ljokerl
Portables Reviewerus Prolificus
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2009
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Just got home for the first time this weekend and found a nice surprise waiting for me - my review sample of the new Cyclone PR1 Pro earphone.
Cyclone is pretty unknown around these parts, but in Asia they are a well-known manufacturer of headphone amps. Released just last month, the PR1 Pro is their new budget-oriented in-ear monitor. With a $50 price tag, the PR1 Pro is a contender in a market that, while dominated by a few major players just two or so years ago, has grown considerably in both the number of offerings and consumer interest.
According to the manufacturer, the 'PR' in PR1 stands for 'Pop & Rock'. The PR1 Pro apparently differs from the PR1 by offering a J-cord setup and metal nozzles instead of plastic ones. The impedance is higher (32Ω vs 20Ω) and the sensitivity lower (106 db vs 110 db).
I will write up a proper first impression in a few days time [Edit: now posted]. Suffice it to say that I think these could beat out the Soundmagic PL50 as the $50 Chinese earphone to own.
Technical Specifications:
-Type: Dynamic Driver
-Driver Diameter: 10.77mm
-Impedance: 32Ω
-Sensitivity: 106dB
-Frequency Range: 20~22000Hz
-Distortion: <= 1%
-Stereo Separation: <= 3% @ 1000Hz
-Rated Power: 10mW
-Max. Power: 40mW
-Plug: 3.5mm, straight
-Cord length: 1.3 meters
-Cord type: j-cord
Included accessories:
-Instruction manual & specsheet (in Chinese)
-S/M/L clear single-flange silicone tips
-black bi-flange silicone tips (identical to those that come with the Soundmagic PL30)
-Generic shirt clip
-Small clamshell hardcase
And now a few money shots:
Appearance & Build Quality
The Cyclone PR1 Pros utilize a two-piece housing, with the rear of the shell being a somewhat conical asymmetric plastic piece with a seal “fin” and the rest being made of metal. I wouldn’t call them handsome, but they aren’t repulsive, either. The metal nozzles are sturdy and I have no worries about snapping them off when changing tips. The metal-mesh filters are also a welcome change from the paper filters many other Chinese manufacturers use. Unfortunately, I can see the glue used to secure the filters in place, but at least it seems to be holding both at the filters and at the housing seam.
The biggest flaw I can already see with these is the lack of strain reliefs on the cords at the housing entry points. Although the cables seem sturdy, they are quite thin and I wouldn’t feel confident throwing these around the way I do with some of my other IEMs (for testing purposes, of course). I imagine strain reliefs were not utilized to allow more flexibility in terms of fit, but I do wish Cyclone had come up with a compromise that inspires more confidence in the longevity of the PR1 Pros.
Fit & Comfort
The PR1 Pros are very light and small. The tapered housing gives them an unobtrusive fit and the lack of a strain relief means they can easily be worn cord-up or cord-down. The included single flange tips are fairly standard, but the biflanges are my favorites. They are identical to the Soundmagic PL30 biflanges, which are the tips I normally use on all my IEMs, partially because they are a wide-channel silicone tips and add little additional coloration to the sound, and partially because I can always get a good seal with them. The only drawback I can see with the PR1 Pros is the asymmetrical j-cord setup, which sometimes makes it difficult to wear the PR1 Pros over-the-ear since there is no weight on the cord on the right side. Luckily, the cord is plenty long (1.3 meters to the shorter side) unlike the cord on, for example, the Hisoundaudio PAA-1 earbuds, which forces me to keep my mp3 player in my left pocket.
Isolation & Microphonics
The Cyclones are dynamic-driver IEMs and are ported on the side of the housing for increased air flow. Despite this, the isolation they provide is perfectly adequate for my daily commute. I did not feel the need to raise the volume when stepping out onto a busy street. Frequent flyers may want to look elsewhere, but for the average commuter the PR1 is perfectly competent.
As for microphonics, they are almost nonexistent in the nicely rubberized cord. The noise-conducting properties of the cord are very similar to those of Soundmagic cables, which I consider some of the best in the realm of budget-fi.
