The EJ07M is latest in-ear monitor from Chinese-brand Shuoer. If you've read my previous reviews on Shuoer products, my impressions of their lineup have been anything but stellar. In fact, many of their IEMs rank on the low end of my ranking list. This new model is an update on the popular EJ07 model released over a year ago, and the "M" stands for "mass production."
I never had an opportunity to listen to the original EJ07, but impressions were anywhere from very impressive to overpriced and over-rated. Without really knowing what the original sounded like, my impressions here will be geared more towards its target price-range which is solidly mid-tier pricing, at $599 retail.
The EJ07M is a tri-brid monitor featuring a single 10mm dynamic driver, 2 Sonion balanced armatures, and 4 Sonion electro-static tweeters. The drivers are covered by a CNC metal shell with a graphic acting as a faceplate. It reminds me a bit of the feel of a 64 Audio IEM, though with a much different look. The version I got was the silver model, and it features a red, black and blue art.
Please note, I did receive this item as a review sample from Linsoul, who carry Shuoer products on their website located at http://www.linsoul.com.
On the topic of the shell design, I do want to point out that while it has a nice feel, I am not super impressed with its fit. This is mostly due to the conical shape of the inner shell design and the shallow nozzle. I went through several dozen tips with varying success. Some just did not want to stay in, some had poor seal, some hurt, and very few sounded and felt right. In the end, I went with SpinFit CP100 tips for my ears, but there was some occasional sensations of discomfort from time to time. So for me, this is not near the top of my fitment list.
The included cable is a very, very nice light-copper colored thick braided cable with a right-angle 3.5mm jack, and bended 2-pin connectors. The cable is very attractive, sleek, and also tangle-free and very usable. I have no issues continuing to use this cable with the IEM and is one of the better cables I've seen included with IEMs.
Sound Impressions
The Shuoer EJ07M surprised me a lot. This stems from my previous experience with IEMs such as the Shuoer Tape and Tape Pro, and the variety of other Shuoer disappointments I've tried in the past. In all these other IEMs that I listened to, they were stuck with a heavy bass, hazy-mids (or perhaps, "velvet fog") and rolled-off treble sound that I did not find any enjoyment out of it.
The EJ07M is different. It is tuned very, very well. In fact, when I put it up against my "Antdroid Target" curve, which is my personal preference/neutral curve, I found the EJ07 to align very close to its mid-range and treble range, with only an additional sub-bass boost over my target. Only the See Audio Yume or maybe the Moondrop Aria have come closer (besides the Hidition Viento, which is where this graph is based from).
Of course, I did not just graph and go. In my initial listens, I typically play a few well-known tracks to get my audio reviewer mindset going. These tracks include songs such as Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams", Alison Kraus' "Restless", and Bill Laurence's "The Good Things." The first thing I noticed was how nicely balanced the IEM was, with perhaps a slightly dark treble region. The bass level was not overly done, and the mid-range was spot on. The soundstage was generally intimate, but some songs had a slightly wider sound to it, and all through my listening, I noticed a very mid-forward sound that didn't have a great deal of image depth to it.
The low-end does not come across as big boosted as it may appear on just a glance at the frequency response. The bass range is actually well in-line with what I'd say is a slightly boosted neutral sound. It should have the quantity to make most all people happy, whether it is someone who wants a little more fun in their favorite EDM track or someone who needs a powerful stand-up bass strum.
The mid-range was near perfect for me, at least in terms of tonality. There was just the right amount of balance between the low mids and the upper mids that gave an equal weighting for male and female vocals, and nothing seemed too shouty, nor too hazy, both of which are complaints of previous Shuoer IEMs that I've tried. Instrumental play also seemed equally balanced and guitars had the right amount of emphasis without being to shrill or twangy.
The treble range is where I felt the tonality took a small dip, pun intended. Yes, there's a small amount of darkness to this range, with an even more small set of dips that leave treble slightly uneven. It's not a huge deal, but I do feel like there's a small amount of closed-in space and a lack of dynamic range between the low-mids and the treble range.
This lack of treble may contribute heavily to this intimate and small soundstage and just a lack of sizzle and sparkle. It's quite a nice organic overall sound, but the EJ07M does lack a little bit of excitement. Instead, this IEM is wonderful to use for hours upon hours of listening enjoyment. It's an easy listener, but may not have the extra character to keep you fully engaged.
I sensed some trouble when I listened to The War on Drugs' various guitar soundscape blends of Don Henley sweetness and shoegazing wall of sound rock. While the EJ07M packs in a very nice amount of clarity and resolution with its tribrid setup, I felt that the low end and the lower midrange texture and layering depth was lacking some of its competition here. It felt very one-noted in many cases.
The soundstage is forward leaning, and add on the lack of layering and imaging depth gives this overall sound feeling more like something just slightly below its price range, however its tonal balance keeps it in strong competition against its peers.
Comparison Shoot-out
I spent an hour or so with four IEMs, all priced in the $500-700 price range, which bounds the price point of the Shuoer EJ07M ($599). I compared it against the recently released 8-BA Kiwi Ears Orchestra ($499), the 6-BA Dunu SA6 ($549), and the single dynamic driver Dunu Zen ($699).
