JUZEAR KOTO X NEBULA
A good, all-rounder…
✧ ════ •REVIEW• ════ ✧
「SOUND-SIGNATURE」
Neutral with a sub-bass boost.
「BASS ／LOW-END」
► It has familiar sub-bass-oriented bassline that cuts-off gradually as it glides upon the upper bass region. It gives off a rumblier experience than a punchy, snappy bass attack. The bass has this fast, clean and tidy character that never seems to overwhelm the upper registry. Only on a heavy bass track, it will react accordingly.
► The sub-bass though is elevated is not highly boosted to be considered as a bass-head set. Even so, it extends deep and sustain long enough to give its component a commendable subline depth. The attack is wide enough to evoke a mild atmospheric sense of pressure and vibration when those rumbling, booming, droning elements kicks in. Such effect enables listeners to have some groove when EDM, hip-hop and rap tracks hit their playlist.
► The mid/upper bass section will have lighter presence and note-weight. It starts to lose some of the thickness and density as it reaches closer to the mid-range. As a result, bass percussive instruments can feel a little too soft and less impactful.
► Kick-drums still packs a decent punch. Although, the attack is not the most solid and sturdy in my book.
► Drum-strike is not the most consistent. Depending on the range, it can pull off a respectable slam with a fair level of tactility. Otherwise, it can feel a tad too soft and lacking in body.
► Bass line guitar performs just alright. It fades in and out a little too quickly for it bloom.
► Ghetto bass sounds rather monotonous. Whereas the bass-drop sounds more distinct around the subline.
► One thing for sure, the bass control is well managed. It doesn’t get to sound muddy or bloaty.
Overall, the bass quality is just average at best. Something like the Juzear Nimbus will offer slightly better layering when it comes to bass quality.
「MID-RANGE ／VOCAL」
► The words that crosses my mind when describing the mid-range are “uncoloured”," neutral" and “balanced”. There is a good sense of precision and correctness to the way it portrays the vocals and instruments. Yet it didn’t sacrifice the naturalness of its timbre all that much.
► Vocal and instruments that live in this region will stand more to the fore, but I wouldn’t called to be intimate. They have just right forwardness to standout above the rest. The vocal is well separated from the background elements with a clear centre image.
► The transparency level is quite good. There is fine mixture of crispiness and smoothness to the way the texture being layered. Its tonal balance allows it to reveal subtle nuance on vocal phrasing (breath, hoarse, vocal fry) or instrument plays (paddling of piano or guitar strum etc) with good suppleness.
► The warm hues coming from the lows is just enough to ensure its mid-range elements to have solid fundamental body and density. However, if you’re looking for a lush and rich presentation, this tuning is less than ideal. Thankfully, with the right balanced approach, it avoids itself from sounding too lean, thin or hollow.
► MALE/LOW-PITCHED: Under the banner of “neutral-balance” sound, it handles male vocal playlist with good precision and control. Though on certain occasion, I do wish it has abit more warmth and body to give baritone or chesty male vocals abit more oomph. At times, there is a hint of coldness to the way they deliver the lyrics. To counteract that, I would recommend pairing it with a warmer, coloured source to bring more life out of their voices. But on casual listen, it is not what I would considered as lifeless.
► FEMALE/HIGH-PITCHED: To my ears they are slightly more rewarding to listen. They’re less likely held back by its lean and linear lower mid-range. They carry abit more fervour upon reaching their head-voice. There is a hint of airy touch at the trailing end of the voice which I like. The ups and downs on vocal intonations can be heard much clearer which gives the vocals a better sense of emotional connection. It managed to capture the rhythmic flow a smidge better than its male counterpart. Even so, they still sound more controlled than liberated. It tries to retain that “neutral-balance” approach while playing it safely. The upside to that, it handles those high-pitched vocals without being shouty or screamy. If you’re allergic to energetic upper mid-range, this set will not trigger your sensitive spot at any volume.
► Besides that, there is no graininess, hotness or harshness coming from the mid-range. It is quite the refined and smooth experience.
► The strum of violin and cello sounded clear yet expressive.
► Piano have a natural weight to them with good articulation from low to high keys.
► Guitar plucks have a rather uncoloured playback. It tries to be accurate and neutral without any additional warmth and reverb.
Preference aside, if you’re looking a neutral-balance tonality, the mid-range rendition is probably one of the best in its price category. Aside from having my own nit-picks, I have no major qualms with it.
「TREBLE ／ HIGHS」
► As for the treble part, it still follows that neutral philosophy. It is not too bright, nor it is too dark. Except for this one, it has a slight accentuation with the air presence. The result to that, it gives high notes a shimmering effect as they fade away.
► The treble response is surprisingly smooth; there is no unwanted resonance coming from the high elements. It smoothens the peaks and sibilance with good finesse. The noise level is kept to the minimum level as there is no micro-grain or haziness in the background.
► Though it has a fair amount brilliance up-top, the attack is not the most incisive. Some of part of the percussive hits or bite on electronics will have a gentler technique but not a point they become blunted. They have adequate note-weight that decay naturally to prevent itself from any dryness timbre.
► Hi-hats though have decent clarity does come across having slightly more compressed transient. The “chick-ing” sound just doesn’t have the same attack amplitude as usual.
