esanthosh
Skilled
Introduction
As an IEM addict who is beyond help, I am always intrigued by IEMs that are never heard of, but suddenly find themselves at the top of a reviewer's ranking. So, when clieOS suddenly rated VSonic GR07 as his #3 right behind RE-262 and TF10, but above e-Q5, I got yet another justification to spend money without feeling guilty.
GR07 costs $155 from lendmeurears (delonicdevil on eBay). As of now, it is the only source from which GR07 can be bought.
But these are not like old days when I'd remain awake and post my impressions within 3 hours of getting an IEM. First off, I am getting bored of this stuff - writing that is. Secondly, I just figured out that on average, I heard at least one new IEM for each week of the last several months. Gone are the days when getting an IEM used to be as much exciting. My jaw never drops to the ground these days. Naturally, in order to feel excited, you need an IEM that is truly good (like SM3 or CK10). Earlier, my inner voice used to scream and scheme me about the IEM's signature. These days I get a robotic voice without any emotion saying "this is good". So, wait till I prepare to pretend that I am excited and go through the motions.
Pictures: See clieOS review for now
Build Quality, Accessories
My expectations of build quality from a Chinese brand was at a low level. I was surprised at the GR07 package. It was huge compared to the tiny ECCI PR401, which I received a few weeks back from the same lendmeurears. So, what could be stuffed in a box so big? Let's find out.
GR07 does pack a punch, some of them a pleasant surprise. It's housing is square but without the annoying sharp edges. The housing is made of plastic, while the nozzle is made of metal. The nozzle is adjustable, which is a boon for people like me who have a slightly angled canal. This is only the second IEM with this feature after Brendon's ultra-secretive Microsonics Epic X (which is no longer a secret now). I am not very enthused by the cable, but it is neither thin nor thick. It has a right angled plug, Y-Split and Chin slider. Hurray! Finally an IEM with a chin slider! (My last few happen to be Brainwavz M2, Brainwavz Alpha, Fischer Daleth, ECCI PR401). The supplied case is decent. Since GR07 is meant to be worn over the ear, VSonic has bundled ear guides. Usually ear guides tend to be bulky, thick, unusable. Not the case with GR07. This is the first time I've noticed a Left, Right marker on the ear guide. Thoughtful of VSonic there.
Bundled tips include three sizes of single flanges, a foam tip and two sizes of bi-flanges. Usually, I get a fit with Medium size tips with almost all IEMs. But, the sizes are a little out of whack here. I got a fit only with the large sized tip.
Sound Signature
At the time of writing, GR07 has a little more than 50 hours on it. Manufacturer recommends 100 hours burn-in, which I'll do before the final review (If my opinion does not change much, this will be posted as-is in the reviews section)
One of the tasks of the reviewer (or highly opinionated guy as in my case) is to state who should or should not look at a particular IEM. That's where trouble begins in the case of GR07. GR07 at it's price point competes with some of the well focused and targeted IEMs. RE-262 is available on pre-order for $150, DBA-02 and Brainwavz B2 are available for more and less respectively. That would cater to the Midrange crowd and Treble crowd respectively.
So, what is it? Analytical? Musical? Something in between? Bassy? Treble head's delight? Garbage? Best IEM ever made?
When I think of it, it's none of the above. At the core, GR07 is balanced with slightly lesser presence of treble. I've not A/B-ed, so don't blame me if I am vague in comparisons.
Bass of GR07 thankfully is unlike most of the 'balanced' IEMs, which are essentially brighter in nature with lack of sub-bass. GR07's bass is tight with a quantity which is neither huge nor thin. It's sure more than e-Q5 (I am guessing RE-262 as well) with a good extension. Sub-bass has presence. I'd say the tapering begins only after 30Hz. So, while you won't get a Hippo VB, you'll feel the sub-bass presence. It is this bass presence which makes GR07 handle Trance, Techno well (while I am not a fan, I've collected a few tracks for testing thanks to our resident EDM fans). The bass has good impact compared to the likes of e-Q5 or from memory, RE-262 (which was more softer in nature).
Mids of GR07 are placed a tad behind, a position I can call either as 'neither forward nor recessed' or just 'not as forward'. Midrange has slight warmth, but not lush or liquid as in the case of RE262 or as warm as RE252.
Let's say, at this point, it's not great for Vocal based music. Why? I observe sibilance, not anywhere near as alarming as Hippo VB, but when you observe it with all the 'sss' and 'fff', it becomes detrimental to enjoying any music, not just vocal music. In the first few hours of out of the box casual listening, I don't remember it to be like this. And you wonder why SM3 and RE-262 smooth out everything?
