[waynes world]

foams changing is an art of its own... you must learn the pinch and slide technique.. grasshopper

Video or it didn't happen!

 

[DBaldock9]

My head hurts. I dropped Wong an message about the Blur options and I have no idea what to do about the myriad of connector choices. Obviously, I currently only have 3.5mm capability, but believe it's probably worth going balanced, but that's where my problem begins. What amp (or amp dac) would I get to partner the Blur and my FiiO X5ii, or do I replace the DAP? Obviously it will likely also matter whether te Blur is 32/64/300 ohm. I know there are a few Blur owners in here. @ctaxxxx has a balanced version of at least one of his pairs, and @DBaldock9 also has a balanced version.

What are you balanced earbud users (in particular, Blur users) using to amp with?

Thanks again.

My current Balanced DAP is an Onkyo DP-X1, but I have a new Shanling M3s on order (looking forward to hearing how much warmer the dual AKM DACs are, compared to the dual Saber DACs in the Onkyo).
I also have a Walnut F1 Balanced Amp, but it needs some modding, to reduce the gain, and make it less susceptible to EMI / RFI noises.
Sometime in the future, I'm planning to buy one of @xrk971 Balanced Class A Desktop Amps.

 

[chinmie]

Video or it didn't happen!

gotta find me a camera to shoot that close
but really there's no weird trick to put on the foams, just slide one side in, and make sure to hold that upper part in place (usually i use index and middle finger), then work your way in circle.

new foams are a little tricky because they're not stretched yet.you can place the on your finger like putting in socks to stretch them a little.

 

[Orac]

Does anybody know if 1More E1008 earbuds are available in another color than the gold? I was considering it a possibility if a great deal appears for Black Friday, but I'd prefer something much more understated.

 

[seanc6441]

Does anybody know if 1More E1008 earbuds are available in another color than the gold? I was considering it a possibility if a great deal appears for Black Friday, but I'd prefer something much more understated.

Why the E1008? The looks? Or are you after a certain kind of sound signature? I think there's better to be had and in more understated design.

 

[Orac]

Why the E1008?

I want an all round earbud for any genre and any source I use, so I think something relatively neutral would be the way to go.

I'd also like to use it for some PC gaming so I'm placing some priority on soundstage and imaging. Doesn't necessarily need to be the biggest soundstage, as long as there is a pretty good overall sense of direction. I know full size headphones would be better, but I can't really wear them, and IEM are inherently limited in this regard. Earbuds seem like they could be worth a try for a better compromise.

Someone somewhere noted the E1008 is well made, with a slightly smaller than typical housing - this might be a good thing for me as my ears stick out a little and a good fit might be hard to find, I actually don't know yet. OurArt Ti7 made it on to my short list as well, but it's intended to be worn cable up and that worries me slightly. I've had IEM with clips or cable up that really hurt my ears, so for IEM I have been happier with smaller 'bullet' style housings.

The other thing is perhaps I should try to avoid anything that might be harsh or fatiguing. I had some Sony IEM before, and when I used them on a PC with a Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card it would get tiring quite quickly and I'd keep turning the volume down. In built sound and iPod Nano was a bit easier to listen to. I'm on the hunt for a new DAP as well, so can't say for sure what I will end up with.

 

[B9Scrambler]

What's the impression on those? Have you burned them in?

Also, really nice pics @B9Scrambler cannot remember how those were received for SQ but I do think they are premium right? Very interesting design... Open Back?

Although I'm not sure how yo would keep that back filter clean... If indeed that's what it is.

Thanks! I thought they were sub 100 USD but it seems I was very wrong. They cost around 300 USD actually. Haven't really researched them yet so I don't know if they're open back. Haven't spent much time with them either. They are pretty though

​

 

[j4100]

Nice! Proper eye (ear?) candy there. Which version is this?

 

[seanc6441]

Impressions time!

I'm going to keep this simple and to the point. I'll compare the DIY Graphene, Shozy Cygnus and Shozy BK Stardust and Rose Masya.

All the earbuds have been burned in atleast 15+ hours.

Low end/Bass: (updated at the end below for cygnus vs graphene)

Graphene

• Polite Sub Bass, extends quiet low but not felt too much
• Mid bass bump, slightly less defined and punch compared to shozy's but still of good quality. Slightly warm and smooth.

Cygnus

• Sub bass presents similar to Graphene, Maybe slightly more presence, but not by much and is almost definitely down to fit/seal.
• Mid bass has a punchy but overall warm analog sound that is slight better defined than the graphene possibly (shell size could be making a difference here).

BK Stardust

• Extends equally as low but is more balanced with the mid bass. Slightly more felt presence and of higher resolution than the others.
• Mid bass is less slightly emphasised than Cygnus for a more balanced linear bass presentation, about the same as the Graphene but of higher quality and sounds wonderfully resolving and has the same tight punchy but warm analog sound as the cygnus.

