The outgoing year has firmly convinced me in one truth: if before you something done in Shozy / Cozoy, you can safely be sure that this decision will certainly not be ordinary or mediocre. Here and headphones Hibiki, developed by Shozy in commonwealth with AAW, the exception did not.
In my opinion, in the case of Shozy, it can be said without exaggeration that for them the sound is much more important commercial component, because their devices are often made "contrary to" all market trends. However, recent trends show that it is the departure from the "averaged" sound that can bring the company a success (not to refer all the time to Shozy, to mention the example of FiiO X5-3). Shozy, following the lead of this movement, regularly go on bold experiments, for example, previous Zero headphones offered a specially darkened sound, which many liked. Hibiki, which we'll talk about today, are made the exact opposite of Zero and offer a sound that is aimed at connoisseurs of MF and HF. This model was developed in cooperation with AAW, but Shozy decided to give it a fairly low-cost price tag, roughly equal to $ 60.
Specifications
- Emitter: dynamic, 10 mm, with a membrane of biocellulose
- Frequency range: 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- Sensitivity: 102 dB / mW
- Impedance: 18Ω
- Total Harmonic Distortion: ≤0.5% @ 1 kHz
- Cable: interchangeable, with two-pin connector (0.78 mm)
- Plug: 3.5 mm, TRRS
Packing and delivery kit
The box is made very traditionally: a black box of solid cardboard, a white "dust jacket", printing is the most common - in general, manufacturers try to do everything possible to make this section of my reviews outlived.
Inside everything is still modest - headphones, a short instruction and two pairs of spare attachments (except for a pair that is immediately worn on Hibiki).
Design and comfortable wearing
But the appearance of the Shozy was quite successful: the body is made of plastic with a soft-touch effect, it is stylized in the form of a demo of custom headphones - the same ergonomic bodies suitable for most ears, the same flat faceplates (the outer panel). By the way, the very faceplates themselves are covered with real carbon, which, in combination with the silver edging looks very expensive.
From the point of view of convenience, the headphones are very good, they will suit almost all listeners, except for the owners of small auricles. Due to the absence of sharp edges, Hibiki does not cause discomfort when wearing, although the sound tube would be a bit longer. Sound insulation is slightly less than average, but for outdoor use these IEMs are quite suitable.
The cable is made replaceable, here we use a 2-pin connector located at the top of the headphones for breeching, sockets are recessed into the case. There are also zahushniny with "memory effect", allowing to bend them under themselves, providing a reliable fixation in the ears. In general, the complete cable is very good in quality, it is made of high-purity copper and equipped with a headset with a good quality MEMS-microphone. The wire is very soft, with a quality weave, it practically does not harden in the frost, is medium inclined to entanglement, the microphone effect is poorly expressed. In my opinion - this cable can be used with more expensive headphones, if, of course, they are also equipped with a 2-pin connector.
Sound
The following equipment was used for listening.
- Yulong DA9 and Resonessence Labs Concero HP as DAC and Amplifier
- Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2016 as a source
- Fidelia as a player
- Lotoo PAW Gold, theBit OPUS # 2 and iBasso DX200 and others as portable players
- High Definition Records in Lossless-formats (Dr. Chesky The Ultimate Headphone Demonstration Disc and others)
Before listening to the headphones were warmed for 48 hours.
If you expect from Shozy some unusual sound, then this time you will not be disappointed. With Hibiki, they seemed to be going to release an anti-Zero, making headphones accented on the mid-range, with a light sound.
The bass here is very good in terms of quality - it is very fast, with good resolution, good biting and decent texture processing, for its price is very pleasing and the depth of LF. The only problem is that it is not very quantitative here, and there is not just a typical bass lift expected by many, but even slightly lower than the level that is usually considered the norm for "neutral" models. Since this is clearly "not a bug, but a feature" - apparently, this was the deliberate decision of the developers. In principle, if you use a player with a good equalizer, you can pull the LF down to a "typical level", the same Lotoo Paw 5000 Mark II is within its power, but there is a question of expediency - why try to make from headphones what they are not?
The midrange range is the main strength of the model. Due to the reduced number of LF and slightly softened HF, the "center" of the range here is pushed forward, which on many tracks creates a very effective, slightly intimate presentation, allowing you to literally immerse yourself in the vocal and characteristic features of the sound of some instruments. The transfer of emotions and micro components - that's what it's worth to acquire Hibiki for, on certain styles of music (about this a little later) they are able to really surprise. The imaginary scene is built very well, its width is slightly more than average, the depth is average, but the division of plans is done at an amazing price level.
RFs are fed quite straightforwardly, the only thing that headphones do with them is that they smooth the attacks a bit, in order to make the sound not sharp, to deprive it of aggressiveness that would otherwise be characteristic of a light model. The resolution, of course, is not prohibitive, but for its price is not bad, also Hibiki are good at damping, although there are no many-sided features typical for HF expensive models.
Comparisons this time I will not conduct, because the model has its own, pronounced pitch, and paint the difference in style "not at all similar" - there is no sense.
Compatibility
In principle, the headphones can be fully used with a smartphone, especially since the headset cable in the bundle hints at it, and thanks to the nature of the Hibiki, it's really good to play with simple sources. But they have a stock of "growth" for better sources like players of the initial and initial-middle level, the main thing is to decide what I want - to emphasize the nature of the sound of these IEMs or, on the contrary, to compensate.
Stylistically, the headphones gravitate to those styles where the resolution and purity of the MF are important: vocal recordings, classics, instrumental music. Sensitivity to recording quality is average, somewhere by 7 points out of 10.
By tradition - several tracks for example
Ella Fitzgerald - Can not we be Friends . Wonderful vocals, beautifully designed by Hibiki, are served in a wealth of nuances, allowing you to enjoy all aspects of the famous duo.
Wes Montgomery - Tequila . One of those melodies that we all heard, but we do not know neither the title, nor the performer. Fine, although the old record in Hibiki just comes to life, surprising both with the nuances of the guitar sound, and the development of percussion.
Norah Jones - The Nearness of You . Well, one more track, just created for Hibiki and long winter evenings. A minimalistically arranged composition in good headphones reveals itself, like a Chinese box with surprises, surprising with the depth that lies behind the external simplicity.
conclusions
Shozy made another very interesting headphones. Of course, such a pitch does not suit everyone, but if you're looking for headphones with a primary focus on medium frequencies, whose delivery tends to detail and a micro-contrast - Hibiki is exactly what you need. Good quality of performance and affordable price will be additional pleasant bonuses.
The article is based on materials .
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