So finally, I am starting to compile my review on the Vsonic GR07 MK2.
You see, after all this time, I finally achieved a slight effect from burn-in. I played harsh electronic music (noise, static, sawtooth waves, bass etc.) at over 120dB I think for 10 hours twice, see page 48 for further details.
I started writing about my theory on how the burn-in may have worked, and then kept writing until it became a review, so here it is.
My hypothesis.
Tonal colour is a result of attack, decay, sustain and release.
Violent burn-in on the GR07 MK2 caused nano decrystallization.
An idea...
This sped up the attack angle, and extended the release, resulting in a more metallic sound colour.
The GR07 MK2 thus becomes perceptively 'clearer', and a tiny bit faster.
However, the difference is slight, and the overall colour is still quite pale, it's not a raven of sound, just a very, very nice... seagull.
It's not digital sounding like the ER-4, and can express some emotion, however it just lacks a lot of 'silver' and dazzle, it needs a strike of neon blue to become a more effervescent IEM.
It's not easy to fault it, but it hardly ever reaches higher than 7/10 in any sonic quality. The alternatives, like the Sony EX600, have more deviant results, and a sharper ~6-7kHz spike, however the EX600 is just the more inviting IEM with more quality, like newly cut grass.
Similarly, a musical TWFK IEM like the UE700 is faster, has the needed shades of blue, and they're more rivetting.
I really tried to like the GR07 MK2, and I do in several ways, it's a very, very... average performer. Like a track and field athlete that is just pretty decent at everything, yet excels at... nothing...
...except for versatility...
...and tonal intactness.
So in essence, when you look at the classy, supple cable, the very nice swivelling nozzle, the understated black cube that fits nicely into your ear, the decent construction quality, the included tips, and the price, it's a very, very decent IEM.
Interestingly, so is the Vsonic R04.
So really, I'd rather have the Vsonic R04 (I haven't heard the GR06) as a very decent 6.5/10 IEM, and then venture directly into the 9/10 IEM sonic gemstones out there, instead of investing into the GR07 MK2, if money is a concern.
Unless... I just wanted a nice, useful, understated, reference, pretty high-rez, safe IEM that doesn't push any limits, and will present you the sound quite faithfully.
Unless 2... I had an affinity for dynamic driver IEM's and I wanted the 'very best' of non-metallic drivers, at a junction of sound between metal and non-metal.
...on second thought I think Sony has already 'moved on' from bio-cellulose for a reason, and found higher quality sound in Polyimide, Vectran, etc.
With all cards dealt, I honestly prefer the Sony EX700 to the GR07 MK2.
The EX600 has two annoying qualities in it...
1 - No
inner-soundspace (too spacious sounding, like trying to mimic a full-size headphone)
2 - Not transparent enough (it sounds very nice but it sounds too similar from source to source)
I've only heard the EX800ST (a.k.a. MDR-7550) and EX1000 very quickly, however from what I heard they both had slightly (yet still flawed) soundspace, and they are most likely more transparent.
The GR07 MK2 doesn't have the annoying soundspace issue, it's not very transparent though, I'd say equal to the EX600.
Why am I talking about Sony so much? The EX600 and GR07 have been rivals for a long time now, they're both great dynamic drivers at a similar price.
The only other earphone to ever use bio-cellulose was... the Sony MDR-E888. I once loved the E888, it's quite
special. After the flooding in Thailand Sony discontinued it after more than 10 years on the market!
The Vsonic is
not the MDR-E888 in an IEM. They sound too different, and the E888 was very fragile, the diaphragm could break, while in the GR07 I can blast noise and bass at over 120dB without issue.
So honestly, I think Vsonic 'cheated', it's a bio-cellulose
layer on another layer, and they may have skipped some of the strict processes required to get the most acoustically out of bio-cellulose material.
The Vsonic sounds closer to the Denon Dx000 headphones than the E888, so something is iffy there.
In some ways, the Vsonic R04 reminded me of a Sony as well, I wonder if a Sony factory in China once taught a lot of apprentices how to make their products, then they eventually left and founded Vsonic!
I will say however that Vsonic offer excellent price to performance ratio in all their products and attention to detail, they are a real player in the IEM scene.
So here is a break-down of sonic traits in the GR07 MK2.
bass ---- The bass quality is good, the GR07 has a very unusual quality of warmth and snappiness at the same time. I once said in some electronic music, the notes retract like a lizard tongue, it's the only truly
exciting feature I ever experienced in the GR07 MK2.
The sub-bass is nice and extended and has very good volume, the SPL down there is 'just right', in my view, I've never once considered using an equalizer on any bass lines.
mids ---- The mids are tonally intact and once more have near-perfect SPL, if you want a vocal monitoring IEM though this isn't it, vocals have no special shimmer or sultriness, all you find is a white / hazel documentary of sound with pleasingly high resolution.
highs ---- Here once more, Vsonic have crafted the SPL so it's detailed and yet not offensive, there is no hardness, no glare, no sibilance (not quite), and it presents you a little more detail in the highs than usual. You can safely increase the volume without turning violins into glass, unlike in the Sony EX series.
So IEM deserves an accolade for the 'reference' level sound in this IEM.
higher-highs ---- The Vsonic R04 had more extension so this is not very impressive. This IEM doesn't give you ER-4 or TF10 high-highs. There are no sizzling spikes at 12kHz or anything like that, most likely the extension hits a wall and falls into a valley around 14kHz, I can't really tell if it's a lack of highs or if it's a dissonance.
You can correct the dissonance in this IEM by adjusting the nozzles to forward-down or forward-up, then it becomes a little more transparent, though still not perfect.
soundspace ---- The GR07 MK2 soundspace is just right, it has inner-core, mid-core and sufficient outer-core. Imagine soundspace (soundstage, whatever) like an onion. Now imagine the layers of the onion.
The width and height seem fine, the 'back' isn't really there but it hardly ever is. Deep insertion really helps a little as usual, try the nozzle forward-down, then insert deeper.
layering ---- The GR07 MK2 is pretty weak in layering, 6/10. (this is how distinct the layers in the onion are and how they move)
imaging ---- The GR07 MK2 is pretty decent in imaging, it's not hazy or fuzzy at all, it's sharp though not like a needle or laser, that's usually reserved for balanced-armatures. As a dynamic driver, it's pretty nice here. You never get a feeling of excitement in the imaging, it's just decent, nice 1.
resolution ---- The resolution is high, acoustics and classical instruments are nice. Not as high as the Audio Technica CKW1000ANV though, and not the Sony EX700 either.
Tonal colour ---- Hazel / white, fairly warm, leaning towards metallic... Aluminium. I believe violent burn-in will change the ASDR envelope, it sounds like a bell made out of... I don't know, straw.
It is
not tonally flat like some balanced-armature IEM's, The MK2 has nice sight into the music, it's a joy, just not a jade or sapphire.
In essence, the R07 is too much of this...
Not enough of this...
Music synergy --- It seems to fit like a glove with... a shovel. The Vsonic GR07 MK2 is an athlete average at everything. Except I value it with pure acoustic recordings, classical music, and some fast electronic music the most.
(I can't believe it my Internet Explorer crashed and I lost half the review !)
I'll take some pics later.
Thank you very much Vsonic for making this very excellent... very average IEM!!
Ｖｓｏｎｉｃ ＧＲ０７ ＭＫ２
”Ｔｈｅ Ｐｅｒｆｅｃｔ Ａｖｅｒａｇｅ”
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