Simgot EA1000 Review – Hitting A Strike

For a few years at the very least Simgot have made a commendable effort on evolving their IEM vary, and EA1000 is a really attention-grabbing merchandise of their present providing. Priced simply above 200€, they are often discovered on the producer’s web site, or in inventory on a number of distributors.

At-a-glance Card

PROs	CONs
Nice timbre.	Low mids & male vocals a bit too lean to sound totally natural.
Well calibrated tonality good for acoustic music and extra.	Modest however perceivable metallic sheen within the trebles.
Well accomplished, energetic, ethereal but inexcessive highmids and treble.	Modest stage depth.
Very good separation, layering and microdynamics.	Worthless inventory eartips.
Good stage extension.	No balanced cabling choice.
Good element retrieval.
Replaceable nozzles providing attention-grabbing tuning variations.
Very good construct.
Super comfy to put on.

Full Device Card

Test setup and preliminary notes

Sources: AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt / Chord Mojo / E1DA 9038D, 9038SG3 / Questyle QP1R, QP2R, M15, CMA-400i / Sony WM-1A – Final Type-E silicon ideas – Dunu DUW-02S cable – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC + DSD 64/128/256 tracks.

Important notes and caveats about my preferences and your affordable expectations

I’m not writing these articles to assist producers promote their merchandise, even much less I’m anticipating and even accepting compensation once I do. I’m writing completely to share my enjoyable – and generally my disappointment – about gear that I occur to purchase, borrow or someway obtain for audition.

Another essential reality to notice is that I’ve very sided and circumscribed musical tastes: I virtually completely take heed to jazz, and much more notably to the strains of put up bop, modal, exhausting bop and avantgarde which developed from the late ’50ies to the late ’70ies. In audio-related phrases this means that I principally take heed to musical conditions that includes small and even very small teams enjoying acoustic devices, on not massive phases.

One of the primary direct penalties of the above is that you must not count on me to supply broad details about how a sure product fares with many various musical genres. Oppositely, you must all the time needless to say – totally different gear treating digital and analog sound in numerous methods – my evaluations could not, in full or partially, be relevant to your most popular musical style.

Another consequence is that I construct my digital library by painstakingly cherry-pick editions providing the least potential compression and pumped loudness, and essentially the most prolonged dynamic vary. This alone, by the best way, makes widespread music streaming providers just about ineffective for me, as they provide virtually completely the polar reverse. And, once more by the best way, fairly just a few of the editions in my library are monoaural.

Additionally: my library features a important variety of unedited, very excessive pattern price re-digitisations of vinyl or open-reel tape editions, both courting again to the unique day or extra lately reissued beneath specialised labels e.g. Blue Note Tone Poet, Music Matters, Esoteric Jp, Analogue Productions, Impulse! Originals, and such. Oppositely, I might ever discover an especially small variety of audible (for my preferences) SACD editions.

My supply gear is correspondigly chosen to grant very prolonged bandwidth, excessive reconstruction proweness, uncolored amping.

And lastly, my most popular drivers (ear or headphones) are at the start imagined to characteristic stable note-body timbre, and an as magically centered compromise between nice element, articulated texturing and microdynamics as their designers can probably obtain.

In phrases of presentation, for IEMs I want one within the form of a DF curve, with some very average further pushup within the midbass. Extra sub-bass enhancement is completely elective, and solely welcome if critically properly managed. Last octave treble can be welcome from whomever is admittedly capable of flip that into additional spatial drawing improve, all others please abstain.

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Signature evaluation

Tonality

EA1000 are tuned following a wiiide V form, and have a replaceable “tuning nozzles” system to supply attention-grabbing variations of the tonal steadiness on high. There is a slight metallic sheen developing on the excessive trebles, additionally relying on the supply materials.

No matter the nozzle alternative the timbre stays kind of unchanged: mid-bodied notes throughout the board with a sole exception for lean-ish low mids, and a commendable total organicity.

The numerous nozzles ship totally different sonic nuances vis-a-vis their constructing supplies (Gold ones are product of brass), their size, their entrance mesh and naturally the sponge or fabric they might be stuffed with. Here’s an outline of the variations every one brings to the board.

Red nozzle : midbass is considerably “bloomy”, its notes are likely to “broaden” a bit of bit; highmids and treble are as an alternative near-precisely the tonality I want. Too unhealthy for that bass, which isn’t as natural because it ought to.

Gold nozzle: midbass is evidently extra combed, and I prefer it higher, however so is treble too, whereas highmids are extra ahead. Guitars and femaie vocals are most likely greatest expressed right here, however stage top is lower off, and air and spatiality take a success.

Black nozzle: midbass is similar as Gold, whereas excessive mids and treble are similar to Red, with probably a slight tad extra vitality on one hand, and a bit much less depth on the opposite.

It’s a toss between Black and Red for my explicit tastes, and properly… I experimented additional and discovered that ultimately I want Red with a -1,5dB Q=1 correction on 90Hz to “clear” these doublebass vibrations off. And sure, I’m a “by no means blissful canine” !