► Cymbals on the other hand tends to focus more on the trailing end of shimmers than the leading edge the clang or splash. Some part of the metallic edge or ringing attributes are smoothed over.
► Drum-snare have decent depth. The “pops” and “cracks” have a fair definition.
► E-guitar will have a more understated tone. It doesn’t seem to standout in the mix. It just has enough grunt and intensity to keep its relevance in rock & metal genre.
► Glockenspiel sounds very natural. Its sound clear and complete from end to end.
► As for synthesizer or electronic components, they tend to take a smoother approach. Some of the bite and crunch to zings and rings have been trimmed down for the ease of listening.
► One of could use it for a light monitoring purpose but it becomes less capable if you’re aiming to dissect each element of sound. As a treble sensitive person, I approved this set to be useable on long listening sessions. It is fatigue free with no jarring peaks and hotness.
From a neutral-balance standpoint, the treble definition is respectable with top-notch level of smoothness and refinement to back it up.
TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE & OTHERS ASPECT
It has a stereo-like SOUNDSTAGE which is more about the left to right horizontal width than the depth of it which is make it sounds more 2D than 3D as everything wraps around your head. At least the headroom is tall enough to not sound shallow.
IMAGING PERFORMANCE is quite good. Each element of sound is placed accurately with commendable vividness to the projected images.
INSTRUMENT SEPERATION is well judged. Due to its limited depth, the gap between vocals and instruments may not be the most generous. But they seem to be well delineated within that given dimension. Only on busy passages, it will start to get cramp.
DETAIL-RETRIEVAL is up to par. For the tier it is at, it has relatively good macro and micro-detail.
TONE & TIMBRE? Despite chasing for good sound fidelity, the naturalness of its timbre is well in checked. There is no major off putting tonal character that could hinder its well-balanced tonality. If anything, it will sound more organic than digital-like.
DYNAMICALLY, it tries to play it safe. But it does it in a way without compressing its dynamic range all that much. The emotive part of it is not completely lost.
SYNERGY? Due to its neutral-balanced signature, I find it best to paired with more coloured source, just to give the sound a more vibrant touch.
PRICE? At $129.99, it is a no brainer. Despite its basic level of accessories, the sound quality it provides, do punches above its weight. Especially if you’re looking for a refined, neutral-balance sound profile.
BUILD/ PACKAGING/COMFORT
The faceplate tries to mimic the planetary nebula which looks cool on certain angles. It has a medium-size shell that is made of hollow resin. It is lightweight and comfy for long listening session. It is well vented with no pressure build-up and driver-flex behaviour.
The unboxing experience is pretty much basic. It is quite similar to the Juzear Nimbus. Except the pouch uses a leather-like PVC material which is slightly bigger in size. The stock cable is slightly thicker too. But it still uses a 2-core braided wire with a swappable plug mechanism (3.5/4.4MM). There is a single size foam tips along with 3 sets (S, M,L sized) of wide and narrow bore eartips. And that is pretty much all of it.
→ CONCLUSION ←
Quite frankly I was quite impressed by it. Especially for the price it is asking for. They managed to create a tribrid that is affordable to own yet sonically capable. It has a tuning that is beautifully balanced with solid technical chops to go along with it. If you’re looking for multi-driver set with a neutral-balanced signature, the Juzear Koto x Nebula is probably your best bet. I couldn’t remember anything that could come close to this with just $130 bucks (Based on its tonal balance and technical prowess). And I preferred it over many other IEMS that’s within $100-200 price bracket. Juzear has been cooking some good products recently. I can’t wait for them to release some higher-end models. With that said, the Juzear Koto x Nebula gets an easy recommendation from me.
JUZEAR x KOTO NEBULA
PRICE : PERFORMANCE ($130) : ★★★★★ (10/10)
BUILD & PACKAGING (BASED ON PRICING) : ★★★★ (8/10)
COMFORT : ★★★★⯪ (9/10)
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT (BIASED) : ★★★⯪ (7.0/10)
OVERALL : ★★★★⯪ ( 8.5/10)
1-2 ★ - Appalling! please avoid this
3-4 ★★ Subpar offering, there are better options out there!
5-6 ★★★ Decent with some caveats! Not a bad pick! (CONSIDER)
7-8 ★★★★ Not perfect but solid choice! This should be in your shortlist. A nice addition to your collection. (SHORTLIST) (RECOMMENDED)
9-10 ★★★★★ One the best in class! You should go right ahead & buy one! A must have! (BLIND WORTHY)
Pros:
- Rumbly, fast, clean bassline.
- Uncoloured, neutral, balance mid-range.
- Smooth, well-extended highs.
- Good technicalities.
- Great value.
- Lightweight and comfy shell.
- Quite easy to drive.
- A versatile tuning.
Cons:
- Mid/upper bass shy.
- Male vocal sound less musical than its female counterpart.
Driver Configuration: 1DD + 3BA + 1Planar Tribrid Drivers.
MSRP: $129.99
DISCLAIMER
~ This unit is sent by Juzear for a review.
~ Stock Cable 4.4MM BAL.
~ Eartips Spinfit CP100 (M)
SHOUTOUT TO @JUZEAR @HIFIGO FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!
Thanks for Reading ! ╮(╯▽╰)╭
