SHOZY Form 1.1 IEM Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHOZY Form 1.1 IEM Review

 

Introduction:

SHOZY was formed by an experienced engineering and designing team to offer portable audiophile products of exceptional design, build and sound quality. The team has been researching into acoustic design, circuitry design and material implementations and has released some popular products such as the SHOZY Alien Digital Audio Player, SHOZY Magic DAC and earphones like the SHOZY BK earbud or In-Ear Monitors such as the SHOZY Zero, Hibiki, Pola and many more.

The SHOZY Form 1.1 that I will now review for you is an In-Ear Monitor with a Hybrid Driver configuration that features a single 9.2mm diameter beryllium coated dynamic driver and 1 x single balanced armature driver that is responsible for the midrange and treble region.

It is also the first product in the Form Series with premium hand crafted resin body design and a cosmic themed faceplate and newly designed air vent.

SHOZY Official Website: http://www.shozy-hk.com/

 

 

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank SHOZY for providing me the Form 1.1 IEM for review purposes. I am not affiliated with SHOZY beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.

 

 

Price:

The MSRP price for the SHOZY Form 1.1 around $75.00 USD and can be purchased under the following link.

Purchase Link: https://penonaudio.com/shozy-form-1.1.html

 

 

 

Package and Accessories:

The SHOZY Form 1.1 came in a pretty small cardboard box which has the illustration of the Form 1.1 IEM on the top and some technical details at the back of that box.

This box does include following items/accessories;

  • 1 pair x PENON Sphere In-Ear Monitors
  • 1 piece x 2-Pin 0,78mm Detachable Cable
  • 3 pairs x Black Silicone Tips
  • 3 pairs x Semi Transparent Double Flange Silicone Tips
  • 3 pairs x Foam Tips in White color
  • 1 piece x Zipper Case in Black color

 

      

 

Design, Build Quality, Comfort & Isolation:

The SHOZY Form 1.1 is the first product in the Form Series with a premium hand crafted resin body design. The semi-custom shaped monitor shell is pretty small in size and fits comfortable to my medium sized ears, without to hurt the inner ear concha after longer listening periods.

On the front of the monitor shell is the so called cosmic themed faceplate with iridescent flacks and the SHOZY brand logo in gold color that looks pretty cool to my eyes.

At the backside of the monitor shell is a newly designed air vent with a metal ring in silver color.

The inner surface of the SHOZY Form 1.1 monitor features a slightly angled metal sound nozzle which has a short profile. On the top of those nozzle is a fine mesh/filter to avoid penetrates of particles such like dust or earwax etc.

O the top of the monitor shell is the 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin female connector that offers a tight and secure connection.

The overall build quality of the Monitor is top notch while the isolation is on a sufficient level for the use in moderate noisy environments like bus, train, subway, etc.

 

 

The Cable:

The SHOZY Form 1.1 comes with a detachable cable that features 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin male connectors. Each connector housing is made of metal with a glossy surface that features left and right indicators (red for right & transparent for the left earpiece).

The cable has also transparent silicone ear guides that provide extra comfort.

The cable has a braided design and is made of pure (no technical details) cooper wire that features a nice fabric shielding in black color.

There cable sports a metal Y splitter with carbon fiber texture and a transparent plastic chin slider that gives the cable a nice premium look.

The 3.5mm TRS (3 pole) headphone jack has a straight profiled metal housing with carbon fiber pattern and sports a small SHOZY logo.

 

 

Technical Specifications:
  • Driver Type                : 1 x Beryllium Coated Dynamic Driver + 1 x Balanced Armature Driver
  • Freq. Response          : 20Hz-20000Hz
  • Impedance                 : 19Ω
  • Sensitivity                   : 100dB (SPL/mW)
  • Earphone interface     : 2Pin 0.78mm
  • Plug                            : 3.5mm
  • Cable Length              : 1.2M

 

 

 

Drivability:

The SHOZY Form 1.1 is an easy to drive IEM with an impedance of 19 ohms and a sensitivity of 100dB. My test with several devices shows that the Form 1.1 can be used with relative weak sources like Smartphone’s, Tablets and smaller sized DAP’s.