Masya

• Good sub bass presence, not overpowering but always felt. Slightly colder tone than the others but not dull.
• Mid bass carries on the same presentation, good presence but again not overpowering. The slightly colder presentation allows the sub and miss bass some great airy qualities and space. Bass heavy tracks don't become congested at all. Has the most effortless bass response of all the buds, slightly more presence than the BK overall if you get a good seal/fit that is.
• Overall can be described as a spacious, extremely tight/quick sounding bass with good presence.

Mid Range/Vocals:

Graphene

• Neutral presentation, musical and in balance with the low end/high end. The slightly warm low end flows into the lower mids giving them a slight warmth which fades out as you reach the high mids, this is very shozy-like. Mids have good sparkle and sound natural with good timbre and space/air between instruments. Vocals are the weak point here, they are slightly recessed which makes them somewhat duller than that of the Cygnus, although being of similar neutral tonality. The one positive is that they sound natural. Possibly with a warmer, smoother source that can push them slightly forward you may be able to improve the vocals somewhat.

Cygnus

• Neutral presentation, musical and in balance with the low end/high end. Same as above, warm low end allows the low mids a bit of warmth which helps fill out the sound nicely. Mids have good sparkle and sound natural with a slightly good timbre and space air between instruments. Vocals are neutral and decently detailed. Vocals are not particularly thick or lush but do sound relatively clear and detailed thanks to their slightly forward presentation. They also are very natural sounding.

Stardust BK

• The highlight of the show. If you're after a thick lush natural mid range with very good detailing, separation and natural timbre the bk offers it all. The sound after burn in smoothes out but just stays on the edge with it's resolving and textured slightly warm presentation. Like the cygnus the bass warmth helps the vocals sound full and lush, high mids are neutral but sweet and sparkly. Everything is wonderfully balanced and defined. I don't need to say much more other than this is the best natural sounding mid range I've heard in an earbud and shozy have done an excellent job tuning this earbud.

• Again a neutral presentation with excellent separation, detailing and a slight emphasis on on the mid range to bring out excitement in instrumentals and vocals. This is certainly not just mid centric earbud though and on the whole is nicely balanced, with only a mild mid emphasis. Whilst it may not have the same natural timbre as the bk, it certainly has a wonderfully exciting smooth clean sound. However, this time with little warmth or mid bass bloat influencing the lower mids, in some ways it's nice to have a clean sounding low mid region but I think it doesn't help the Masya when paired with my bright/neutral sounding iphone 6s. The lack of thick low mids does affect the vocals, but I suspect with a different source this problem is not evident, other headfier's have not had this issue with their sources. Apart from the thin sound of the vocals, there is incredible clarity and a sweet delicate presentation which is just wonderful. Whilst the resolution may not be as high as the BK, it certainly has a cleaner smoother overall presentation at the cost of some thickness. Overall vocal quality is equal on both, the choice is yours if you prefer smooth and clear sound of the Masya or textured and naturally full vocals of the BK.

High's/Treble:

Graphene

• High's are well extended but slightly peaky in places, overall pretty balanced the lows and mids though. Treble is lively and sparkly and has nice detailing. Not too much roll off as far as I can tell, the usual amount for a balanced treble proficient earbud somewhere in between the cygnus and stardust I feel. With the right foams to tame/bring out the treble to the users needs, these sound wonderful up top.

Cygnus

• Much of the same as the Graphene, maybe slightly more roll off up top. There are no obvious peaks which keeps the treble smoother than the Graphene but at the cost of a slightly more rolled off top end. Overall a very similar treble experience which I enjoyed a lot.

BK Stardust

• The high end is a step up on the BK, so long as you can handle it. It has greater extension, detailing and balance than the Cygnus or Graphene. Continues the tonality of the upper mids being very natural and neutral.

Masya

• Extends well like the bk, but there is a slight peak in the treble which could be troublesome for some, although not much of an issue with the right foams. Overall a very well articulated high end that smoothly transitions from the upper mids. Smoother presentation than the bk, but slightly less detailed (only very slightly). Overall some really high quality treble here again.

Soundstage/Imaging

Graphene

• Soundstage feels medium-big Width is good, depth decent too. Imaging is pretty accurate overall.

Cygnus

• Soundstage feels medium in size but more intimate/close in presentation. Width and depth are good. Imaging may be a little better than the Graphene, hard to tell, nothing too noticeable.

BK Stardust

• Soundstage feels medium in size, like cygnus it feels close possibly even more intimate due to the even more forward sounding presentation. Imaging is a step above the Graphene and Cygnus, location of sounds are very easy to locate.

