REVIEW: Shozy Cygnus
Website:
Price: U$D 80~90.
Design & Build
Quality:
The Cygnus is a very
nice looking earbud with its white and silver theme. The housings are made of
plastic with a very smooth surface, although don't feel very sturdy, but are very
compact and light. The shape is the same that was used on the famous Yuin PK
series, and also Sunrise and old Crossroads. The cable is very good, braided
and twisted 4 strand silver color. It starts to show some oxidation rather
fast, but seems to be only on the external part. There's a proper cable slider
too, but the y-split is just a short and thin plastic tube, which is also found
on many IEM cables. It's terminated with Oyaide straight plug, which is a bit
heavy compared to rest of the earphone.
Fit & Comfort:
These small and compact
housings make the Cygnus one of the most comfortable earphones ever. Like the
Yuin PK design, these earbuds weight nothing and are very ergonomic that
practically disappear. The small design should work well for small and medium
ears, although those with larger ears might find it tricky to get a proper fit
for best sound results.
Sound:
The overall sound of the
Cygnus is very slightly forward and lively with very subtle
added warmness at the central and upper mids. It shows a very good balance,
speed and clarity with some extra priority to vocals. It is also a rather easy
to drive earphone (though, sensitivity and
impedance are unknown).
Bass is tight, clean,
accurate and well-textured. Not large in quantity but well present with enough
impact when needed; the usual deal for an earbud, punchy and fairly linear. The
VE Asura has a stronger bass response, while the Cyngus is still bigger than
the Fiio EM3 or Monk.
Midrange is rather neutral, slightly full and has a nice sweet and natural texture well matched for vocals. Very clean from any bass bleed with a natural sense of
warmth, neither forward nor recessed in position and just a bit intimate.
The mids remain smooth and liquid with a noticeable extra energy at the upper
region for a crispy and sparkly presentation. The
detail retrieval of the Cygnus is surprisingly good and very good in its price range.
It works well with male vocals, but female ones can almost shine with the Cygnus,
being more engaging and slightly sweeter and manage to remain free of sibilance.
Treble is a tad
prominent but well controlled and with good
extension. The lower treble is a bit more forward, and it is also the reason for
the stronger upper midrange emphasis. The Yuin PK1 is still smoother and similarly
extended, but more source dependant, whereas the Cygnus has a stronger personal
character regardless the source. The Cygnus manages to provide a high level of micro
detail and resolution without sounding 'analytical'. It is a good all-rounder
earbud, but personally I'd choose it for acoustic instruments over electronic
genres.
Soundstage
is bit wider than average. Each element is well balanced, and maybe just a bit overly
exciting. The earphone doesn’t require any kind of extra amplification. Hiss is
not an issue either, but still not as quiet as the 150+ ohm competitors. The Cygnus
pairs well with either a warm dap or amp, like the HM700 or FA HDB, which give
the earbud a fuller lower end and better extension, or cleaner AMP-S, Cayin C5,
X5 or PAW5000 for better details and accuracy.
Final thoughts:
There're still a few
things that could be improved on the Cygnus, like some extra accessories, a
better finished cable that doesn't oxidize so fast with a nicer y-split too,
and the earpieces could be more sturdy that simple plastic. But, in terms of
comfort the first Shozy earbud is a winner, and the design is really very nice
if you like a white/silver theme. Most importantly, its sound signature and
presentation is what makes the Cygnus a great contender and one of my favorite
earphones.