Treble is not recessed, which is a positive. It is detailed, in balance with bass and mids, carries some sparkle, but not at a level which can satisfy a CK10 or a DBA-02 fan. It's not lacking at all once I listen to it for a while. But, hey! who asked you to A/B it with RE-252? Your mistake. OK! It has that SM3 like quality to it (minus the thickness and recession plus some added clarity) - not lacking, not exciting, a little dry and when compared to DBA-02..... enough discussing treble, I don't like the stare GR07 is giving me. Let's move on.
The sound stage is well wide, nicely deep, but I'd say more wide than deep or high. Either of height or depth and it would have been really great. I see zero problems with separation. It's well detailed, but still not crisply micro-detailed. It has opened up a bit compared to out of the box listening though. Imaging is quite nice as well - nothing to complain there.
Rated at 50 ohms, I needed to push up the volume a little bit for GR07 to perform, a clear 3-5dB notch over my usual listening levels on Rockboxed Clip+. But it does not seem to require an amp. I'll test it with an amp before the final review.
One of the terms that has constantly appeared in GR07 impressions thus far is 'fatigue free'. But back when I said it, GR07 was a little more smooth sounding, hid some details and did not feel like having sibilance. I can no longer use that term if the sibilance does not settle down (Sony Hybrid which enhances bass and cuts out the treble could be one solution). When I ran a frequency sweep, there was a bump around the 6-8 Khz range. May be I can EQ it down a bit.
Another term I've used is 'Genre neutral'. That still holds true, largely because of the across the range presence that GR07 has. You throw Gojira at it, it would sound "BIG" (FX700 would make them sound "Monstrous" or "Godzilla" like true to their name), you can play Trance/Techno without worrying about the bass thump missing. But, what about vocals? I think I've already addressed it a couple of times. Sibilance == Yuck! in that case.
In terms of balance, I really like GR07. I don't really think the term 'balance' applies to IEMs when an entire range of sub-bass is missing from them. GR07 is balanced in a true sense as it does not lack any range.
But, here's the issue. FX700 and TF10 may be V-Shaped compared to GR07, but they are both fun to listen to. SM3 may have a weird, enveloping sound stage, thick sound and recessed treble, but it renders even the worst recorded music listen-able. RE-262 may not have a sub-bass presence or relatively as much treble, but it has specialties like it's presentation and liquid midrange. CK10 has that magnificent, pin point placement, clean flat frequency response (once you adjust down a bit in treble and/or boost a bit in bass). DBA-02, which is an aggressive and fast IEM has that 'in your face' treble standing out.
So, when I think of GR07, what comes to the top of my head? Blank! Don't mistake me. I like the IEM. I even ranked it a bit above e-Q5 initially (will revisit that ranking after a full comparison). It's not a boring IEM, it does not do many things badly, but it does not go the full stretch in any one department to make it count. It's easy to dismiss my lack of excitement as someone who's a treble head and used to too many V-Shaped IEMs. Really, who cares? TF10 is still fun, FX700 is great, CK10 & SM3 are relaxing - and at the end of the day, you want to listen to music. GR07 does not approach that level for me. I won't make the mistake of dismissing GR07 without proper A/B comparisons, which I'll do sometime next week. But, at this point, it's not showing great promise to overthrow any of the IEMs I mentioned.
It's still a good IEM, something which can co-exist with other IEMs, but not something which can overthrow top IEMs. But then, the point to remember is most of those IEMs cost at the very least $100 above GR07. RE262 & TF10 should be interesting to compare though!
Conclusion?
GR07 is a good, balanced IEM at an affordable price point. I like the build quality, the accessories, the tuning and it's bang for buck factor. But, therein lies the problem - I like it, but don't love it... at least not yet.
Who should Buy?
Bass Heads, Treble Heads, Mid Heads (Forward, smooth, liquid midrange lovers) - Keep off!
I like an IEM at which I'll throw any sort of music and expect it to play it well - Consider it (IF sibilance settles)
I own a budget IEM. Can't spend any more than $150, but I am fearful of the RE0/DBA/B2/RE252 treble sparkle, won't really like RE262 due to my genre preference, scared to death of TF10's supposed fit issues, I hear that RE-ZERO has no bass quantity. Still I want to know what a better IEM sounds like -
You sir! Should have ordered GR07 yesterday
I want only the bestest of the bestest - Spend more (unless RE262 is your thing). There's no word called 'bestest', no perfect IEM either. But personally, there are IEMs I like more than GR07.
Disclaimer
All the views expressed here-in are true to what I am hearing right now and I must stress without A/B. I've observed that a few IEMs would feel better only during comparison (e-Q5 for instance) as "good" and "bad" are always relative terms. Therefore, I am perfectly within my rights to make a U-Turn and say this is the most perfect IEM in the world during my final review. So, please keep that in mind while reading this half-way-mark impression.