Masya

• Big soundstage, feels open and spacious, out of head despite the intimate vocals and mid range nothing sounds too confined. More depth than width focused. Imaging isn't as quiet as good as the cygnus or stardust though. Sounds are not as easy to pinpoint.

Overally I'd say all these earbuds are equally impressive within their price ranges. My personal pick is still the shozy BK but at the price range that may be expected. If your looking for a bigger out of head sound the Rose Masya is an excellent earbud at a better price than the BK. The Cygnus and Graphene are very similar but you pay extra for better vocal balance and better overall coherency of sound with less peaks and dips.

Hope you guys find the review helpful!

Update: Comparing the Cygnus and Graphene bass I’d like to adjust my opinion slightly and say that the graphene has a slightly better balance of sub bass to mid bass which results in a slightly deeper tonality. However it also sounds slightly ‘softer’ than the punchy mid bass of the cygnus. Overall they are of equal quality whereas before I seemed to suggest the cygnus had a slightly better quality of bass, that’s not the case upon second listening. It’s only marginally different overall. You choose deeper tonality vs punchier mid bass. Up to you!

 

[seanc6441]

Thanks! I thought they were sub 100 USD but it seems I was very wrong. They cost around 300 USD actually. Haven't really researched them yet so I don't know if they're open back. Haven't spent much time with them either. They are pretty though

​

Is yours a special version or something? I see them for $140 on aliexpress.

 

[B9Scrambler]

Is yours a special version or something? I see them for $140 on aliexpress.

This Lyra is a brand new model. Single dynamic vs. the old one which was a hybrid if I recall correctly.

 

[KookaBurrra]

Impressions time!

I'm going to keep this simple and to the point. I'll compare the DIY Graphene, Shozy Cygnus and Shozy BK Stardust and Rose Masya.

All the earbuds have been burned in atleast 15+ hours.

Low end/Bass:

Graphene

• Polite Sub Bass, extends quiet low but not felt too much
• Mid bass bump, slightly less defined and punch compared to shozy's but still of good quality. Slightly warm and smooth.

Cygnus

• Sub bass presents similar to Graphene, Maybe slightly more presence, but not by much and is almost definitely down to fit/seal.
• Mid bass has a punchy but overall warm analog sound that is slight better defined than the graphene possibly (shell size could be making a difference here).

BK Stardust

• Extends equally as low but is more balanced with the mid bass. Slightly more felt presence and of higher resolution than the others.
• Mid bass is less slightly emphasised than Cygnus for a more balanced linear bass presentation, about the same as the Graphene but of higher quality and sounds wonderfully resolving and has the same tight punchy but warm analog sound as the cygnus.

Masya

• Good sub bass presence, not overpowering but always felt. Slightly colder tone than the others but not dull.
• Mid bass carries on the same presentation, good presence but again not overpowering. The slightly colder presentation allows the sub and miss bass some great airy qualities and space. Bass heavy tracks don't become congested at all. Has the most effortless bass response of all the buds, slightly more presence than the BK overall if you get a good seal/fit that is.
• Overall can be described as a spacious, extremely tight/quick sounding bass with good presence.

Mid Range/Vocals:

Graphene

• Neutral presentation, musical and in balance with the low end/high end. The slightly warm low end flows into the lower mids giving them a slight warmth which fades out as you reach the high mids, this is very shozy-like. Mids have good sparkle and sound natural with good timbre and space/air between instruments. Vocals are the weak point here, they are slightly recessed which makes them somewhat duller than that of the Cygnus, although being of similar neutral tonality. The one positive is that they sound natural. Possibly with a warmer, smoother source that can push them slightly forward you may be able to improve the vocals somewhat.

Cygnus

• Neutral presentation, musical and in balance with the low end/high end. Same as above, warm low end allows the low mids a bit of warmth which helps fill out the sound nicely. Mids have good sparkle and sound natural with a slightly good timbre and space air between instruments. Vocals are neutral and decently detailed. Vocals are not particularly thick or lush but do sound relatively clear and detailed thanks to their slightly forward presentation. They also are very natural sounding.

Stardust BK

• The highlight of the show. If you're after a thick lush natural mid range with very good detailing, separation and natural timbre the bk offers it all. The sound after burn in smoothes out but just stays on the edge with it's resolving and textured slightly warm presentation. Like the cygnus the bass warmth helps the vocals sound full and lush, high mids are neutral but sweet and sparkly. Everything is wonderfully balanced and defined. I don't need to say much more other than this is the best natural sounding mid range I've heard in an earbud and shozy have done an excellent job tuning this earbud.

