The S12 is LetShuoer's new and first planar in-ear monitor and comes in at $149 USD. This IEM packs a large 14.8mm planar magnetic driver encased in a all-metal shell and comes with a fancy multi-colored braided cable and a tin case. It's quite a decent package all together and it has a nice resolving and clean sound that should please many.
First off, I'd like to thank Joseph from LetShuoer for reaching out and sending me a review unit of this new product. As some may know from reading my past reviews, I'm not always the biggest fan of Shuoer's previous products, in fact many of them rank in quite the lowest tiers of my ranking list, but the recent EJ07M and this product is starting to change my opinion of this brand with a new name.
So let's just get down to business.
The S12 is a really nice sounding planar. A couple months ago, I reviewed the Timeless planar IEM from 7Hz, and gave the $219 IEM a rave review with some of the best commentary feedback I could give at the price point. Driver-wise, these two are similar in size but the S12 goes a step larger and increases the driver from 14.2mm to 14.8mm. Now, I don't know if these are similar drivers at all, or made in the same factory, but the driver plus tuning combination between the two IEMs are quite similar and very enjoyable.
Unfortunately during this review period of the S12, I did not have the Timeless on hand. I had lent it out to another reviewer, ufospl2 of Headphones-N-Stuff, for an extended listen on holiday, and so he's out there, somewhere, enjoying that set. Instead, I'll just have to manage this written review without that crucial A-B comparison, at least in the near term.
The S12 presents a small bass-boosted take on a balanced/neutral sound, that is right up my alley on tuning preferences. The mid-range is just slightly recessed with forward upper-mids and a generally smooth treble for me, however, some could find a slightly excess energy peak in the treble range, depending on how deep of a fit you can manage. There is also a nicely extended treble which helps with percussions and strings.
Many of the same characteristics I wrote about in the Timeless review can probably be brought over to here, but one of the key differences (from memory of course) is that I find the S12 just a little smoother, a little warmer, and with an extra amount of sub-bass rumble. These are things that I do not really think I mentioned in my Timeless review, but I can write here.
I never found the S12 to have the occasional bright glare on random tracks either, and I played this through a gauntlet of acoustical tracks from country to bluegrass to folksy music to female pop songs. The S12 handled them all quite well and with a good amount of "fun" for my tastes.
The tonal balance of the S12 is really solid in my opinion, however it doesn't have the fastest planar-like transient speeds. It's not quite the same speed and precision as my Hifiman Susvara, and is more along the lines of the Hifiman HE400SE, which is actually a very similarly priced $149 headphone. That is, while there is a decent amount of quality and resolution for this price tag, I don't think the precision is there. There isn't that extra layer of detail or exacting edge to each note that makes a higher tier driver or IEM stand out. It's not necessarily blunted, or blobby, either. It's just good, but not great or exceptional.
In addition, I find the S12 to have a relatively small and condensed sound. It's not grand and majestic, but provides a more intimate soundstage and more up and center presentation. While I don't mind this and it's never claustrophobic, I do like a wide and open soundstage personally, and this does not quite hit that mark.
But, all and all, I find these little things to be rather small in negative points when you take a look at what you're getting for $149. This is a very nicely put together package of build quality, accessories, and great tuning and above average sound. LetShuoer did a very nice job here, and they hit it home with great values in the last two IEMs I've tried. Things are changing for the better with this brand!
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There is something strange in your S12 or your Timeless, or in mine.... But mine are the opposite.
ReplyDeleteThe Timeless is much warmer, with a more present bass, and the S12 has clearly higher treble.
Yes. Timeless is warmer. Shuoer is slightly brighter.
DeleteI think there is a lot of confusion around warm/cool vs bright/dark. The definition of these terms have gotten kind of fuzzy. I tend to think bright and dark as an upward or downward trend in frequency response across the entire range, while warm and cool are the same descriptor for a section of the frequency.
DeleteFor example, I think the S12 has a warm bass and a cool to neutral treble and overall it's bright. I haven't heard the timeless but I imagine from the graph it has a warmer treble and is darker overall.