LETSHUOER EJ07M: Probably The Gold Standard One

“Music is a high revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.”

--Ludwig Van Beethoven, German pianist and prolific composer from the Classical Period.

Hybrid drivers setup are probably the best implementation as you will get the best possible performance on both tonality and technicalities. We will have the tactility and dynamic performance of a dynamic driver, the resolution and superb clarity of balanced armature drivers and the airiness and vividness of electrets/"electrostatic" drivers. It is like you got the best transducers in the world on a single package.

This is not my first review on an IEM with "tri-brid" drivers set-up as I previously did a review of some products from other audio companies. The first midrange tribrid driver set-up IEM that I ever tested was from Fearless Audio in 2019. They are part of the Lancelot series and I actually like how it sounds and how the drivers were implemented on an in-ear monitor. After that moment, I decided that I must have a "tri-brid" driver IEM and that's how my audio enthusiasm journey began.

After 4 years, I finally secure to do review some "tri-brids" models and one of them is from LETSHUOER which give me and my comrades in audio reviewing to have a chance to do review of their well-coveted and highly-praised midrange model, The EJ07M. It is no secret that I prefer hybrid drivers IEMs over single or dual dynamic drivers as I still believe the physical limitations of dynamic drivers, especially on technical aspects.

I already did a lot of reviews on LETSHUOER products and I finally realised what LETSHUOER separates them from their contemporaries in the audio industry, it is their technical prowess and meticulous workmanship of their products. And this particular midrange model was one of their masterpieces and their zenith of excellence.

As I introduce this product once again, LETSHUOER EJ07M is an in-ear monitor of a multi hybrid-driver or in other terms, "Tri-brid" set up on its internals. The transducers that LETSHUOER implemented here are consisting of single 10mm dynamic driver with carbon nanotube (CNT) diaphragm, a dual premium balanced armature drivers from Sonion and two (2) dual Sonion electrets/"electrostatic" drivers. The dynamic driver will handle the low frequencies for faster transient response, better resistance with low distortion level to deliver such precision and better dynamics. The Sonion 2389D balanced armature drivers mainly handles the midrange up to the presence treble for clarity, transparency and crisper sound on vocals. Then the quadruple SONION EST65QB02 Electret/"Electrostatic'' are responsible for the rest of the treble region to have a more airy and sparkle. Each transducers have its own acoustic tube that integrated into a three-way crossover for lower distortion, better separation of the frequencies and improving better rendering on high frequencies.

The internal components are encapsulated in a solid stainless steel shell chassis which gives more structural integrity and resistance. The EJ07M shell design takes the form factor of a UIEM (Universal In Ear Monitor) mould which are more versatile to all ear types and despite that it has a stubby nozzle but I don't feel any discomfort on wearing them on my lug holes for a long listening session. It has a single vent hole at the upper part of its cavity base. Its faceplates are also made of stainless with an inspiration from cubism and abstract art which are quite attractive and eye-pleasing. LETSHUOER also offer another colourway option which is a combination of black-coloured cavity base and carbon fibre with speckled gold dusts. EJ07M uses a recessed 2-pin connector as its detachable mechanism for its proven and stable connection.

For more details on how it rests well on my lug holes, it manages to block some external noises from the outside surroundings as it seals well that gives me a good isolation despite its stubby nozzle. This really amazes me on LETSHUOER's attention to detail on product design ergonomics.

The LETSHUOER EJ07M is a midrange set and we expect that a midranger offers a high quality of accessories with a substantial quantifying amount of inclusions and LETSHUOER delivers it to give us the best possible unboxing experience in a midrange set. Its square shaped box is a tad larger than usual to some packaging boxes from other midranger sets but it has a slimmer profile. It has product illustration at the front with model name and  company logos of LETSHUOER, Sonion and Knowles (I don't see one based on the specification that LETSHUOER posted on their publications). Then on the back part of the box, there is an instruction on how to properly wear the EJ07M and some printed product specifications. The accessories inside are well-organised and they are all placed in a foam.

Here are the following contents inside the LETSHUOER EJ07M box:

■ A pair of LETSHUOER EJ07M IEMs.

■ Stock cable with L-shaped 3.5mm termination plug made of monocrystalline silver-plate copper wirings.

