A Wolf in Wolfs Clothing
EQUIPMENT
Topping a50s Headphone Amplifier
Xduoo MT-602 Hybrid Tube Headphone Amplifier (Sylvania 5654 Tubes)
SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK2 DAC
Shanling UA2 , Apogee Groove, VE OdysseyHD, EIDA 9038s
iFi Hip-Dac
Eartips: Final Audio E & BGVP A07, KZ Inverted Starlines
Cable: Stock Cable & NiceHck Silver LitzPS 4.4mm Balanced
Sources: Flac Files From my Personal Collection / Apple Music
SPECS
Lightweight zinc alloy all-metal shell
Driver: 10mm N50 graphene composite diaphragm
Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
Impedance: 32Ω
Sensitivity: 110dB±2dB(1mW@1kHz)
THD: <2%(@1kHz/1mW)
Plug: 3.5mm gold-plated straight plug
Cable length: 1.2m±0.1m
Cable material: 4 strands high-pure oxygen-free copper
NOTES
The Reecho SG01 houses a single graphene composite diaphragm dynamic driver offering a moderate V-Shaped presentation. Easily driven, the SG01 does not present a difficult load and is easily driven by a variety of sources. It does benefit though from better source selection and and improvement in overall clarity and definition will be noted. The SG01 does respond well to tip/cable rolling but it not as dramatically as say the Moji Monica H20. Some burn-in was necessary as out of the box I found that the SG01 sounded somewhat odd with a mid/treble range that sounded at times "Phase unnatural" and bass that was strong but lacked a measure of refinement. 48h seemed to be a good amount of time and the SG01 really opened up to become a thoroughly enjoyable and cohesive sonic experience. Retail presentation is top notch and really sets a standard for many other earphones at this price. Both the presentation & quality of the included accessories is impressive, in particular when $40USD asking price is taken into consideration. Reecho didn't just throw in some disposable tips and cable into a plain box. They obviously spent time and care with the SG01. As impressive as the bundle is, it's the Reecho SG01's sound quality that really stands out.
BUILD, QUALITY & FIT
Apparent quality is excellent with the SG01 being beautifully built. The same level of quality extends to the included package. Tips are plentiful and the cable is very good, in particular at this price range. The earphones themselves have good weight to them and are as impressive in build as the Heart-Mirror and Senfer DT9. Fit is very good for me as well given that the SG01 is medium sized with a relatively long nozzle. They sit well in the ear but tip selection will go a long way in achieving a proper fit and seal. The included material wrapped cable is of apparent good quality as well and definitely not a throw away item that some other manufacturers seem intent to bless us with. All the important boxes are checked off here.
BASS:
Bass on the SG01, after proper burn-in, has sufficient quantity with average speed and texture. Definition is good but not class leading. Bass does go deep but is more mid-bass oriented. Bass-Heads may feel a lack of prominent low bass rumble. It is still present but falls behind the mid-bass level. Bass on the SG01 is quite enjoyable and serves as a good foundation to most genres without being overwhelming in presence. It strikes a good balance between speed, texture and definition which is a delicate balancing act many of its competitors fail to achieve. Mid-Bass is punchy with good transient detail as well. Nothing in the low end of the spectrum stands out as top of it's price bracket, but the balance is surprisingly good.
MIDS
The midrange is where the SG01 really starts to impress. Slightly recessed with a clear and clean quality that makes both male and female voices sound very good. There is slight warmth combined with nicely crisp upper midrange and good definition results in a pleasurable listening experience. Detail retrieval is above average for the price range as well, in no doubt aided by the crisp upper mids and standout treble. Layer separation is also above average for the price. Playing some complex tracks such as "Stella" by A Guy Called treble and "Angel" by Massive Attack, one can still discern each individual element clearly in its own space. Midrange texture is also readily apparent making for a very engaging listen regardless of genre. A very cohesive and pleasing experience indeed.
Treble
Treble is the star of the show. Well extended, clean and crisp with good air and sparkle. Sibilance is not an issue here despite the extended and present nature of the treble. Detail retrieval is definitely above average in this price range and even higher. Cymbal strikes have a beautiful attack and decay with great speed and definition. Treble is definitely non-fatiguing and the overall treble range is incredibly good at this price and even higher.
IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE
The SG01 has a pleasingly wide soundstage with adequate depth and height, although I found there is more of the latter. Due to it's ability to present layers well, the image is very well defined.
VERSUS
- HZsound Heart-Mirror
The Heart-Mirror has lower bass output, but what's there is faster with better texture and definition than the SG01. With respect to the mid-bass the SG01 shines with its clean and punchy delivery while the Heart-Mirror is leaner in comparison. Looking at midrange, the Heart-Mirror is more recessed than the SG01 and somewhat colder but with an edge on technicalities and detail retrieval. That being said, the SG01 offers a very well defined, textured and less cold sounding midrange as compared to the Heart-Mirror. With treble things get more interesting. The Heart-Mirror offers an extended treble with lots of sparkle. IMHO, the SG01 bests the Heart-Mirror with a more organic sounding treble. Absolute treble detail retrieval may swing slightly in the Heart-Mirror's direction but just. Top to bottom the SG01 offer a more balanced presentation while Heart-Mirror wins out on technicalities. Heart-Mirror is brighter and more technical while the SG01 is more balanced and organic. Both are keepers.
- Geekworld GK10
Bass performance goes deeper on the SG01 but mid-bass performance is comparable with the Geekworld having more mid-bass bleed. MId-Bass definition and texture also leans favorably, if ever so slightly, towards the GK10. Midrange is another matter as the SG01 has more definition, detail and texture than the GK10. It also has a more organic feel to it. Treble is interesting as tis is the GK10's strength. Both the SG01 and GK10 offer an extended, clean and airy treble with good detail. If I had to give an edge, it would be to the SG01 for its more organic sound and better overall timbre.
CONCLUSION
If tis wasn't apparent already, the Reecho SG10 offer solid performance and is a very musical earphone. It's ability to capture the listeners and engage them is very rare in this price range and even somewhat above. While bass is just a little above average the mids and treble in particular are standouts. What really sets the SG01 apart from the majority of its peers is it's coherency, giving the listener a taste of an organic sound that usually is nowhere to be found anywhere close to this price range. The combination of a great package, excellent build quality and most of all impressive sound garners a definite strong recommendation.
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