 

 

Equipment’s used for this review:
  • IEM’s                          : SHOZY Form 1.1, DAWNWOOD ST08, MEZE 12 Classics
  • DAP/DAC/AMP         : FiiO M11 PRO, iBasso DX160, iBasso DX220, xDuuo XD10

 

 

Albums & tracks used for this review:
  • Gogo Penguin – Raven (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
  • Otto Liebert& Luna Negra – The River (DSF) – Binaural Recording
  • Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Season” (Wav 24bit/88kHz)
  • Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
  • Elton John – Your Song (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
  • David Bowie – Black Star (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
  • Dave Gahan – Kingdom (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
  • Eric Clapton – Unplugged Album (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
  • B.B. King – Riding With The King (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
  • First Aid Kit – My Silver Lining (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
  • London Grammar – Interlude (Live) (Flac 24bit/88kHz)
  • Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Wav 16bit/44.1kHz)
  • Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
  • Laura Pergolizzi – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Wav 16bit/44.1kHz)
  • No Doubt – Hella Gut (Spotify)
  • Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
  • Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
  • Twerl – Lishu (Spotify)
  • U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Flac 16bit/44.1kHz)
  • Opeth – Windowpane (Wav 16bit/44kHz)
  • Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
  • Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
  • Slayer – Angel of Death (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
  • Armin Van Buuren – Vini Vici (Spotify)
  • Lorde – Royal (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
  • Photek – The Hidden Camera (Spotify)
  • Tom Player – Resonace Theory (16bit/44.1kHz)
  • Massive Attack – Angel (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
  • Portishead – The Hidden Camera (MP3 320kbps)

 

 

 

 

 

The Sound:

The SHOZY Form 1.1 has a strongly V shaped sound signature with a warmish midrange tonality, fairly fast and deep bass reproduction and a treble range that shows a good control and extension for a product at this price range.

 

Bass:

The subbass of the SHOZY Form 1.1 has a fairly good subbass extension and depth, while the quantity and intensity is on an average level. The subbass of the Form 1.1 has warmish and soft tonality, with a nice fun factor that is typical for IEM’s with a V shaped sound signature.

The midbass region on the other hand has a strong and impactful presentation, with an overall quantity and intensity that is above average, which is slightly behind in effectiveness compared to the subbass region. Both the subbass and the midbass area are highlighted that doesn’t shows negative situations like a midbass hump with exception of bass-heavy songs.

SHOZY Form 1.1 has in general a bass presentation with moderate speed, control ant tightness, without to show negative side effects like muddiness and mixings.

 

Midrange:

The midrange of the SHOZY Form 1.1 is recessed due to the strongly V shaped sound signature, with a tonality that is in general warmish and soft, and that has an average transparency and airiness.

Female vocals do sound more upfront than male vocals and have a better level of clarity. Male vocals are presented with a good level of warmth and fullness, without to show negative situations like mixings or harshness.

The female vocal presentation of the SHOZY Form 1.1 is more detailed and upfront compared to male vocals due to the pronounced upper midrange, while the level of clarity, brightness and transparency is on an average level. Female voices have a pretty emotional and musical tonality, while the extension of soprano vocals is a bit short. Other than that, there is not much problem in this region.

When it comes to the instrument presentation of the SHOZY Form 1.1, I can say that it has a warmish slightly bassy presentation. The performance in terms of clarity and separation is in general above its price point. Instruments like guitars are a bit bassy and bright, with good level of speed and resolution. Other instruments like violas do sound warm and emotional what I really liked about the SHOZY Form 1.1. Pianos on the other hand are mildly bright and soft in tonality.

