Basic Package

Ratings

Pros

• Fits a Harman 2016 profile that is suitable for a wide range of musical genres.
• Slightly warm, coherent, cohesive and musical sound.
• Highs with initial sparkle and subsequent smoothness.
• Good design and construction. Better ergonomics.
• Good cable.
• Remarkable price/performance ratio.

Cons

• Basic level of detail, not a very technical sound.
• Not much texture.
• It doesn’t stand out in any area, although it doesn’t do anything wrong.

Purchase Link

https://www.linsoul.com/products/simgot-ew100p

Link to the Store

https://www.linsoul.com/

Introduction

Simgot seems to be one of the recurring brands this summer. The company, founded in Shenzhen in 2015, has brought a new model to the market. It is the Simgot EW100P and is priced at $20. Without a doubt, this model is in the budget range, where there is a lot of competition. These are high-performance, entry-level, dual-cavity dynamic IEMS. They use a 10mm LCP diaphragm. The construction is PC and H-2016 aluminium alloy. They are Hi-Res Audio certified and use a detachable woven copper cable shielded with silver foil. Let’s see what Simgot can deliver for this price.

Specifications

• Driver Type: High-performance 10mm dual-cavity dynamic driver with LCP diaphragm.
• Frequency Response: 5Hz-45kHz.
• Effective Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz.
• Sensitivity: 122dB/Vrms (@1kHz).
• Impedance: 32Ω±10% (@1kHz).
• Distortion: THD<1% (@1kHz).
• Jack Connector: 3.5mm gold-plated.
• Capsule Connection Type: 2Pin 0.78mm.
• Cable Specifications: Woven silver foil shielded copper cable.

Packaging

The Simgot EW100P comes in a small, shiny silver box, 114.5x99x38mm in size. In the centre of the main face is a fishbowl-like ball of the world, inside of which is a shark. Underneath, it reads «High Performance». At the bottom, «Shark» and the model name are written. The brand name is in the upper left corner and the Hi-Res logo in the upper right corner. All lettering is black. On the back side, at the top is the model description, with the model name on the right, on a black background sticker.
Below that is the frequency response. On the bottom half are the specifications, in several languages.
The shiny silver cardboard slides away to reveal a black cardboard box, with the brand logo only in its centre. After lifting the lid, the capsules are encased in a foam mould lined with black cardboard. To its right, there is an elongated box containing the accessories. Under the first layer is another box containing the cable, the tips and the manual. The contents are as follows, but in a nutshell:

• The two Simgot EW100P capsules.
• The cable.
• Three pairs of white silicone tips, sizes SxMxL, in a pouch.
• One instruction manual.

There is nothing else, no pouch, let alone a zipped case. The bare minimum.
The packaging is small and shiny and the cable is not as bad as the classic black braided cable.

Construction and Design

The capsules do not adopt a classical pattern and their shape has flat faces, along with rounded ones. The outer face does not follow the classic semi-custom pattern, but has an arrow shape that alternates a right angle followed by a rounded face. The capsule is made of semi-transparent polycarbonate, of a very dark brown colour, and on its outer face there is a drop-shaped piece with a hole at its apex, made of H-2016 aluminium alloy. On it you can read «Simgot High Resolution» and «Salute to Art and Science», while in its centre is the logo of the brand. The edges of the capsule are flat and wide. The 2Pin 0.78mm connector is fully recessed. The inner side has two levels, there is a hole near the disc which is the second level. A recessed mole has the lettering that distinguishes the channel. The second level has the shape of a disc, on which the inclined nozzle is mounted. It has a smaller diameter of 5.3 mm, while its crown is 6.2 mm. The full length is 4mm. The nozzle bore is protected by a dense metal grid.
The cable has 2Pin 0.78mm connectors. They are straight and transparent. They taper at the base which contains the two gold-plated pins. A blue or red dot indicates the channel, as well as the letters L and R inscribed inside a circle, almost imperceptible. The cable uses two strands of woven copper and is shielded with silver foil. The sheath is made of transparent PVC. It has semi-rigid over-ear guides, which are also transparent. The splitter piece is a small rectangular piece of transparent rubber. There is no adjustment pin. The 3.5mm connector sleeve is the classic 90° angled cylindrical black plastic block.
Neither the shape, nor the cable are substandard. The effort to create a design and a cable that are not completely simple is appreciated. There is an original design base, while the cable, without being anything special, is far from being the most common cable, and even gives an idea that it is not necessary to change it. I can only criticise the fact that it does not have an adjustment pin.

