Welcome back to another edition of Exploring Linsoul IEMs, where we present a selection of IEMs in quick-hit review format, getting you the information you need to know quickly, courtesy of Linsoul. Today, we’re looking at two budget sets, one mid-range set, and another from the upper mid-range: the Simgot EA500LM, Kiwi Ears Forteza, Shozy P20, and the Yanyin Canon II. If you’re looking for the brass tacks of what’s worth your audio upgrade dollars, look no further. You’ve come to the right place.
The Exploration Begins Again - What Is It?
As a tech reviewer, I’m lucky enough to try lots of different gear. I’m also an audiophile, so the prospect of trying different headphones and earphones is always exciting to me. Often, these products get full 1,800+ word reviews where we dive deep. But, as I looked over the “to be reviewed” pile, I decided to take a different approach to get this content to you faster in a “straight to the point” format.
I have two goals with this series. First off, to share neat products that might resonate with you. My hope is always to share something that might enhance your life and to help warn you off of things that won’t. Second, it’s to cut through a lot of the “extras” that would leave you waiting on these reviews for weeks into the future. We’re going to look at different products and get right down to it: how do they sound, what makes them special, and are they worth picking up for yourself.
This series won’t replace full reviews. We’ll still do those for the majority of audio gear. But with the holiday season upon us, these shorter mini-reviews may help you to find the perfect gift for a loved one, or a treat for yourself, without having to wait so long to get that information. We’re gamers. We’re music and entertainment lovers. That’s the angle we take with our reviews and we’re proud to be one of the few outlets that covers this tech with both viewpoints in mind.
With that said, let’s start with the reviews!
Yanyin Canon II
- Current Price: $379 (Linsoul)
- Driver: 1DD+4BD
- DRC: 27-40Ω
- Input: 112dB
- Frequency: 5Hz-25kHz
- Plug: 0.78mm+3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm
- Earphone Material: Medical Resin
- Cable: 4-strand graphene single crystal copper silver-plated Cable
The Yanyin Canon II is the successor to the original Yanyin Canon I reviewed back in 2022. It continues that IEM’s hybrid design and customizable tuning. It uses three balanced armatures and a dynamic driver and retails for $379, making it the most expensive IEM in this list. It also happens to be the best, so that’s fitting. It’s on the larger size but manages to be pretty comfortable despite that. The shells are made of medical resin and have hand painted faceplates that look quite nice. It also comes with a Litz braided graphene cable that matches the IEMs well.
Yanyin is a company that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. This is the third set in a row I’ve reviewed from it that impresses me with how well tuned it is. Compared to the original Canon, it offers much better technical performance and detail retrieval — the qualities a successor should have, as the original lagged behind the competition in these regards. The tuning switches have also been altered to only focus on the bass regions, so they’re really like warmth and impact toggles (mid-bass and sub-bass). This works well and, unlike many IEMs with switches, you can actually hear the difference they make when turned on.
Soundwise, I find these to be quite versatile. They offer powerful yet refined bass, a good soundstage (more deep than wide), and very good detail retrieval. With the toggles, you can dial in the body and impact you prefer while still enjoying its other strengths. The biggest challenge this IEM faces is the Thieaudio Hype 4, which is $20 more but better in every regard except for the switches. If you want the ability to hone in your low end or don’t want to reach into the $400 range, this is a good option. If you can stretch just a little bit, the Hype 4 is a very compelling alternative.
Shozy P20
Graph Credit: Paul Wasabi via Squig.Link
- Current Price: $139 (Amazon, Linsoul)
- Driver: 14.5mm Planar Magnetic Driver
- Diaphragm Thickness: 1 um
- Rated Impedance: 30 Ohms
- Rated Power: 5mW
- Maximum Power: 10mW
- Sensitivity: 105dB (at 1KHz/mW)
- Frequency Response: 5-40KHz
- Distortion: Less than 0.5% (at 1KHz)
- Total Harmonic Distortion: Less than 3%
- Channel Imbalance: Less than 1.5dB (at 1KHz)
- Headphone Cable Connection: 0.78mm Dual-Pin Detachable
- Plug: Option of 3.5mm or 4.4mm
A new planar magnetic IEM has entered the battle. Unfortunately, this one is a pass for me as it just doesn’t do enough to stand out. The Shozy P20 uses a 14mm driver, similar to most of the others we’ve seen, in an aluminum shell. I’ll give it marks for its design. Maybe it’s because I just watched Prometheus for the first time but I really like the shell design. They also come with a pretty nice cable and a zippered carrying case.