 

Upper Midrange and Treble:

The SHOZY Form 1.1 has slightly pronounced, soft and well-balanced upper midrange presentation that is very controlled, while the level of transparency and airiness is on an average level. The upper midrange transitions are fairly soft and controlled, even in genres like metal music.

The treble range of the SHOZY Form 1.1 is as pronounced like its low frequency region due to the strongly V shaped tuning. The treble notes are a bit thin, while the level of brightness and airiness is on a good level. The sharp treble tuning may excess to some listeners who are sensitive to treble.

The treble range has in general a good level of extension and intensity. Instruments like Hi-hats do sound clear and pronounced, while other instruments like crash and ride cymbals are quite sharp and extend pretty well. The SHOZY Form 1.1 is also ideal for those who like to listen to EDM, POP and enjoy a sharp treble tonality beside impactful bass notes.

 

Soundstage:

The SHOZY Form 1.1 has a sufficient performance for an IEM under 100 USD when it comes to separation and positioning of instruments and vocals. The soundstage where the instruments are placed shows a better performance in terms of depth than its wideness, which is on an average level.

 

 

Comparisons:

SHOZY Form 1.1 versus DAWNWOOD ST08:

The DAWNWOOD ST08 has more neutral and brighter tonality compared to the SHZOY Form 1.1 The subbass region of the Form 1.1 is more successful in terms of depth and extension, while the general bass character of the ST08 is more linear with less depth and impact.

The midrange of the DAWNWOOD ST08 shows a fairly neutral and a slightly bright tonality, while the SHOZY Form 1.1 has a warmer and more entertaining tonality. The midrange of the ST08 shows a slightly better level of clarity. Both the DAWNWOOD ST08 and the SHOZY Form 1.1 are more successful in terms of detail retrieval of female vocal.

The upper midrange and treble region of the SHOZY Form 1.1 has the upper hand in terms of extension, detail and airiness compared to the DAWNWOOD ST08.

The soundstage of the SHOZY Form 1.1 is more successful when it comes to the depth, while the DAWNWOOD ST08 has a wider stage.

 

 

SHOZY Form 1.1 versus MEZE 12 Classics:

The MEZE 12 Classics has a warmer and darker tonality compared to the SHOZY Form 1.1. The lows of the MEZE 12 Classics are focused/concentrated to the midbass region and do show less depth in the subbass region compared to the Form 1.1. The SHOZY Form 1.1 has the upper hand in terms of subbass depth, rumble/intensity and extension.

The midrange of both the SHOZY Form 1.1 and the MZEZE 12 Classics is recessed due to the V shaped sound signature. The midrange of the SHOZY Form 1.1 has the upper hand in terms of clarity and detail retrieval. When it comes to the vocal performance of both IEM’s I can say that I prefer the Form 1.1 for female vocals due to the more pronounced upper midrange and overall midrange clarity, and the MEZE 12 Classics for male vocals with its slightly fuller and deeper lower midrange tuning.

The treble range of the MEZE 12 Classics is slightly more recessed and softer in its presentation. The SHOZY Form 1.1 has a brighter, sharper and more pronounced treble presentation compared to the MEZE 12 Classics. The Form 1.1 has also the upper hand in terms of treble extension.

When it comes to the soundstage performance, I can say that the MEZE 12 Classics is slightly better in terms of wideness, while the SHOZY Form 1.1 has the upper hand for soundstage depth.

 

 

Conclusion:

The SHOZY Form 1.1 is a beautifully handcrafted IEM, with a comfortable fit and a V shaped sound signature that will appeal to both your ears and your eyes, especially for those who are looking for tuning with a high fun factor. Moreover, all of this is features are offered for less than $ 100, which makes the SHOZY Form 1.1 to an In-Ear Monitor with a high-performance product.

 

 

Pros and Cons:
  • + Entertaining Tuning / Musicality
  • + Beautiful Design & Great Build Quality
  • + Price to Performance Ratio
  • – The soundstage is slightly narrow
  • – Maybe a tad too bright for “treble” sensitive listeners

 

 

 

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *