Simgot EN700 Bass review - expatinjapan

Simgot EN700 Bass review


Simgot EN700 pictured here with the Opus#3 dap.

Simgot EN700 Bass review
-expatinjapan


I previously reviewed the earlier edition of the EN700 earphone on Head pie:  http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2016/08/simgotsuzuka-en700-earphone-review.html
and have found the EN700 Bass version to be an all over improvement from its earlier sibling in design, fit/housing, cable and overall sound quality.

Unboxing 







A beautiful leather carry case.






One gets two sets of tips which allow the user to customize the sonic experience more to their personal tastes and to approach a synergy with their dap of choice.





The inner box within the card board sleeve is firm, black and beautiful.



Build




The Simgot EN700 bass veers away from its predecessor in many ways.
A more superior design means a better fit for the user.

An improved cable that is beautiful to look at and more ergonomic.


A nice touch of detail. having a plastic covering on the jack.



Those who own or have demoed the original EN700 can clearly see the changes in the housing - it being smaller, less bulbous and more comfortable, 
extra fine detailing  and a rubber support for the improved braided cable.




Specifications

Product Name: SIMGOT EN700 In Ear Earphone
Type: In-ear 
Brand: SIMGOT
Model: EN700
Impedance: 24Ω 
Headphone sensitivity: 101 ±3 dB/mW
Frequency range: 15-25000Hz
Degree of distortion: <1% 101dB (20μpa)
Sound track difference: <1.5dB (at 1000Hz)
Power Rating: 10mW
Conductor: 25 * 0.05mm silver-plated oxygen-free copper wire antibacterial TPU
Interface: 3.5mm 
Cable Length: 1.2m ±0.05m
Color: Silver
Whether with mic: No mic
Earphone plug type: Line type
Vibrating membrane: polymer composite diaphragm
Drive unit: 10mm ultra high magnetic composite dynamic unit.

Simgot EN700 pictured here with the Opus#3 dap.

 

Sound

As usual I got a few hours on the earphones before I embarked on my review.

With the Simgot EN700 bass I first used the same set up as I did for the EN700 review. The Opus#1, CEntrance Hifi-Skyn and Shozy Alien Gold.
I volume matched with the Dr.Meter MS20 SPL meter.

Headphone switcher with ALO Audio SXC8 mini to mini cables for testing.


 Later I listened with he iBasso DX200, Opus#3, Opus#1, Cozoy REI and straight out from my ipod touch 6G.

Whilst mentally comparing the Simgot EN700 bass to other earphones I was mindful that it is a US$100 earphone. Its specialized stylish design can make one think more of upmarket/higher priced models. And while its easy to sum up an earphone in this price region as `good performance for the price` etc, that can be a lazy approach, even If at times it most certainly is true in some cases.

The Simgot EN700 Bass is one of these earphones, its design, packaging and over all look scream `I`m a special kind of something`.

These days the market for lower priced earphones is heating up, some are making whole collections out of the sub $100 market.

Simgot EN700 pictured here with the Opus#3 dap.

Before commencing with the review of latest model lets revisit the Head pie review of the earlier version, the Simgot EN700:
http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2016/08/simgotsuzuka-en700-earphone-review.html

`I have found the EN700 to be fairly clear and even overall. The main focus seems to be the mids and vocals, then the treble, and lastly the bass. It appears quite neutral.

It is a $100 earphone and performs as such, but with that there is a pleasing aspect to it.

Bass: The bass is there, but is fairly narrowly presented. On occasion deep, but not in your face heavy.
Mids: Are clear and add a musicality to the presentation.  Crisp, smooth and lush. Not overly warm.
Treble: Has a good clarity. Adds a lightness and airiness to the presentation. No sibilance or harshness to the treble. 

Vocals: They come across as natural and are nicely matched to the music. Prominent, but neither too far forward nor recessed.

Sound stage: The sound stage is medium, but the separation of instruments makes up for this.
If I were to describe what I am hearing, the bass is in the middle of my head, the mids and treble reach the outside rim of my head and ears.

Instrument separation: This is done quite cleverly. The EN700 houses a large 10mm driver and it performs quite satisfactory. Quite musical, a bit of bleed in here and there but overall very enjoyable and laid back with decent details.`


So there we have the summary from the earlier version the EN700.
How does it compare to the more recent model Simgot EN700 bass?


Well as mentioned earlier the build most certainly is superior in terms of fit, design and the cable.

Sound wise

The Simgot EN700 Bass edition comes with two sets of tips the 1 and 2 versions.

Ear tip set 1 has a larger bore and as expected has less bass and more highs.
Simgot `Powerful mid-high frequency. High resolution and penetration. Crystal clear sound`.

Ear tip set 2 has a smaller bore and you get more bass and a slightly larger sound stage.
Simgot `Enhanced bass and superior listening comfort. Outstanding attenuation of ambient sibilance. Neutral and bass-driven sound`.

Choose which sound sig you like.


The bass as expected is more present, but not entirely thumping in your face, it is refined enough to please the bass hungry without overflowing into warm sludge.

On the Tip set 1. (Large bore).

The result is a clear and neutral sound.
Quite pleasant and non offensive.
Bass hits normally as the track intended.
Sound stage is small to medium.
Separation is effective between instruments.
The vocals seem a bit recessed at times or even with the music and certainly not forward.
Overall a laid back sound with no real emphasis on lows, mids or highs. 
A fairly balanced sound.

On the Tips set 2.

The Tip set 2 is meant to give more improved bass, and it certainly is, yet comes across as an L shape.
I think the bass could be more boosted and think it may be more due the thinness of the tips than the earphones themselves.
Quite warm and airy at the same time, vocals are more forward and the highs are present but less so than on Tip set 1.
Again the sound stage is of the lower medium, and separation again is again quite good.
The earphones potential is let down by the thinness of the tips I think.

JVC Spiral tips
As expected the sound is clear and veers toward the neutral side of things.
It has quite pleasing and effective instrument separation.
There is still a hint of a V shape, but the slight merge of the lows and the mids gives it a L or VvV shape.
There could be a better control at times, and clarity can suffer with more busier tracks- but overall the control with the JVC tips is vastly greater.
Nice full sound with the thicker tips. The Bass hits harder when it needs to.
The sound stage improves also from medium to medium plus.
There is a distinct improvement over the stock tips and elevates the EN700 bass into a decent earphone for $100 and something I could quite happily listen to.

Simgot EN700 pictured here with the Opus#3 dap.

Value

At US$100 on Amazon the Simgot (or Suzuka) EN700 Bass earphone falls into the budget zone for earphones.
Affordably priced and a step up from the original EN700 in terms of shell design and shape.
Fantastic stylish cable.
The Simgot EN700 Bass is a decent choice for the budding audiophile.




Overall

The Simgot EN700 is most certainly affordable, although I still have memories of buying my first $100 pair of earbuds and thinking to myself `what am I doing?`. Ah earlier innocent days.

The packaging is very beautiful.

The earphones themselves are a big step up in design from the earlier model, the EN700. The housing is smaller and the fit more natural and easier.

The cable is a nice braided affair and covered in a type of material, yet still pliable. The earlier version was more a medium type plastic or rubber coating which didn`t yield so well.
I read that a version with a detachable MMCX cable will be released in the future.

A nice double set of tips (small and large bore), with S.M and L for each helps the user to get a decent seal and a comfortable fit.

The Simgot EN700 scales up quite well when matched with a +$500 dap, clarity, sound stage and detail is improved.

I found using the JVC Spiral Tips vastly improved the Simgot EN700 Bass, tighter, fuller, wider and better separation and clarity overall.

The Simgot EN700 Bass an excellent, comfortable and stylish looking $100 earphone that can be improved with a simple bit of tip rolling.






Thank you to Simgot for sending Head pie the Simgot EN700 Bass for review





Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post