• Again a neutral presentation with excellent separation, detailing and a slight emphasis on on the mid range to bring out excitement in instrumentals and vocals. This is certainly not just mid centric earbud though and on the whole is nicely balanced, with only a mild mid emphasis. Whilst it may not have the same natural timbre as the bk, it certainly has a wonderfully exciting smooth clean sound. However, this time with little warmth or mid bass bloat influencing the lower mids, in some ways it's nice to have a clean sounding low mid region but I think it doesn't help the Masya when paired with my bright/neutral sounding iphone 6s. The lack of thick low mids does affect the vocals, but I suspect with a different source this problem is not evident, other headfier's have not had this issue with their sources. Apart from the thin sound of the vocals, there is incredible clarity and a sweet delicate presentation which is just wonderful. Whilst the resolution may not be as high as the BK, it certainly has a cleaner smoother overall presentation at the cost of some thickness. Overall vocal quality is equal on both, the choice is yours if you prefer smooth and clear sound of the Masya or textured and naturally full vocals of the BK.

High's/Treble:

Graphene

• High's are well extended but slightly peaky in places, overall pretty balanced the lows and mids though. Treble is lively and sparkly and has nice detailing. Not too much roll off as far as I can tell, the usual amount for a balanced treble proficient earbud somewhere in between the cygnus and stardust I feel. With the right foams to tame/bring out the treble to the users needs, these sound wonderful up top.

Cygnus

• Much of the same as the Graphene, maybe slightly more roll off up top. There are no obvious peaks which keeps the treble smoother than the Graphene but at the cost of a slightly more rolled off top end. Overall a very similar treble experience which I enjoyed a lot.

BK Stardust

• The high end is a step up on the BK, so long as you can handle it. It has greater extension, detailing and balance than the Cygnus or Graphene. Continues the tonality of the upper mids being very natural and neutral.

Masya

• Extends well like the bk, but there is a slight peak in the treble which could be troublesome for some, although not much of an issue with the right foams. Overall a very well articulated high end that smoothly transitions from the upper mids. Smoother presentation than the bk, but slightly less detailed (only very slightly). Overall some really high quality treble here again.

Soundstage/Imaging

Graphene

• Soundstage feels medium-big Width is good, depth decent too. Imaging is pretty accurate overall.

Cygnus

• Soundstage feels medium in size but more intimate/close in presentation. Width and depth are good. Imaging may be a little better than the Graphene, hard to tell, nothing too noticeable.

BK Stardust

• Soundstage feels medium in size, like cygnus it feels close possibly even more intimate due to the even more forward sounding presentation. Imaging is a step above the Graphene and Cygnus, location of sounds are very easy to locate.

Masya

• Big soundstage, feels open and spacious, out of head despite the intimate vocals and mid range nothing sounds too confined. More depth than width focused. Imaging isn't as quiet as good as the cygnus or stardust though. Sounds are not as easy to pinpoint.

Overally I'd say all these earbuds are equally impressive within their price ranges. My personal pick is still the shozy BK but at the price range that may be expected. If your looking for a bigger out of head sound the Rose Masya is an excellent earbud at a better price than the BK. The Cygnus and Graphene are very similar but you pay extra for better vocal balance and better overall coherency of sound with less peaks and dips.

Hope you guys find the review helpful!

Very interesting review, Wooooooo : GREAT!!

 

[purikuma]

guys any review about moondrop nameless and VX PRO? i has searched and not found a full review im only got nameless = mid centric and VX PRO = "baby mojito"? any review im very appriciated

 

[seanc6441]

I want an all round earbud for any genre and any source I use, so I think something relatively neutral would be the way to go.

I'd also like to use it for some PC gaming so I'm placing some priority on soundstage and imaging. Doesn't necessarily need to be the biggest soundstage, as long as there is a pretty good overall sense of direction. I know full size headphones would be better, but I can't really wear them, and IEM are inherently limited in this regard. Earbuds seem like they could be worth a try for a better compromise.

Someone somewhere noted the E1008 is well made, with a slightly smaller than typical housing - this might be a good thing for me as my ears stick out a little and a good fit might be hard to find, I actually don't know yet. OurArt Ti7 made it on to my short list as well, but it's intended to be worn cable up and that worries me slightly. I've had IEM with clips or cable up that really hurt my ears, so for IEM I have been happier with smaller 'bullet' style housings.

The other thing is perhaps I should try to avoid anything that might be harsh or fatiguing. I had some Sony IEM before, and when I used them on a PC with a Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card it would get tiring quite quickly and I'd keep turning the volume down. In built sound and iPod Nano was a bit easier to listen to. I'm on the hunt for a new DAP as well, so can't say for sure what I will end up with.

The Rose Masya would fit the bill but the fit is a little unique and doesn’t work for everyone.

 

[jogawag]

The Rose Masya would fit the bill but the fit is a little unique and doesn’t work for everyone.

Ear tip : audio-technica ER-CHX7 S Size (2 piece) White or Black

This fits Mojito and Masya.
If you want to buy this, please contact in each country audio-technica office.
ex.USA : http://www.audio-technica.com