IO Audio SOGNO Hybrid IEM - TDS REVIEW
IO Audio SOGNO Hybrid Earbuds - TDS Reviews
TDS REVIEW and TDS Whisper are based on the TDS Studio scoring criteria and the content description V202402.
The model covered in this article in the context of the market at the time of the KT MARK:
IO Audio SOGNO: IV (Recommend)
This is the first product of the One Zero Acoustic IO Audio brand to officially appear in TDS Hearroom.
This is also the first time I have heard of the IO Audio brand, which is on the corner of Zone A at the Shenzhen show, but I was impressed by two things, one is the layered structure of the drawer packaging, and the other is the 3D printed multi-layer texture of the panel. There were two on display at the time, one was called VOLARE, which was a hybrid in-ear headphone with a four-iron, four-electrostatic architecture, and the other was SOGNO, the protagonist of this article. THE SOGNO IS POSITIONED SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN VOLARE, BUT THE SOUND STYLE IS MORE TO MY LIKING.
包装与配件 | Package & Accessories
The logo of IO Audio is embodied in the form of I\O AUDIO, which I understand as about two meanings, one is to fit the Chinese name of "One Zero Acoustics", and the other is the commonly used input and output concept in the audio field. Since the width of the "\" symbol is the same as that of ordinary letters, and the "I/O" is usually used to express input and output, at first glance I thought it was trying to convey the meaning of "INO", but fortunately it is not.
The packaging is not quite the same as what I saw in Shenzhen (the Shenzhen exhibition was a layered drawer), but it is still a rather luxurious but relatively orderly structure. The packaging is quite large, almost close to a headset, and with a black background, it looks quite understated. After removing the envelope, the internal structure is divided into three parts, the main storage area is the leather storage box, and the right side is the earmuff storage area and the wire independent carton.
The internal accessories include a storage box, a storage bag, five boxes of 15 different pairs of ear tips, three replacement plugs and a cleaning cloth. It can be said that it is very luxurious.
The shape of the storage box is a bit like the one given by the EX1000 back then, it looks like a shell, and it is also black leather. But the SOGNO box will be a little thicker, and the material of the inner and outer layers will be thicker. Its role in the packaging is to fix the headphone cavity, but in fact you can also use it on a daily basis. It has a sponge mold that fixes the cavity inside, which can be taken out, and the upper part is fixed with the box lid and cannot be completely disassembled, so the storage space is mainly on the base. THE INTERIOR SPACE CAN FIT A SOGNO SET AND A SMALL TAIL OF SMALL TO MEDIUM VOLUME. The storage bag is made of black flannel, which is slightly easy to get dusty, and is used for the storage of wires, and you can also use it daily. The cleaning cloth is more delicate, so I won't go into details.
The focus is on the configuration of the earmuffs, and I have the impression that the earmuffs are stored in trays at the display in Shenzhen (maybe I remember wrong), but the actual packaging of the SOGNO uses five frosted plastic boxes to sort and store, and the numbers are marked.
Earmuff 1 is an IO-TW45, three pairs of small opening bullet silicone earmuffs.
Earmuff 2 is an IO-TW40, three pairs of silicone earmuffs with a large opening that are slightly shorter and softer, similar to "teacup covers".
Earmuff 3 is an IO-ST50, three pairs of open-ended double-layer construction with slightly stiffer tubes in silicone earmuffs.
Ear tip 4 is an IO-TW43, three pairs of silicone ear tips with larger openings and stiffer ducts.
Earmuff 5 is IO-F49, three pairs of slow-rebound foam earmuffs, it is estimated that the F in F49 is the meaning of Foam......
设计、佩戴表现与声学结构 | Design, Fit & Acoustic Structure
AVAILABLE IN ONE AND ONLY ONE COLORWAY, THE SOGNO HAS A CAVITY THAT RESEMBLES A VELVETY TEXTURE WHEN ILLUMINATED BY LIGHT, FULL OF BRIGHT SPOTS, VARYING FROM SILVER-GREY AND DARK GREY TO BLACK, DEPENDING ON THE ANGLE OF THE LIGHT AND THE ANGLE YOU LOOK AT.