The thing about these IEMs is that they don’t leverage the planar driver well enough. They lack the crispness and detail that make the driver so appealing in the first place. They sound good otherwise but just don’t differentiate themselves to justify their price point. The Moondrop May is fully half the price, offers better detail and a customizable sound thanks to its built-in DSP. On the other end of the spectrum, the Hidiz MP145 is a community favorite with a much livelier sound found only $20 more.
Kiwi Ears Forteza
Graph Credit: Paul Wasabi via Squig.Link
- Current Price: $59 (Amazon, Linsoul)
- Driver: 2 x Dynamic Drivers (10mm + 10mm) + 1x Balanced Armature
- Frequency Range: 20Hz-20KHz
- Sensitivity(1KHz): 103dBSPL/mW
- Impedance (1KHz): 32Ω
- Earphone Jack: 0.78-2 pin
Oh Kiwi Ears, your budget IEMs just keep on giving. The Forteza is one of the latest IEMs from the brand and will appeal to bass fans. With two dynamic drivers for the lows and mids and a middle-high balanced armature for crisp treble detail, it balances warmth and body with a wider than average soundstage and good detail retention. Though hardly neutral, it’s a lot of fun and very well tuned with a particular listener in mind.
Usually, when it comes to very bassy earphones, you sacrifice clarity and soundstage. This is where Kiwi Ears’ expertise really comes into play. It has a high bass shelf and elevated treble to retain detail and clarity. Its emphasized bass warms the mids but isn’t so much that the details the the upper-mids and treble get lost. This makes it an especially good fit for gaming as well as music.
Avoid this set if you like balanced or neutral bass. If you don’t mind a little meat on ‘dem bones, this is a solid performer at a very good price.
Simgot EA500LM
Graph Credit: Paul Wasabi via Squig.Link
- Current Price: $89.99 (Amazon, Linsoul)
- Driver: Dual-magnet, dual diaphragm dynamic driver (lithium-magnesium diaphragm)
- Frequency Response Range: 10Hz-50kHz
- Effective Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Impedance: 21Ω±15%(@1kHz)
- Sensitivity
- 123dB/Vrms (@1kHz Gold Copper nozzle & Red Silicone Ring)
- 123dB/Vrms (@1kHz Silver Steel nozzle & Red Silicone Ring)
- 124dB/Vrms (@1kHz Silver Steel nozzle & Black Silicone Ring)
- Connector: 0.78mm 2-pin
- Cable Material: High-purity silver-plated OFC cable
Now we come to my personal favorite on this list, the Simgot EA500LM. Yes, even more than the Canon II, which is more technical. The EA500LM makes my “best of” list for year so far because of how well-rounded and how well-made it is. Like a number of Simgot’s other sets, the EA500LM uses fully aluminum shells with a polished finish. It comes with a nice cable and a zippered carrying case, and even includes interchangeable nozzles to fine tune the sound to your liking.
What really makes this IEM special is how it sounds. For the money, the EA500LM has no business sounding as detailed and rich as it does. The lithium-magnesium driver is not only unique but it’s a clear performer for the price. The tonality is U-shaped, which means elevated bass and treble. Simgot stops the highs before they become sharp but leaves them open enough to present a level of clarity that I would usually expect from IEMs at $150 or higher.
The tuning nozzles can then be applied to give you more or less treble. You would expect more, but sadly, I found only the black-ringed nozzle to really impact the sound in a meaningful way (elevating the highs slightly). Still, that this feature is present at all is impressive at this price.
At $90, these are the sub-$100 dynamics to beat.
Final Thoughts
And that brings us to the end of another edition of Exploring Linsoul IEMs, Quick Hit Reviews. I have another four lined-up as soon as the QKZ-HBB Hades arrives and I’ve had a chance to test it. Until next time, I hope this quick tour helped you spot some diamonds in the rough!
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Some articles may contain affiliate links and purchases made through this will result in a small commission for the site. Commissions are not directed to the author or related to compensation in any way.