Adjustment and Ergonomics

I would like to emphasise once again that the capsules have a well thought-out shape. Its flat rim sits very well on the contours of my morphology, it hardly turns and its positioning is very stable. The nozzles have a good inclination, although the insertion is only shallow. It could be average if you use some tips with more projection. But overall, the fit is pretty standard and uncomplicated. The weight is very low and that is much appreciated. The simple fit is not without a good level of occlusion and insulation. Although, that will depend on the seal you get with the tips you use. In my case, using my homemade foam-filled tips, the fit is quite firm, enhancing the fit and achieving a remarkable isolation.
The cable with the over-ear guide is not annoying at all. It is subtly stiff, but does not take shape, it remains quite extended, without any tendency to curl up, which is unusual and is appreciated.

Sound

Profile

The Simgot EW100P’s profile is based on the Harman Target 2016, but with less elevation in the sub-bass. To me, it reminds me of a soft V-profile, seeking bass depth and a point of excitement in the mid-high and early treble, albeit within a generalised softness. The high range feels controlled and nuanced. Overall, the sound is somewhat thick, warm, without much sparkle or detail, with an adequate technical competence for the price, but not outstanding.

Bass

The bass is dark-leaning, relatively thick, with a good level of darkness, depth and sensory presence. The punch is not too fast and neither is the retrieval, it feels like it lingers slightly in the environment, taking up space, generating volume and leaving sediment. It even subtly muddies the sound, making it more shaded and less clear, ironing out detail in other areas. There is power in its punch, pressure and force, but it feels a little springy and gummy, not so dry. The quality is not bad and the execution is pleasant. Above all, it improves in the reproduction of pure tones of very low presence. While the LFOs at the audible edge are just fair, their sonority is more sensory and does not show colouring. In fact, I prefer this performance to that of other, more expensive IEMS. There is a good level of darkness, depth and, most importantly, naturalness in the reproduction of these pure tones. All in all, without being an IEMS for Bass-Heads, the low-end performance is above neutral and ready for the enjoyment of those looking for some punch and presence in this area.

Mids

The descent into the mid-range is gentle and warmth is felt in the first half of the central area. This helps the male voices to have a good substratum, without their presence being the protagonist. There is volume at their base and repeated thickness in their notes, although they do not have too much projection and remain in that middle distance. The string instruments do not have the bite to stand out and lack the finesse to draw out their details with effective naturalness. In this respect, the thickness of the notes works against them, as does the warmth and darker tone that characterises the sound. In this way, the midrange sounds controlled, more musical than technical or defined. The sense of volume persists, as does the continuity in the sound, which makes it sound cohesive, but wide, dense, busy. The guitars have a shaded pitch, with tight overtones, without too much projection or brightness. With this tuning, the sibilance is practically nullified. Meanwhile, the female vocals have a bit more favour, as far as realism of timbre is concerned, as well as closeness to the listener. They are still not the protagonists, but it is true that they feel fuller, more complete, pleasant and accurate in their overall execution. Although I still miss some more sparkle, brightness, definition and finesse in their reproduction.
However, in some ways, emancipated tuning in the upper-mids can result in a sense of extra clarity in some recordings, which concentrate much of their base in that area. Although this is not the most common occurrence, it can happen with some genres of music.
As a positive summary, the presence of the mids is ascending, it keeps a certain musical coherence, it is pleasant, smooth and controlled. There is no shrillness, no sibilance and its warmth, consistency and homogeneity give the sound body, presence, relative closeness and a feeling of a fairly full sound.

Treble

The initial sparkle is present, but its execution does not enjoy a superior technical skill, it suffers from a certain refinement and the coarseness of the notes is perceived. This makes its flashes a little sharp in that first phase, with a slightly harsh sound, which makes it somewhat penetrating and less calm. With this profile, I thought the flares were going to be more controlled at the start, but this feeling fades as the hertz advance and everything seems to calm down and soften. The extension is not bad for the price range and that makes the initial phase more supportive.

Soundstage, Separation

The scene is laid out with more than adequate width and depth. Admittedly, it doesn’t do much in the way of recreating different planes or musical layering, with the sound being more dense than spaced out. Still, there is a good level of clarity, despite the warmth of the ensemble. This is not a bright, broad, vigorous, defined or sparkling sound, but I was surprised by the exposure of incipient detail. Despite the level of density of the music, it is capable of presenting medium detail, albeit not in a refined way. The thickness of the notes, the volume occupied by the sound, a certain lack of light, sparkle and brightness, limit the separation, also its level of transparency. The image is successful, without the positioning being too strict or explicit, but there is coherence in its approach.