The cavity material is 3D printing resin, the surface smoothness is quite high, and the degree of integration between the panel and the cavity is no problem, and the workmanship details are quite good in the 2,000 gears. The panel pattern is also achieved through 3D printing, and the multi-layered structure presents a considerable three-dimensional effect. At the bottom is a longitudinal pattern, covered with multiple layers of different irregular radial textures, and the final appearance resembles a branched branch. Combined with the silver-gray gradient, it is a bit like the appearance of the branches and branches in the deciduous broad-leaved forest after the snow in winter. The I and O of the brand name are also reflected on the panel, just as I represents the left side and O represents the right side, and there is no mistake in connecting with the cable.
The cavity volume is moderate for a two-ring six-iron architecture headphone, which is controlled and not too full. For some people with small pinna, there may be a feeling of fullness, but there is no need to worry about stability. The inner side of the cavity has a certain adaptation to the auricular structure, and the auricular cavity part is fuller, while the earnail boat part is not too prominent. Due to the overly full ear nail cavity, it can only be said that the fit depends on the actual situation of different people. Not much of a problem for me. The friendliness of side-lying wear is not high, and it still has some cavity thickness.
There is no additional filter covering the overall sound outlet of the tube, but the presence of four internal tubes and damping can be directly seen, and the whole outlet has sunk. The thickness of the catheter is moderate, which also helps with its earmuff compatibility.
The only opening on the surface of the cavity is located above the female socket, and the opening is larger, which should be designed for the air pressure balance of the double moving coil module. There are no significant barometric balance issues, and passive sound insulation is a modest level in a similar cavity.
线材、扬声器配置与功率需求 | Cable, Driver & Power Demand
IO Audio paired the SOGNO with a cable that claims to be made of 6N OFC material, with a four-strand cross braid, and the weave is not too tight, so it is not too thick. Black thread skin, the ear hook part is a matte preformed material, soft and self-winding.
The changeable cable structure is based on a 0.78mm 2PIN flat seat with a sinking depth of approximately 1.5mm for compatibility and protection. In the actual test, it can be compatible with the flat pins and convex pins of the conventional square shell, and the pin tightness is high. The pins on the cable end also protrude about 2mm from the case, and there is no fool-proof slot, so you can also use other flat seats, convex seats, and some concave headphones with a low sinking range without fool-proof slots.
The interchangeable plug structure is based on a four-pin structure with a fool-proof groove combined with screw locking, and the contact area will be larger because the pins are thicker. The 3.5mm single-ended, 2.5mm balanced, and 4.4mm balanced plugs are included in the package by default, and it's rare to get a 2.5mm plug as well.
The unit architecture is a five-way, four-conduit system with a two-turn, six-iron, eight-unit mix. The 10mm diameter paper cone dome and silicone suspension diaphragm moving coil unit are responsible for low and low frequencies, four moving irons are responsible for medium and high frequencies (in fact, there are two sets of composite dual moving iron full-range units), and a 6mm diameter PET diaphragm moving coil unit is responsible for "high frequency impedance optimization" (in fact, it is a high frequency unit), and two moving irons are responsible for extremely high frequencies. This five-way frequency is actually a hybrid of physical crossover structure, and the two moving coils are placed coaxially.
Listening to it, in the current two or three thousand price range of hybrid architecture earbuds, its phase consistency is still absolutely high, and the consistency of timbre is close to the level of DUSK, but there is still a little distance. The more complex crossover structure provides some help for the formation of its junction image, which is one of the few products in the iron earbuds of this price circle that can form a certain center imaging.
The impedance is 12.8Ω and the sensitivity is 126.5dB/Vrms. Whether it is from the perspective of parameters or actual experience, SOGNO can be regarded as a very easy stopper, which can achieve appropriate loudness on basic mobile phone accessories adapter cables and entry tails, as well as some mobile phones and entry players with audio ports. However, it will be a little more difficult to control, and my suggestion is to start with at least the small tails at the Space, HC2, Beam 2 SE, DTC480 and BHD PRO levels, which can be considered as balanced but not entirely necessary.
The following sound description is based on the No. 4 ear tips (IO-TW43) and the original wire balance drive, which has met the required power for driving.
声音主观描述 | Sound Description
The volume of low frequencies is moderate, and the thickness and fullness are controlled, so it doesn't sound particularly presence. The elasticity is not bad, and the stretch ability is excellent. The retraction speed is slightly faster, leaving a fairly small residual sound. The atmospheric rendering sounds less smudged and not rich. THE SOGNO'S LOW END SOUNDS RELATIVELY STRAIGHT AND FAST, TIGHT BUT NOT UNNATURAL. Instruments with a base in the lower middle disc will not have a forward leaning problem.
