Before doing this review, I always had the impression that the difference between the metal versions and the Basic went only skin-deep. I thought wrong. Skin-deep wise, the Basic feels really cheap in comparison to the Crystal Pink, but the differences don’t stop there.
To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed with the Basic. Sure, at its low price it’s still good value-for-money, but at most it performs just a little better than some stock earphones. The vocals felt recessed because the bass overpowered everything else, and as a result it sounded muddy.
You could then compare the Basic to a young teen and the Crystal Pink to a maturing adult.
The Crystal Pink is more in control of itself. It knows when to hold itself back—and as such, the bass feels tight rather than overpowering, and the vocals feel clear rather than muddy. I also found the Crystal Pink sounding a little bit softer than the Basic at the same volume, though perhaps it could just be because of the more controlled bass. The overall sound signature is still similar (I know, because I plugged the Basic in one ear and the Crystal Pink in the other to do an A/B comparison), but the Crystal Pink is much less fatiguing and delivers a more premium sound.
It’s just a subtle change, but one that reshapes the entire experience. I dare say that the Crystal Pink (and probably the Rose Gold and Silver versions as well) stands up well to offerings within the S$50-$80 range.
i might just try some ortofon tips for like $10