■ A circular, solid metal IEM case.

■ 3 pairs of memory foam ear tips.

■ 3 pairs of opaque, balanced bored eartips of different standard sizes.

■ 3 pairs of off white-coloured, balanced bored eartips of different standard sizes.

■ A cleaning tool kit.

■ Product album.

■ Some paperworks like Q.C control, contact card and warranty card.

As for amplification and power scaling capability, EJ07M can be amplified by any sources even from devices with decent power output like smartphones and tablets. But putting the EJ07M on even better sources with dedicated Hi-Fi DAC/Amps like LG Phones, DAPs, USB DAC dongles and desktop DAC/amplifiers will give its fullest potential the sound even more dynamic, more vivid and full-range sounding.

The tonality of LETSHUOER EJ07M is a leaning toward more of a reference-neutral sound profile which have a marginal elevation on low frequencies just to give that bass presence then a neutral with ample texture midrange frequencies and just a tad boost just to give a balanced, smooth yet well-extended high frequencies.

These are my observations on sound description and characteristics from each part of the frequency range spectrum.

LOWS/BASS:

As a neutral sounding set, the bass quality of EJ07M has an ample punch, balanced yet incisive enough and accurate. This is certainly not bass-head's ideal bass quantity as it doesn't have that boomy and a very authoritative lows but instead it represent kind of bass response that is clean, detail and well-separated from other frequencies.

On my first impressions, I thought that it only focuses on sub bass but that wasn't the case.

It has a very balanced presentation on both sub bass and mid bass. Sub bass have a good reverberation and rumble as I clearly perceive some instruments like drum machines, synthesisers, low tone bass guitar and octabass from synth-pop, rock, old school hip-hop, RnB and modern orchestra tracks.  The mid bass has a satisfactory amount of texture just to give ample note weight on bass drum kicks, bass guitars and bass baritone vocals. The bass drum kicks have this resonant and sustaining sound which is a standard for neutral sounding like this set. Bass guitars have a rasping and resonant quality that gives growl and I can definitely hear a good detail on every plucking, slapping, fretting and even fretless note string. Despite the less depth on bass-baritone vocals compared to most bass-boosted IEMs out there, It still has the density and dark sound characteristics to give a definition on the vocal quality of the likes of Barry White, Louis Armstrong, Andrew Eldritch and Peter Steele of Type O Negative.

MIDRANGE:

The quality of the midrange on EJ07M is one of my ideal curves on how a midrange frequency should sound like on a neutral IEM. It has balanced textured, transparent, pristine and quite energetic to give an excellent definition of detail and clarity to vocals and instruments.

Female vocals will sound very euphonic and hypnotic on this one in any vocal type under this category, and it also gives a regal and guttural sound in male vocals. Contraltos like Annie Lennox, Toni Braxton and Tracy Chapman have a smokey and rich sound from them though you might find a tad less darker due to its transparent nature of EJ07M's tuning. Mezzo-sopranos have its velvety, smooth and deep as I listen to Stevie Nicks of the famed Fleetwood Mac, Andrea Corr of the Corrs, Sharon Den Adel of Within Temptation and the late Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries which their vocals that envelops me with their sweet and insouciant voices. Sopranos vocals fares even better on this one on how it performs very well on either lyrical, dramatic, soubrette and even coloratura ones doesn't well ear-splitting nor piercing instead they have these crystalline, shimmering and silky sound that gives me more hypnotic and ethereal state. The soprano singers that I usually listen to are Alison Krauss, Mariah Carey, Tarja Turunen, Olga Pereyatko  and Diana Damrau. On male vocals, EJ07M can give a more natural sound on baritone vocals to have a sleek and smooth sound when I listen to Lenny Kravitz, Jimi Hendrix, Scott Weiland and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. I listen to countertenors as they have that distinctive flexibility and power that falsettos that hits the highest vocal register that a human male voice can reach. Andreas Scholl, James Bowman, King Diamond of Mercyful Fate and Robert Gift of Fine Young Cannibals are primary examples of countertenors in both classical and modern music. Tenors have that tinge of spiciness, brassy and brilliance that I want on from the voices of Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Robert Plant and some of the most flexible singers of all time that can reach this scale with the likes of Freddie Mercury and Prince.

The instruments sound quite balanced and natural as it can handle both percussives and rhythmic ones effortlessly. Brass like trombones, horns and trumpets have its own distinguishable characteristics as trombones have its penetrating and eruptive sound while horns have velvety and intense sound characteristics, and then on trumpets have this magnificent and dazzling sound to give that "heroic" vibe. As for woodwind instruments, flutes have ethereal, graceful and silvery sound while piccolos have a whistling  and lightness of their sound qualities, then the saxophones have their typical characteristics which are substantial, lively and reedy sound. String instruments like guitars either acoustic or electronic have that sufficient crisp, bright and lingering sound on every pluck while on violins, it has the sparkling, lively and vibrant sound on every move on its bow over the strings. On percussion instrument sections like snare drums, toms and timpanis, the snares have sharp and precise sound on them, toms have  hard and menacing sound from it, and then on timpanis have a resonant and dry sound on every rebound and strikes. Mallet-type percussives like celestas have that bell-like, sweet and lustrous to give that heavenly or Parisian royal ball vibe, glockenspiels have those jingling and glistening sound and last but not the least, pianos have these vibrant, vivid and silvery tone from them.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

Despite the full range capabilities of Sonion balanced armature drivers along its quad Electret/ "Electrostatic" drivers, I find the treble quality of EJ07M are rather balanced, leaning towards neutral and clearly smooth to my ears. Even with its smoothness, it has an excellent detail, sufficient clarity and quite airy.

On my long listening listening session, it seems that the upper mids to presence part of the treble is either levelled, tamed or subtly descended between these frequencies as it removes any possible stridency or sibilance. For sure that my other side for being a treble head was still yearning for something more gleaming and shimmer but I don't think that EJ07M is a dark sounding set.

The cymbals are quite very life-like sounding as it has a shimmering and sizzle on every crash and strike while hi-hats seem to have that distinctive shortened buzzing sound. The sizzling gradual decay from cymbals are also my determining factor on how I perceive treble extension if it is either too splashy or too dull but EJ07M is quite very airy with sufficient sparkle and substantial amount of harmonics.

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

The perceived size of sound/speaker stage on LETSHUOER EJ07M was quite wide enough in my opinion. For sure that this was not the widest one that I ever encountered on an in-ear monitor but it gives me a sufficiently spacious headroom within my aural sphere as it also has good height reach and impressive depth between front and back as if I was in a large auditorium.

Imaging, separation and layering are certainly the EJ07M's strongest assets that it definitely reaches a TOTL-level performance. It gives me that immersive, 3D-like presentation that in some tracks, I feel like that I was the performer/ instrumentalist that I was able to locate the exact placement of other instruments and positioning of the vocalist(s) in a holographic and stereographic sound field. Separation have a good amount of spacing of all elements and each tone of instruments and vocals have its own distinctive frequency layers on how it well-arranged in a sonic canvas presentation that even the most busiest and most complex instrumental tracks out there, EJ07M can replay them effortlessly in a fine, well-delineate manner.

All drivers of LETSHUOER EJ07M are of high quality and I expect an excellent cohesion and homogenous performance on how it renders the execution of the envelopment of a sound. As I anticipated, EJ07M didn't fail me and perhaps it even exceeded my expectations.

It also has remarkable resolution capabilities as it was able to retrieve a lot of micro details and nuances extracting infos from audio tracks with a more homogenous presentation of macro-dynamics. As for overall tonality, This set has natural and almost uncoloured tonal colour as it is able to present an undulating, high fidelity sonic properties.

PEER COMPARISONS:

FEARLESS AUDIO ROLAND (2019)

● This IEM actually introduced me to the realm of  "Tri-brid" driver set-up IEMs. Like the EJ07M, Roland has a similar set-up with the exception that it has a dual older generation of SONION Electret/"Electrostatic" driver. The shells of Roland are made of medical-grade, high quality acrylic resin and it has a proven 2-pin connector.

● The Roland has a more mild U-shaped sound signature which makes it less neutral compared to the EJ07M. It has a warmer presentation with more punchy bass and more heft on male vocals. The midrange is a bit recessed but retains its clean and detailed presentation. Treble has similar curves with EJ07M which also has a smooth presentation but has less treble air despite the "Electrostatic" drivers that it has. Overall, the Roland is a more fun sounding set, therefore it's a more all rounder one.