In the middle frequency, the vocals have a certain distance, it sounds like it is not close to the face, the degree of delicacy is relatively high, and the size of the mouth shape is basically close to the standard state. SOGNO takes into account the texture and lines of the vocals, the prominence of the lines is controlled, it will not be too soft, the texture will not be lacking, and the thickness is not too high, and the balance between these two points is grasped. The tendency between male and female voices is not obvious, but it can be said that SOGNO is obviously more suitable for more translucent, clear voice types, and will appear a bit "too clean" for some voices that need thickness. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT SOGNO LACKS TASTE, IT STILL HAS A CERTAIN ADJUSTMENT TO THE TIMBRE OF THE HUMAN VOICE, AND THE DEGREE OF COLORATION IS NOT HIGH, BUT IT WILL ADD A LITTLE SO-CALLED "SWEETNESS". The degree of smoothness is high, and the graininess is polished. Combined with a certain sense of distance, it is suitable for a more modern, youthful vocal genre, rather than the type that requires a sense of richness. The laryngeal position is slightly higher than the standard, the air-to-voice ratio is appropriate, and the teeth are polished. The overall transparency of the vocal frequency band is relatively high.
In terms of instruments, line depiction takes precedence over texture expression. Among the stringed instruments, violins, violas, guitars, etc., are not too thick, and they sound relatively clean, and the plucked strings are slightly more detailed. The shape of the cello is relatively compact. The imposing performance of brass pipes is not sufficient, and the trumpets that require brightness are bright enough. Woodwinds are more delicate and natural, but if they are harvested too quickly, they will appear a little less airy. The overtones of the instrument are just right, but not too much. Among percussion instruments, the presence of the Kick is appropriate, the Snare closes relatively quickly, and the brightness of the cymbals is appropriate, but not so exciting.
At high frequencies, SOGNO is bright enough, generally smooth, with some spikes but not the kind of energy dense and prominent. Thanks to the presence of that high-frequency dynamic coil, SOGNO's high-frequency sounds thick and natural. The very high frequency extension performed well at the same price point, and the roll-off was a little earlier but not fast.
As a hybrid earbud, we also talk about spatial rather than soundstage. The space presented by SOGNO is relatively spacious, the horizontal and vertical distances can be stretched, and the amount of information will be pulled to both sides. The height of the space is not very prominent. The horizontal and vertical layering should be one of the most outstanding performances of the SOGNO in the two- or three-thousand-yuan hybrid architecture earbuds. The separation between vocals and instruments is good, and the overall feeling is decent in the hybrid architecture earbuds. The analysis ability is in the upper middle at the price of more than 2,000 yuan, and there is no particularly serious overflow of "sense of analysis". Moderate dynamics and excellent transients.
总结评价与玩法建议 | Summary & Recommendation
SOGNO is a bit of a habit for traditional vocal players, and it's suitable for modern Chinese pop works, as well as for Synth Pop and some J-Pop female voices from the 80s. The rock metal category is suitable for non-heavy, space-hungry, and non-heavy, non-heavy, non-heavy, RnB will be slightly less flavorful, but the direction is suitable. Some styles like Soul and blues need to be adapted to a smaller opening ear tip. The electronics category is suitable for types such as Breakbeat and Speedcore, which value speed rather than bassline thickness. In the Acoustic category, some medium-sized string pieces are fine (if you don't expect precision in the imagery), while jazz and wind pieces are not so suitable.
THE SOUND OF THE SOGNO IS GENERALLY BALANCED, RELATIVELY BRIGHT, AND SPACIOUS, WITH A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE SOUNDS UNDER THE DIFFERENT EARTIPS. As a hybrid architecture of ring iron, it adopts a frequency division method and unit collocation that are different from the mainstream, so that the cohesion is not bad. The 3D printed panels look quite good for layering, and while aesthetics are an aesthetic matter, it doesn't prevent the details from being handled well enough. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A CLEAN, NON-VOICE-FRIENDLY ADVANCED STOPPER, SOGNO IS A GOOD CHOICE. If you make up for the texture and thickness of the instrument while maintaining the current basic trend, it will come to the V-level recommendation at this price point, which is currently one step away.
KingTsui, TDS Studio.
Oct 2024
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