Sub-Bass

Sub bass is prolonged however not elevated. Rumble is current however not imposing itself, which is completely good for my library however could also be some extent of contempt for different musical tastes.

Mid Bass

Mid bass notes are very properly rendered by EA1000, with the Red nozzle including a bit extra butter in comparison with the opposite two options.

While such makes them a bit extra greasy than they need to to be referred to as completely natural in terms of render acoustic bass devices, the impact is certainly not extreme so not solely it’s welcome together with many musical genres, but in addition not essentially unwelcome even to hardbop or modal lovers.

It’s fairly simple to guess – or hope? – that the prime quality of EA1000’s mid bass rendering can be straight depending on that unusual “Passive Radiator” machine contained in the field, and anyhow that is what Simgot’s advertising insists on making us consider.

Mids

Mid frequencies are a little bit of a blended bag right here. They are recessed of their central half, and considerably lean of their decrease phase.

High mids nonetheless go up in energy fairly quickly between 1 and 2KHz which is the place they provide their greatest. As a consequence, and simplifying possibly a bit an excessive amount of, EA1000 render guitars and sax tenors higher than pianos, for instance.

Male Vocals

Vis-a-vis what I simply famous about mids basically, male vocals are a territory the place EA1000 don’t fare notably properly: particularly baritone and bass voices come out perceivably leaner than actual, and that’s a standard trait irrespective of the nozzle put in.

Female Vocals

Opposite of the male case, feminine vocals profit from a greater tonal state of affairs on EA1000 and in details come throughout very naturally coloured, bodied, detailed and really pleasing always.

Highs

Treble is among the areas the place EA1000 do greatest, and on the similar time one the place the three totally different nozzles apply extra important variations.

As I anticipated above, to my tastes Red nozzles nail it, interval: “Red” trebles are energetic but nonetheless not excessively so, bodied, very detailed, they usually “breath” a variety of air by way of spatiality. Their sole actual draw back is that perceivable metallic aftertaste developing as soon as too usually – it’s not too sturdy, nor too fastidious, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly there to make the ultimate outcome only a bit lower than totally optimistic (what a pity).

Golden nozzles furtherly strengthen highmids and low trebles, whereas additionally taking a few of that magic air amount off. Black nozzles are very, similar to Red up there, juts a tad much less ethereal (however much less so in comparison with Gold).

Technicalities

Soundstage

Width and top are very extented, a lot past what you usually get on comparable priced IEMs. Depth is “solely” barely above common, all the time referred to the identical class.

Imaging

Macrodynamics are very properly executed on EA1000, with all the time exact instrument positioning on stage.

Details

EA1000 supply excellent element retrieval within the excessive mids and low treble.

Retrieval is sweet on midbass too, the place the concessions made to drama and musicality simply not often steal one thing off word contouring. As my few readers know I’m noticing this as I’m biased in the direction of acoustic music.

Instrument separation

Separation, layering and microdynamics are all little doubt EA1000’s excellence factors. It’s certainly very unusual to seek out higher round, not solely at this value level, however a lot larger too.

Driveability

EA1000 are simple to drive by way of sound strain output due to a great sensitivity (109 dB/mW) paired with a not too low impedance (16 Ohm). Their sound high quality scales with amping high quality nonetheless – I think this may occasionally need to do with that passive radiator machine.

Physicals

Build

EA1000 supply a really convincing feeling of solidity and reliability. Their full metallic housings are clearly impervious to affordable bodily damages (and probably to some unreasonable ones, too).

Faceplates are coated by what are declared as “crystal” (!) glasses. I couldn’t assess whether or not it’s really crystal, all I can say is it doesn’t seem like simply scratched, and when involved with a metallic tip it doesn’t are likely to sound “plastic”.

For the good thing about those that pay explicit consideration to aesthetics it needs to be famous that the housings’ chrome end and of the “crystal” faceplates are very properly taken care of, and that can assist them really feel alive of their compulsion to repeatedly wipe each floor clear of fingerprints.

Fit

EA1000’s housings match me near-perfectly by way of dimension & form. Nozzles should not too quick, and they’re mounted on a type of protruded portion of the shell. Eartips of the best dimension simply get a grasp – much more than a seal – onto my canals’ inside surfaces, with this contributing to a agency seating as soon as correctly worn – all this regardless of the earpieces not being exactly “featherweights”.

Comfort

As talked about above EA1000 sit properly in my outer ears and show completely comfy to put on, even for extended durations of time.

Isolation

Given the housings’ shapes and calibrated dimensions, EA1000 shells type an essential isolation barrier. The a number of vents, and most of all of the huge opening akin to the passive radiator do after all take steps in the other way however I’d say that the general result’s greater than passable anyhow.