Edit (11/10/09): Final Impressions added
Sound
Testing Setup
[size=xx-small]All on-the-go listening was done straight from an unamped Sansa Fuze using a selection of tracks in 256-320kbps mp3 format featuring a variety of genres including different subgenres of Rock & Metal, Pop, Acoustic, Blues, Jazz, and Electronica. Benefits of a portable amp are deduced from running the earphones through a 5x gain mini3 connected to the Fuze via a vampire-wire LOD. All critical listening is done via an optical-fed iBasso D10 with stock opamps using a wider selection of tracks in FLAC and Windows Media lossless formats. [/size]
Well, these have now been in my possession a whole two weeks. And man do I like them. Now, the very first thing I notice when I switch to these from any other IEM in my collection is the lateral size and airiness of the soundstage. For a $50 IEM, the soundstage is very large. Even larger (in comparison) is the headstage – with the right tracks, these can really give an out-of-the-head sound. Positioning is good but the soundstage is so large that they can sometimes sound... diffuse. As a result, many people will likely not find them engaging enough – forward and aggressive these most definitely are not.
What they are is poised and balanced. They don’t have a terribly sparkly high end or deep, in-your-face bass. Rather, it is all carefully portioned out and delivered in deliciously ‘correct’ morsels. The bass will not jump at you, but on tracks where the bass goes deep enough, these will go down with it. Due to the laid-back nature of their entire signature, these allowed me to hear some subtle mid-bass lines that I had not heard before on certain tracks. When the track calls for treble, these will carefully measure out the correct amount and place it properly in the sonic image.
All in all, these are quite laid-back-sounding earphones, with very gentle roll off on either end and a wide soundstage, which together give them a unique and gentle sound at their price point. The clarity and separation are outstanding and the level of detail they put out is quite good for the price. These are especially good at providing background music for (my) everyday life – they never impose and yet I never doze off while wearing them. Lovers of open-air recordings will be especially pleased.
Value
I was told that these would retail at around $50+shipping, and for that price they offer something very, very unique – a detailed, natural, dynamic, and yet laid-back sound signature that I have become such a huge fan of over the past few weeks. My previous favorite relaxation earphones were the RE0s, but honestly – I could live with just the Cyclones for those purposes. The build, accessory set, and comfort are all competent. Somehow, the fact that there is nothing aggressive about the way these are packaged or designed just jives with the sound signature of the phones. Worth mentioning again is the J-cord setup, which some may find unacceptable. I've learned to live with it and it doesn't bother me at all anymore. In any case, it is a sacrifice worth making purely for the sound and, after all, isn't that what head-fi is all about?
Cyclone is pretty unknown around these parts, but in Asia they are a well-known manufacturer of headphone amps. Released just last month, the PR1 Pro is their new budget-oriented in-ear monitor. With a $50 price tag, the PR1 Pro is a contender in a market that, while dominated by a few major players just two or so years ago, has grown considerably in both the number of offerings and consumer interest.
According to the manufacturer, the 'PR' in PR1 stands for 'Pop & Rock'. The PR1 Pro apparently differs from the PR1 by offering a J-cord setup and metal nozzles instead of plastic ones. The impedance is higher (32Ω vs 20Ω) and the sensitivity lower (106 db vs 110 db).
I will write up a proper first impression in a few days time [Edit: now posted]. Suffice it to say that I think these could beat out the Soundmagic PL50 as the $50 Chinese earphone to own.
Technical Specifications:
-Type: Dynamic Driver
-Driver Diameter: 10.77mm
-Impedance: 32Ω
-Sensitivity: 106dB
-Frequency Range: 20~22000Hz
-Distortion: <= 1%
-Stereo Separation: <= 3% @ 1000Hz
-Rated Power: 10mW
-Max. Power: 40mW
-Plug: 3.5mm, straight
-Cord length: 1.3 meters
-Cord type: j-cord
Included accessories:
-Instruction manual & specsheet (in Chinese)
-S/M/L clear single-flange silicone tips
-black bi-flange silicone tips (identical to those that come with the Soundmagic PL30)
-Generic shirt clip
-Small clamshell hardcase
And now a few money shots:
Appearance & Build Quality
The Cyclone PR1 Pros utilize a two-piece housing, with the rear of the shell being a somewhat conical asymmetric plastic piece with a seal “fin” and the rest being made of metal. I wouldn’t call them handsome, but they aren’t repulsive, either. The metal nozzles are sturdy and I have no worries about snapping them off when changing tips. The metal-mesh filters are also a welcome change from the paper filters many other Chinese manufacturers use. Unfortunately, I can see the glue used to secure the filters in place, but at least it seems to be holding both at the filters and at the housing seam.