Let's make this straight, right off the bat. I really enjoy all four of these IEMs a lot, and for different reasons. They are all among my top IEMs in this price category, and just flat out overall. They are all good IEMs and one could be happy with any of these. But to make things more fun, let's compare how they stack up against one another.
I started with the Dunu Zen. Right off the cuff, one should be easily distinguish between these two. They are totally different, which is to be expected as the Zen is the one IEM in this shoot-out that is unique from the rest as the only dynamic driver IEM. The Zen has a more powerful and more natural and realistic bass and mid-range presentation. It handily beats the EJ07M and the Kiwi Ears Orchestra in the texture, decay, and overall power quantity and quality in spades. The Zen's most glaring flaw, however, is its tonality, with a tad too much emphasis in the upper mid-range that makes it come across as a little shouty and shrill.
In comparison, the EJ07M's tonal balance is really well done, and in my preferences, beats the Zen for the most part. Now that said, tonality is only one part of the equation. The Zen's dynamics are really good with equally good micro and macro-resolution, which is comparable if only slightly trailing the EJ07M. And while the EJ07M is a bit too forward and lacking depth, the Zen is even more closed-in, with a much more forward mid-range presentation that can be a little too nearing for me. The Zen struggles a little more in heavy instrument packages, but its also not one of the Shuoer's specialties either.
Next, I pulled off Dunu's stablemate, the all-BA SA6. This extremely attractive and colorful, wood face-plated IEM has a price tag that is just below the EJ07M and beats it in almost every area in my opinion. The SA6 has a bigger, livelier, and more engaging sound, while also keeping the best parts of tonality and FR. The upper midrange of both still have adequate pinna compensation, but do not extend it too far like many IEMs have done so recently, and not nearly as much as the Harman Target. In both cases, they both fall in-line with my Antdroid target. The SA6 has a bit of wonkiness in the 5-6KHz lower treble, while the EJ07M has an overall darker and smoother treble, which is both a plus and a negative all in one.
The major differences between listening to these two are this: The EJ07M is a smoother and warmer listen, with a relaxing overall sound that has good resolution and clarity. The SA6, however, easily beats out the EJ07M when it comes to natural decay, and resonance, as well as just an overall more dynamic experience. The dual-vented woofer BAs that drive the low end do a great job of presenting bass that even out-performs the dynamic driver of the EJ07M.
The battle that I thought would be the closest and hardest to differentiate came to fruition and expectations were met, as I compared the Kiwi Ears Orchestra and the Shuoer EJ07M. These two both have the smoothest of sounds of the four. Both have similar midrange responses, but differ in bass quantity and treble.
The EJ07M has more subbass quantity, though quality level was quite similar between the two. If I really had to pick which was bassier, it'd be actually hard to discern, as I think both sounded very similarly. Both of these had the lowest quality bass performance in terms of texture, decay, and naturalness.
The treble range also differed between the two. The Kiwi Ears Orchestra had a noticeable airier and brighter presentation, though I'd still put it as a smooth and relaxed listen overall. That just means the EJ07M is a slightly darker sounding in-ear monitor, and this is mostly due to the reduced lower treble range, where the Orchestra has a peak here.
Picking between the two here is tough. I'd probably choose the Orchestra overall for tonal balance and improved dynamics, but the EJ07M and it are very close in all technical categories, albeit perhaps a step below the Dunu siblings.
So where do they rank against one another? Let's just do a quick and dirty categorical stack and file:
Bass Quality:
1. Zen
2. SA6
3. Orchestra / EJ07M
Mid Quality:
1. SA6
2. Zen
3. Orchestra/EJ07M
Treble Quality:
1. Orchestra
2. SA6
3. EJ07M
4. Zen
Tonal Balance:
1. Orchestra
2. EJ07M
3. SA6
4. Zen
Depth & Imaging:
1. SA6
2. Orchestra
3. EJ07M
4. Zen
Decay & Natural 100% Certified Organic Level
1. Zen
2. SA6
3. Orchestra
4. EJ07M
Resolution
1. Tie
Overall Scores (lower better):
1. Dunu SA6 - 12
2. Kiwi Ears Orchestra - 14
3. Dunu Zen - 17
4. Shuoer EJ07M - 19
Wrap-Up
Okay, so the Shuoer EJ07M did not actually win this shootout against other similarly priced in-ear monitor competition, and actually fell into last place overall in my random categories. BUT -- It is still a good solid product at its price range, and I'd give it a solid recommendation. Of course, as you have seen above, the caveat is that there is stiff competition here, and in some areas it doesn't meet the top bar for the under $700 IEM class.
It does, however, provide the most listenable experience across many genres, and many hours of listening. It has no sibilance, no harshness, and no sense of shrill or stridency that would cause any fatigue in my experience and musical selections.
In the end, I still like this EJ07M model from Shuoer and I hope to see more from them now. What once was an IEM brand that I honestly had little faith in, has now shown me something that makes me more interested in what's next. There's a great foundation here to build from. Let's hope they continue with improved products!
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