Cable

EA1000 are bought with a replaceable non-modular-terminated 3.5mm cable. Its aesthetics and haptics are greater than okay however I couldn’t conduct my regular comparability assessments round-robining amongst my numerous sources as most of them received balanced outputs. I can’t consequently supply an opinion on the inventory cable’s sound efficiency. For my assessments I paired a Dunu DUW-02S cable.

On a extra business word, given the current (2-3 years) market evolutions, the truth that an in any other case “premium” bundle like EA1000’s doesn’t supply a balanced termination cable choice – be it in type of out there alternative at order time or of modular termination system – is to be reported as a destructive comment within the basic analysis.

Specifications (declared)

Housing	High density alloy metallic physique constructions, with CNC-made exterior engravings, and uneven floor contained in the chamber
Driver(s)	One 10mm full-range dual-magnet twin cavity sputter deposition “purple-gold” diaphragm dynamic driver plus one 6mm light-weight composite diaphragm passive radiator
Connector	2pin 0.78mm, recessed connectors. A notch is current to ensure plugging terminals following appropriate polarity
Cable	1.2m excessive purity silver-plated OFC Litz construction cable, with mounted 3.5mm single ended termination
Sensitivity	127 dB/Vrms = 109 dB/mW
Impedance	16 Ω
Frequency Range	10Hz – 50Khz
Package & Accessories	2 units of three pairs (S/M/L) silicon ideas, 3 pairs of tuning nozzles, spare coloured washers for nozzles, leatherette stable carrying case
MSRP at this put up time	$ 219,99

Comparisons

Tanchjim Oxygen (€ 190)

Oxygen characteristic a bit softer assault, yielding into much less punchy bass and total silkier, extra enjoyable timbre. Oxygen’s tonality is total extra natural, exquisitely impartial – which can after all be a love-hate factor in some circumstances. Their midrange shouldn’t be recessed leading to significantly better vocal and guitars rendition. Oxygen’s trebles are much less energetic, ethereal and sparkly.

Stage on Oxygen is a bit narrower, perceivably much less excessive, however a lot deeper. Lastly, Oxygen are way more demanding by way of supply energy.

Intime Miyabi Mk-II (€170 + import prices)

You can discover my Miyabi evaluate right here. Miyabi Mk-II differ from Miyabi insofar as their mids are much less upfront, and their timbre is dryer and clearer, and that’s why I’m taking them as a extra applicable comparability to EA1000 right here.

Midbass elevation is analogous between Miyabi Mk-II and EA1000, however EA1000 have a cleaner timbre, higher punch and sound extra resolving there. In a nutshell, bass is technically higher on EA1000, very probably resulting from their Passive Radiator factor.

Miyabi Mk-II’s mids are far more bodied, and clearly extra natural. Trebles are total higher on Miyabi Mk-II, much less upfront however extra refined. Opposite to bass, whereas good on EA1000 treble is, that’s higher on Miyabi, probably consequece of the incredible deeds of Watanabe-sama’s VST driver,

Miyabi Mk-II forged a barely narrower stage, similar top, however manner higher depth. They require a bit extra energy than EA1000 however the distinction shouldn’t be massive on this.

Ikko OH1S (€ 150)

The two supply very comparable timbre, and comparable basic tonality. Bass is much less ahead and fewer punchy on OH1S (virtually ruler-flat, certainly), which additionally contributes to their mids be felt as much less recessed, extra “significant”, and I’m speaking about each low and center mids.

Trebles are extra energetic on EA1000, which is a bonus at instances, however a drawback when this pairs negatively with some tracks or musical genres. Separation is analogous on the 2 fashions, layering is a bit higher on EA1000 resulting from higher microdynamics. Stage is narrower on OH1S, however deeper.

Final A5000 (€ 299)

A5000’s presentation is extra markedly V-shaped in comparison with EA1000’s. Both supply a dry timbre with little concession to heat, with A5000 being by a whiff the coldest of the 2.

Bass are a tie recreation, each fashions providing very important high quality within the area. Mids are additionally comparable, on this case which means each fashions select to allow them to in second-layer place, accepting sub-organic leanness. Trebles are higher on EA1000, with A5000 too usually scanting into extra and sibilance, and delivering much less air.

Technicalities – all of them – are in favour of A5000, generally vastly too. Stage is wider and deeper on A5000, only a bit much less excessive. Layering and separation is macroscopically higher on A5000. Ditto for element retrieval, which is “sensational” on A5000.

Considerations & conclusions

Simgot hit a strike with EA1000, there’s little or no doubt about this. Their good timbre and much more their vastly calibrated tonality are of absolute worth. Technicalities are additionally extraordinarily good, with a specific point out deserved by layering and microdynamics. Their much less shiny points are ultimately only a few as compared.

As chances are you’ll or could not know I’m fairly selective, and that’s why I’m happy to state that EA1000 fall amongst the very IEMs I discover recommendable across the €200 mark. For that, I’m double grateful to Simgot for the evaluate alternative I’ve been provided.

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