● The Roland has more than a regular technical abilities, like it has above average sound field dimensions as it gives a more natural head room rather than an expansive one. It has a more concave presentation on projecting its imaging with good separation and layering. Detail retrieval of this set was somehow excellent as it can retrieve a good amount of details.

KINERA IMPERIAL URD (2022)

● Imperial Urd has a larger shell chassis made of medical grade resin and also has UIEM form factor. Like EJ07M, it also have a "tri-brid" set up but it has a rather interesting set-up as it has 2 dynamic drivers, 1 full-range balanced armature from Bellsing and dual Sonion Electret drivers. Both sets have impressive array of inclusions but Urd fares a bit better as it has a modular cable which is more logical for the current trend in portable audio.

● Imperial Urd takes another curve of a neutrality which is balanced-neutral sound profile. It has a tad warmer sound as it has punchier bass, a well-textured and natural sounding midrange which give more weight on some instruments and vocals to give that lush and euphonic feel. Treble response of Imperial is rather smooth and balanced, probably too smooth as it lessens some amount of sparkle and details.

● As for technical performance, it has a good sound/speaker stage dimensions which gives me a moderate spacious headroom. The imaging presentation is a bit inferior if I compare it with EJ07M as it has a typical two-dimensional stereo panning and I struggle a bit on pointing out the placements of instruments and singers. Resolution capability of this set is rather average as it has decent detail retrieval and more focus on macro-dynamics.

Once again, LETSHUOER prove its excellence as an audio company with its knowledgeable acumen on the current state of portable audio market and superb engineering and worksmanship on their products how a midranger product should perform like. The EJ07M is now reaching its pinnacle as the gold standard to all midrange sets out there with its exceptional sound quality and terrific technical capabilities.

LETSHUOER truly live up to its expectations to the sphere of audio enthusiasm as simply one of the best out there. And EJ07M was its mark of its excellence and a testament for its accomplishment.

LETSHUOER EJ07M is still available on LETSHUOER official online store. You can click the non-affiliated link below:

★LETSHUOER EJ07M - OFFICIAL STORE★

And also checkout my other full reviews and first impressions  on LETSHUOER products:

◆ LETSHUOER GALILEO

◆ LETSHUOER CADENZA 12

◆ LETSHUOER EJ09

◆ LETSHUOER CONDUCTOR

◆ LETSHUOER D13

◆ LETSHUOER S12 PRO

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: LETSHUOER EJ07M

IMPEDANCE: 19Ω

SENSITIVITY: 107dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz – 30KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.25M

PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTORS

PLUG TYPE: 3.5MM

DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER + (2) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVERS + (4) ELECTRET DRIVERS

PROS:

△ A rigid and solid stainless steel shell chassis with cubism-inspired face plate.

△ For a stainless steel shell chassis, It is a lightweight one.

△ Good quality stock cable.

△ Quantity amount of inclusions included in EJ07M's packaging box.

△ High quality aluminium alloy IEM case

△ Probably the least demanding tribrid when it comes to amplification rating as it is easiest to a drive among the available tri-brid sets in the market.

△ A "reference-neutral" tonality will please the ears of most experienced audio enthusiasts.

△ Balanced, succinct bass response.

△ Neutral, translucent and detailed midrange.

△ Crystal clear depiction and well-articulate vocal quality.

△ Almost tonally depiction on most instruments' timbre.

△ Smooth, balanced and yet airy treble.

△ TOTL-level technical capabilities.

△ It has an inimitable imaging, separation and layering profiency among the midrange sets that I have tested so far.

CONS:

▽ Not for listeners who want a more coloured tonality.

▽ Sorry bassheads and trebleheads, you might avert this kind of tuning.

▽ Stubby nozzle might not for everyone's ears.(subjective)

▽ EJ07M really deserves an even better, modular cable.

Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*

The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**

Suzanne Vega – Luka **

Lauren Christy – Steep *

Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *

Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*

P.S.

I am not affiliated to LETSHUOER nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to LETSHUOER for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.