Comparisons

NiceHCK DB1

Few may remember the very inexpensive IEMS from NiceHCK audio shop. They are the DB1s and are currently priced at around $15. The Db1’s move away from the Harman profile and go for a more excited mid-high and more present treble. They are IEMS made of transparent PC, with a classic semi-custom shape. They are larger than the EW100P and perhaps that’s why they can be a bit more uncomfortable. There is not much to comment on the packaging and contents of both models, but I prefer the Simgot’s cable, better finished than the classic black braided NiceHCK cable.
The profile is somewhat different between the two. While the EW100Ps have similarities to the Harman 2016 profile, the DB1s have a slightly more neutral bass and aim for more clarity, at that bold edge.
In the low end, the DB1s are faster and tighter, technically better, more defined and clearer. The EW100P’s bass is darker, denser and longer, has a tendency to take up more space and has a longer decay. Qualitatively speaking, I prefer the bass of the DB1s, they are more complete.
In the mid-range of the DB1s, the unevenness is more prolonged between the first half and the mid-highs. This makes the range brighter, clearer and more transparent, but it also makes it leaner and thinner, especially in that first part. Male voices can suffer from a certain body, their timbre is brighter. Whereas, in the EW100P, there is more body, perhaps even a more accurate timbre, but there is also less clarity and a more shaded, homogeneous and continuous surface. Notes on the DB1s are sharper, more pristine and separated, there is more air and distance between notes. To reach the same level of resolution with the EW100P, you try to turn up the volume, without success. Their sound is less analytical, smoother, more permissive, but less detailed. It has more body and physicality, something that favours male voices, but they also feel more distant, less prominent. The difference in note thickness, brightness and the lower sense of volume, bring a higher degree of transparency and clarity to the DB1s and this is something that is noticeable in female voices. Their reproduction is much more prominent, fine and virtuosic; their details are more vivid and the nuances much more visible. As always, in this price range, this ability can be a double-edged sword, as the DB1s can be more annoying, uncontrolled, even sibilant. But they are undoubtedly more technical and skilful, with a timbre that is more accurate from the upper-mids onwards.
In the high end, the treble extension is superior in the DB1s, with more extended brightness and fuller presence. Their sparkle is finer and this provides a higher level of detail. But there is also a higher level of punch, which should be taken into account for those ears more sensitive to a higher energy level.
The EW100Ps have a good initial sparkle and a softer follow-through, something that makes them sketchier, but more gentle at times.
The level of detail in the DB1s is far superior to that of the EW100Ps, their sound is more separated, cleaner, transparent and brighter. The EW100Ps are more musical, dense and cohesive, something that unifies the scene and nuances the sound. The feeling of openness is superior in the DB1s. The sound is more opaque in the EW100Ps and details are less visible. I find no difference in the width of the two scenes, nor in the depth. But it is clear that the DB1s have more projection, a more ethereal, gaseous and volatile feel, something that gives them a more three-dimensional and escapist aura.
The DB1s are a risky response that aims for a high level of detail at a very economical price, but is not without its limitations when it comes to demonstrating its technical level. It is not creaky, but greater refinement is reserved for higher-priced IEMS.
The EW100P’s are not looking for that, they are just content to be more melodic and pleasant, more restrained and harmonious, for a smoother, longer and more prolonged enjoyment. But they risk little, they are somewhat more opaque, dense and with less definition and technical skill. Neither are perfect, but they can complement each other quite well.

Conclusion

The Simgot EW100P is an effort by the brand to have a competitive representative in a very affordable price range. In my opinion, they have not taken many risks. The design has a shape that can be classically Simgot, with ergonomics that work very well and a cable that aims to avoid the «cheap» label. In terms of sound, the risk is low. Within the curve followed by the brand itself, close to the Harman 2016 curve, the profile of the EW100P is smooth, coherent, with a good level of warmth, cohesion and musicality. It does not stand out in any area. The low end has a good level of presence, energy and darkness, but is a little slow. The mids have a good level of body, but lack some sparkle, presence and prominence. The treble has a good initial punch and adequate extension, but lacks refinement. Overall, these are IEMS that average well and can be enjoyable for day-to-day use. But they don’t stand out for being technical or detailed. They are on the useful, fun, enjoyable and musical side of sound. But, that may not be enough in an economic range that has become so tough.

Sources Used During the Analysis

• Tempotec March III.
• Burson Audio Playmate II.
• Aune M1p.