The biggest flaw I can already see with these is the lack of strain reliefs on the cords at the housing entry points. Although the cables seem sturdy, they are quite thin and I wouldn’t feel confident throwing these around the way I do with some of my other IEMs (for testing purposes, of course). I imagine strain reliefs were not utilized to allow more flexibility in terms of fit, but I do wish Cyclone had come up with a compromise that inspires more confidence in the longevity of the PR1 Pros.
Fit & Comfort
The PR1 Pros are very light and small. The tapered housing gives them an unobtrusive fit and the lack of a strain relief means they can easily be worn cord-up or cord-down. The included single flange tips are fairly standard, but the biflanges are my favorites. They are identical to the Soundmagic PL30 biflanges, which are the tips I normally use on all my IEMs, partially because they are a wide-channel silicone tips and add little additional coloration to the sound, and partially because I can always get a good seal with them. The only drawback I can see with the PR1 Pros is the asymmetrical j-cord setup, which sometimes makes it difficult to wear the PR1 Pros over-the-ear since there is no weight on the cord on the right side. Luckily, the cord is plenty long (1.3 meters to the shorter side) unlike the cord on, for example, the Hisoundaudio PAA-1 earbuds, which forces me to keep my mp3 player in my left pocket.
Isolation & Microphonics
The Cyclones are dynamic-driver IEMs and are ported on the side of the housing for increased air flow. Despite this, the isolation they provide is perfectly adequate for my daily commute. I did not feel the need to raise the volume when stepping out onto a busy street. Frequent flyers may want to look elsewhere, but for the average commuter the PR1 is perfectly competent.
As for microphonics, they are almost nonexistent in the nicely rubberized cord. The noise-conducting properties of the cord are very similar to those of Soundmagic cables, which I consider some of the best in the realm of budget-fi.
Edit (11/10/09): Final Impressions added
Sound
Testing Setup
[size=xx-small]All on-the-go listening was done straight from an unamped Sansa Fuze using a selection of tracks in 256-320kbps mp3 format featuring a variety of genres including different subgenres of Rock & Metal, Pop, Acoustic, Blues, Jazz, and Electronica. Benefits of a portable amp are deduced from running the earphones through a 5x gain mini3 connected to the Fuze via a vampire-wire LOD. All critical listening is done via an optical-fed iBasso D10 with stock opamps using a wider selection of tracks in FLAC and Windows Media lossless formats. [/size]
Well, these have now been in my possession a whole two weeks. And man do I like them. Now, the very first thing I notice when I switch to these from any other IEM in my collection is the lateral size and airiness of the soundstage. For a $50 IEM, the soundstage is very large. Even larger (in comparison) is the headstage – with the right tracks, these can really give an out-of-the-head sound. Positioning is good but the soundstage is so large that they can sometimes sound... diffuse. As a result, many people will likely not find them engaging enough – forward and aggressive these most definitely are not.
What they are is poised and balanced. They don’t have a terribly sparkly high end or deep, in-your-face bass. Rather, it is all carefully portioned out and delivered in deliciously ‘correct’ morsels. The bass will not jump at you, but on tracks where the bass goes deep enough, these will go down with it. Due to the laid-back nature of their entire signature, these allowed me to hear some subtle mid-bass lines that I had not heard before on certain tracks. When the track calls for treble, these will carefully measure out the correct amount and place it properly in the sonic image.
All in all, these are quite laid-back-sounding earphones, with very gentle roll off on either end and a wide soundstage, which together give them a unique and gentle sound at their price point. The clarity and separation are outstanding and the level of detail they put out is quite good for the price. These are especially good at providing background music for (my) everyday life – they never impose and yet I never doze off while wearing them. Lovers of open-air recordings will be especially pleased.
Value
I was told that these would retail at around $50+shipping, and for that price they offer something very, very unique – a detailed, natural, dynamic, and yet laid-back sound signature that I have become such a huge fan of over the past few weeks. My previous favorite relaxation earphones were the RE0s, but honestly – I could live with just the Cyclones for those purposes. The build, accessory set, and comfort are all competent. Somehow, the fact that there is nothing aggressive about the way these are packaged or designed just jives with the sound signature of the phones. Worth mentioning again is the J-cord setup, which some may find unacceptable. I've learned to live with it and it doesn't bother me at all anymore. In any case, it is a sacrifice worth making purely for the sound and, after all, isn't that what head-fi is all about?