As an IEM addict who is beyond help, I am always intrigued by IEMs that are never heard of, but suddenly find themselves at the top of a reviewer's ranking. So, when clieOS suddenly rated VSonic GR07 as his #3 right behind RE-262 and TF10, but above e-Q5, I got yet another justification to spend money without feeling guilty.
GR07 costs $155 from lendmeurears (delonicdevil on eBay). As of now, it is the only source from which GR07 can be bought.
But these are not like old days when I'd remain awake and post my impressions within 3 hours of getting an IEM. First off, I am getting bored of this stuff - writing that is. Secondly, I just figured out that on average, I heard at least one new IEM for each week of the last several months. Gone are the days when getting an IEM used to be as much exciting. My jaw never drops to the ground these days. Naturally, in order to feel excited, you need an IEM that is truly good (like SM3 or CK10). Earlier, my inner voice used to scream and scheme me about the IEM's signature. These days I get a robotic voice without any emotion saying "this is good". So, wait till I prepare to pretend that I am excited and go through the motions.
Pictures: See clieOS review for now
Build Quality, Accessories
My expectations of build quality from a Chinese brand was at a low level. I was surprised at the GR07 package. It was huge compared to the tiny ECCI PR401, which I received a few weeks back from the same lendmeurears. So, what could be stuffed in a box so big? Let's find out.
GR07 does pack a punch, some of them a pleasant surprise. It's housing is square but without the annoying sharp edges. The housing is made of plastic, while the nozzle is made of metal. The nozzle is adjustable, which is a boon for people like me who have a slightly angled canal. This is only the second IEM with this feature after Brendon's ultra-secretive Microsonics Epic X (which is no longer a secret now). I am not very enthused by the cable, but it is neither thin nor thick. It has a right angled plug, Y-Split and Chin slider. Hurray! Finally an IEM with a chin slider! (My last few happen to be Brainwavz M2, Brainwavz Alpha, Fischer Daleth, ECCI PR401). The supplied case is decent. Since GR07 is meant to be worn over the ear, VSonic has bundled ear guides. Usually ear guides tend to be bulky, thick, unusable. Not the case with GR07. This is the first time I've noticed a Left, Right marker on the ear guide. Thoughtful of VSonic there.
Bundled tips include three sizes of single flanges, a foam tip and two sizes of bi-flanges. Usually, I get a fit with Medium size tips with almost all IEMs. But, the sizes are a little out of whack here. I got a fit only with the large sized tip.
Sound Signature
At the time of writing, GR07 has a little more than 50 hours on it. Manufacturer recommends 100 hours burn-in, which I'll do before the final review (If my opinion does not change much, this will be posted as-is in the reviews section)
One of the tasks of the reviewer (or highly opinionated guy as in my case) is to state who should or should not look at a particular IEM. That's where trouble begins in the case of GR07. GR07 at it's price point competes with some of the well focused and targeted IEMs. RE-262 is available on pre-order for $150, DBA-02 and Brainwavz B2 are available for more and less respectively. That would cater to the Midrange crowd and Treble crowd respectively.
So, what is it? Analytical? Musical? Something in between? Bassy? Treble head's delight? Garbage? Best IEM ever made?
When I think of it, it's none of the above. At the core, GR07 is balanced with slightly lesser presence of treble. I've not A/B-ed, so don't blame me if I am vague in comparisons.
Bass of GR07 thankfully is unlike most of the 'balanced' IEMs, which are essentially brighter in nature with lack of sub-bass. GR07's bass is tight with a quantity which is neither huge nor thin. It's sure more than e-Q5 (I am guessing RE-262 as well) with a good extension. Sub-bass has presence. I'd say the tapering begins only after 30Hz. So, while you won't get a Hippo VB, you'll feel the sub-bass presence. It is this bass presence which makes GR07 handle Trance, Techno well (while I am not a fan, I've collected a few tracks for testing thanks to our resident EDM fans). The bass has good impact compared to the likes of e-Q5 or from memory, RE-262 (which was more softer in nature).
Mids of GR07 are placed a tad behind, a position I can call either as 'neither forward nor recessed' or just 'not as forward'. Midrange has slight warmth, but not lush or liquid as in the case of RE262 or as warm as RE252.
Let's say, at this point, it's not great for Vocal based music. Why? I observe sibilance, not anywhere near as alarming as Hippo VB, but when you observe it with all the 'sss' and 'fff', it becomes detrimental to enjoying any music, not just vocal music. In the first few hours of out of the box casual listening, I don't remember it to be like this. And you wonder why SM3 and RE-262 smooth out everything?
