emphasis. I might sound a bit over-critical here, but in my opinion if the treble resolution isn’t very high, an in-ear cannot authentically pull off a bright treble.
The mids are however very okay to being even quite good and live up to the price, but the enthusiastic treble doesn’t give them all the room they want to, so they are a bit overshadowed by the treble. Compared to the bass and treble, they could be more forward, but despite being a bit in the background compared to the bass and highs, they put out a quite nice amount of details and have got a nice speech intelligibility, even with busy tracks. Yes, I think the mids are the silent star of the show, as they don’t hide any details at all and sound clean whereas in the bass and treble, the SIMGOT sometimes withholds some details.
The bass is among the somewhat quicker for a dynamic driver in-ear in its price range and decays quickly enough and shows an adequate amount of aridness and control for the price, however it softens somewhat towards the sub-bass which however most in-ears in this price range also do. While its speed and control are good, I unfortunately also perceive it as a little blunt and almost one-noted, which is mainly because of the vent is covered in my ears and the driver is therefore putting out more bass than it would normally do, hence being stressed more. Reducing bass quantity or placing the in-ear so that the vents aren’t as covered, the bass is then relieved a bit and also sounds less blunt as well as more detailed.

So overall, I would say that the detail retrieval is about average for the price. You shouldn’t expect a super clean, detailed and fast-paced sound, however it is cleaner, more differentiated and better layered than the average in-ear in the $50 range.

Soundstage:

The soundstage is not the largest nor the smallest but about averagely wide, ending between my ears and eyes to the sides and having about 80% as much spatial depth as width.
So yeah, it sounds quite circular, but a little blurry as well. With normally fast and quicker recordings, instruments start bleeding into each other but still stay clean enough to avoid fogginess.

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In Comparison with other In-Ears:

Again, keep in mind that the EN700 has got more bass in my ears because of its vents are more covered because of my ear anatomy and insertion angle/depth.

 
Fidue A65:
The A65 has got the less prominent midbass and sub-bass but is warmer in the root and has also got the somewhat warmer however not mellow mids. Both have got comparable amounts of upper bass. The Fidue’s treble is somewhat on the darker side.
Regarding resolution, I am always surprised by what the A65 delivers for its price. Compared to the EN700, the Fidue’s bass sounds better layered and controlled while both are comparably fast, however the A65 doesn’t really soften towards sub-bass. In the mids, the A65 is somewhat better textured and layered, but the EN700 is not far behind. The Fidue’s treble is more even and much more realistic with the somewhat higher resolution too, however both in-ears let cymbals decay a little too quickly.
The A65’s soundstage is smaller but better separated and more precise.

DUNU Titan 1:
The Titan 1 has got less bass quantity in my ears, but not by too much, however it appears to have less impact as it is cleaner and more arid. In the mids, both are comparable regarding timbre with the Titan’s appearing more distant. In the highs, while the Titan 1 also has got a bright and slightly uneven treble, it is more even than the EN700’s and has got more level in the upper treble with a realistic cymbal decay.
The Titan’s bass is somewhat more detailed, better controlled and faster. In the mids, the EN700 is just slightly less detailed than the Titan but seems less distant. In the treble, the Titan 1 sounds more realistic plus even and especially more detailed, hence it can pull off its bright and emphasised treble easier than the SIMGOT.
The Titan’s soundstage is more spacious in all directions and more precise, with more air around instruments and the cleaner separation.

SoundMAGIC E80 (stock wide bore tips):
The SoundMAGIC is less bassy in comparison but has got the warmer, thicker mids. In the middle highs, the E80 has got a dip and then a narrow peak in the upper treble that emphasises cymbals.
The SIMGOT has got the somewhat more detailed and better layered mids that are a bit more in the background. In the bass, both are comparably arid but the E80 is somewhat more detailed and also somewhat more controlled here. In the Highs, while the SoundMAGIC appears more realistic, both are about identically detailed.
The SoundMAGIC’s soundstage is a bit wider and also deeper and has got the somewhat more precise instrument separation, however not by much.
Overall, I would say these two in-ears are about comparable on the technical side and in some areas one is superior while in others, the other wins, making a tie overall.


Conclusion:


The SIMGOT EN700 is a unique in-ear with a very nice and special design, a love to small details and a very good build quality. Also, the unboxing experience is very valuable.

It delivers solid sound at its price point while it is none of those “secret budget kings”. However, it is also not out of flaws and has got a bright, somewhat uneven as well as artificial treble as well as an inner-facing vent that has got a quite high influence on the amount of bass one will hear.
What it does very well though is the midrange which sounds quite detailed and has got a high detail retrieval and speech intelligibility although it is somewhat in the background compared to the bass and treble.


With my usual 70% sound quality for the money (65/100) to 30% aesthetics/build quality/fit (89/100) weighting, I come to a conclusion of 72.2% or 3.61 out of 5 possible stars.