Yincrow Calf Review!
: - Sounds better than the Yincrow RW1000 in terms of tonal and technical performance.
- All rounder, detailed sound.
- Controlled, non-lacking bass for the most part.
- Forward, open, detailed mids.
- Non-fatiguing, airy treble.
- Excellent technical performance for a Chi-Fi earbud under 100USD.
- Exhibits holographic, wide soundstage.
- Very good fit and comfort.
- Excellent build quality and accessories.
- Removable cable.
- Easy to drive.
- Premium packaging (as it should)
: - This earbud slightly leans to the brighter sound spectrum and may be too much for some (but not as bright as the RW-1000 and LBBS though).
- Subbass may sound lacking at times, especially for those people who crave for that IEM type of bass (subjective).
Yincrow Calf Review!
Good day! After a week of casual and critical listening, here’s my written review for the Yincrow Calf. Small name, opposite sound!
Disclaimer/s:
- I bought this brand new from shopee, without any discounts or any acknowledgement from Yincrow themselves. Rest assured that this review will be free from any bias/es as much as possible.
- The following remarks and observations shall be made and owned only by me.
- No monetary compensation is/was involved before, during, and after the period of creation of this review.
- Your mileage may (and always, will) vary.
Burn-in time: 5-10 hours per day, 5 days.
Source/s used:
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber
- VE MEGATRON USB DAC
- Tempotec Sonata HD V
- Cyberdrive DAC
- Whizzer DA1 DAC
- Non-HiFi smartphone (Infinix Note 12 G96, Samsung Galaxy A6 (2018)
- Local Files via Foobar and Roon, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.
IEM/Earbud/Setup configuration: Stock black earbud foams, stock cable, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume, both high and low gain, with and without extra amplification.
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Sound signature:
- The Yincrow Calf is an almost neutral sounding earbud that slightly exhibits a hint of brightness and forward mids, just enough to get that amount of engagement and details in a track. When used without foams, it becomes a midcentric-bright performer, but still not as bright as what you would hear with the Yincrow RW-1000. Just like other Yincrow’s flagship earbuds, the Yincrow Calf excels in technical performance as it showed very good immersiveness in terms of soundstage, imaging, layering, and separation.
Lows:
- The lows here in the Calf is what you would expect from an earbud - mostly midbass focused, punchy, clean, with good thickness and depth. I dare say that the lows of this is nearly the same as what you would get with the HZSound Heart Mirror - minus the leanness. Despite being midbass dominant, there’s still a good amount of subbass here but not the same as what you would get with an IEM, particularly with most IEMs that have sub bass elevation. All in all, the lows are presented in a detailed, well-done and controlled manner.
Mids:
- Moving on to the mids, it is almost linear with a good amount of slightly forward mids to keep the vocals and instruments forward and alive. Despite not having any perceivable midbass bleed, the lower mids have good thickness and texture presented throughout my tests. Upper mids are slightly elevated with very good clarity, air, and sparkle. In this region I experienced some tinge of brightness especially on female vocal oriented tracks, but greatly avoided any harshness, sibilance, or peaks. I would still say that if you are sensitive to brightness or brighter sound signatures, you may want to use this with thicker, double foams, or maybe just look somewhere else. This Calf by far has the most engaging, open, and detailed mids I got from a Chi-Fi, mass-produced earbud under 100USD.
Treble:
- As for the treble, it has the same level of elevation to the upper mids. It is also airy with a very good amount of extension. Detail retrieval here is excellent for the price as it picks up microdetails easily, given that you are using this without any disturbances from excessive outside noise.
Technicalities:
- Again, the technical performance of this earbud follows the signature Yincrow fashion. The soundstage is just so immersive that it made me feel that I am using headphones most of the time. It is wide with a very good amount of height and depth. Separation and Layering is well-done as it manages very busy tracks with ease. Imaging is precise as you can render vocal and instrument positioning easily.
Pros:
- Sounds better than the Yincrow RW1000 in terms of tonal and technical performance.
- All rounder, detailed sound.
- Controlled, non-lacking bass for the most part.
- Forward, open, detailed mids.
- Non-fatiguing, airy treble.
- Excellent technical performance for a Chi-Fi earbud under 100USD.
- Exhibits holographic, wide soundstage.
- Very good fit and comfort.
- Excellent build quality and accessories.
- Removable cable.
- Easy to drive.
- Premium packaging (as it should)
Cons:
- This earbud slightly leans to the brighter sound spectrum and may be too much for some (but not as bright as the RW-1000 and LBBS though).
- Subbass may sound lacking at times, especially for those people who crave for that IEM type of bass (subjective).
Verdict
There’s a reason why I put my Yincrow Calf in the S Tier in my ranking list: it is because it deserves the title, mainly on technical performance. The Yincrow Calf is a must have IEM if you want to experience an immersive listening experience. Or maybe quit using your budget IEM, Just kidding. But if you happen to have an opportunity to personally hear this one, do give it a try!
Pairing recommendation/s:
- Source: The Yincrow Calf is an easy to drive earbud, even easier than driving a vido earbud, more or less. However, I do recommend using a USB DAC or a powerful source for this one for very good improvements, or just to sound to its full potential.
- Earbud foams: The plethora of foams included with the Calf are more than enough, but you are free to use any brand or material to your liking.
- Cable: Cable is already good and usable for the most part, but you may always change the cable to your liking.
Thank you for reading!
Additional Photos Here:
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