Treble is not recessed, which is a positive. It is detailed, in balance with bass and mids, carries some sparkle, but not at a level which can satisfy a CK10 or a DBA-02 fan. It's not lacking at all once I listen to it for a while. But, hey! who asked you to A/B it with RE-252? Your mistake. OK! It has that SM3 like quality to it (minus the thickness and recession plus some added clarity) - not lacking, not exciting, a little dry and when compared to DBA-02..... enough discussing treble, I don't like the stare GR07 is giving me. Let's move on.
The sound stage is well wide, nicely deep, but I'd say more wide than deep or high. Either of height or depth and it would have been really great. I see zero problems with separation. It's well detailed, but still not crisply micro-detailed. It has opened up a bit compared to out of the box listening though. Imaging is quite nice as well - nothing to complain there.
Rated at 50 ohms, I needed to push up the volume a little bit for GR07 to perform, a clear 3-5dB notch over my usual listening levels on Rockboxed Clip+. But it does not seem to require an amp. I'll test it with an amp before the final review.
One of the terms that has constantly appeared in GR07 impressions thus far is 'fatigue free'. But back when I said it, GR07 was a little more smooth sounding, hid some details and did not feel like having sibilance. I can no longer use that term if the sibilance does not settle down (Sony Hybrid which enhances bass and cuts out the treble could be one solution). When I ran a frequency sweep, there was a bump around the 6-8 Khz range. May be I can EQ it down a bit.
Another term I've used is 'Genre neutral'. That still holds true, largely because of the across the range presence that GR07 has. You throw Gojira at it, it would sound "BIG" (FX700 would make them sound "Monstrous" or "Godzilla" like true to their name), you can play Trance/Techno without worrying about the bass thump missing. But, what about vocals? I think I've already addressed it a couple of times. Sibilance == Yuck! in that case.
In terms of balance, I really like GR07. I don't really think the term 'balance' applies to IEMs when an entire range of sub-bass is missing from them. GR07 is balanced in a true sense as it does not lack any range.
But, here's the issue. FX700 and TF10 may be V-Shaped compared to GR07, but they are both fun to listen to. SM3 may have a weird, enveloping sound stage, thick sound and recessed treble, but it renders even the worst recorded music listen-able. RE-262 may not have a sub-bass presence or relatively as much treble, but it has specialties like it's presentation and liquid midrange. CK10 has that magnificent, pin point placement, clean flat frequency response (once you adjust down a bit in treble and/or boost a bit in bass). DBA-02, which is an aggressive and fast IEM has that 'in your face' treble standing out.
So, when I think of GR07, what comes to the top of my head? Blank! Don't mistake me. I like the IEM. I even ranked it a bit above e-Q5 initially (will revisit that ranking after a full comparison). It's not a boring IEM, it does not do many things badly, but it does not go the full stretch in any one department to make it count. It's easy to dismiss my lack of excitement as someone who's a treble head and used to too many V-Shaped IEMs. Really, who cares? TF10 is still fun, FX700 is great, CK10 & SM3 are relaxing - and at the end of the day, you want to listen to music. GR07 does not approach that level for me. I won't make the mistake of dismissing GR07 without proper A/B comparisons, which I'll do sometime next week. But, at this point, it's not showing great promise to overthrow any of the IEMs I mentioned.
It's still a good IEM, something which can co-exist with other IEMs, but not something which can overthrow top IEMs. But then, the point to remember is most of those IEMs cost at the very least $100 above GR07. RE262 & TF10 should be interesting to compare though!
Conclusion?
GR07 is a good, balanced IEM at an affordable price point. I like the build quality, the accessories, the tuning and it's bang for buck factor. But, therein lies the problem - I like it, but don't love it... at least not yet.
Who should Buy?
Bass Heads, Treble Heads, Mid Heads (Forward, smooth, liquid midrange lovers) - Keep off!
I like an IEM at which I'll throw any sort of music and expect it to play it well - Consider it (IF sibilance settles)
I own a budget IEM. Can't spend any more than $150, but I am fearful of the RE0/DBA/B2/RE252 treble sparkle, won't really like RE262 due to my genre preference, scared to death of TF10's supposed fit issues, I hear that RE-ZERO has no bass quantity. Still I want to know what a better IEM sounds like -
You sir! Should have ordered GR07 yesterday
I want only the bestest of the bestest - Spend more (unless RE262 is your thing). There's no word called 'bestest', no perfect IEM either. But personally, there are IEMs I like more than GR07.
Disclaimer
All the views expressed here-in are true to what I am hearing right now and I must stress without A/B. I've observed that a few IEMs would feel better only during comparison (e-Q5 for instance) as "good" and "bad" are always relative terms. Therefore, I am perfectly within my rights to make a U-Turn and say this is the most perfect IEM in the world during my final review. So, please keep that in mind while reading this half-way-mark impression.
