Here is a review of another Made-in-China IEM, the LEAR Le01. I was first contacted by a fellow member GodLuvSxS (thanks buddy!) asking if I would be interested in reviewing this IEM. If you haven't heard of an IEM company called LEAR before, don't worry - I didn't too until a few weeks ago. In short, LEAR is a new startup and Le01 is their very first IEM attempt. They are so new, they didn't even have a website yet. As far as the end users' concern, LEAR are still trying to improve the Le01 even as it has already been released into the market, so don't worry if you received a slightly different Le01 than mine (i.e. I read on another HK forum, the next batch of Le01 will have Y-cord instead J-cord because of users' feedback, so more improvement might be implemented)



Here is the listed spec:
Driver units: 10.7mm Dynamic
Rated impedance: 20 ohm
Sensitivity: 112dB
Frequency: 10Hz to 26kHz
Distortion: <=1%94dB (20u pa)
Channel balance : <=2% (at 500Hz)
Rated input power: 10mW
Maximum output power: 40mW
Plug size: 3.5mm mini-plug
Cord length: 1.3m O.F.C
Eartips: 3 pairs single flange silicone tips (Large, mid, small)
1 shirt clip



Packaging, Accessories, and Build Quality
You can see from the picture above that the packaging of Le01 is actually quite nice. It has a very classy look to it. Inside, you will find the earpieces and the rest of the eartips sit in a piece of green dense foam. Underneath the foam, you will find the cable, a shirt clip and a user manual in English in a piece of soft sponge. I was a bit disappointed to see no case or pouch of any kind. I think even a cheap soft pouch can really enhance the overall package. The good thing is, they did include the shirt clip - as the cable they used are quite microphonics. The earpieces are made out of plastic. To improve the look, LEAR coats the outer facing part (white) of the earpieces with a clear coating. It is quite slick to touch and added a bit of scratch-proof to the 'LEAR' and 'L/R' marking. On the downside, it also makes the earpiece slightly harder to hold on to (which means not as easy to remove when you are wearing them). The earpiece design is basically a look-alike with many others Chinese made IEM though it is slightly slimmer, no much to really comment about. The included single flange eartips are thicker and spongier than you typical single flange. They tend to fit harder but mud up the bass a bit. In comparison, I find the bi-flange sounding most neutral and spacious soundstage wise. Unfortunately, the bi-flange doesn’t really isolate that well.

The overall build quality is quite good as LEAR is paying a bit of attention to the finer detail and finishing, however, I do see places that can use some improvement.





Sound Quality
Fresh out of the box, Le01’s bass is a bit overwhelming while treble is a bit lacking. It will take at least a good 3 days of burn-in to calm down the bass and bring out the detail. I’ll recommend for a full 100 hrs of burn-in before any serious auditioning. After burn-in, the overall fun sounding signature will still persist but more balanced and controlled than before. Bass hits quite strong but there are more mid bass than deep bass. Mid is quite full which in term makes the overall sound signature warm. Treble starts rolling off early but there is still enough detail and sparkle left. On the good side, it doesn’t have any sign of harshness at all. It does, however, makes it sounds a bit dark (just a bit). Soundstage wise, the warm and slightly dark presentation do limit the sense of space. In all, it is a fun and warm sounding IEM with good bass and a lay back signature. It kind of resembles UM2 sonic characters with slightly lesser detail and bigger bass. For those who don’t mind EQ, a bit of treble boost goes a long way.



Conclusion
Le01 is a pair of pretty easy going IEM. For its price (roughly US$40~$50), I think it performs quite well sonically. Personally, I’ll like to see a longer Y-cord on it instead of the J-cord. A pouch or case of some kind is welcomed too. If isolation isn’t top of the list of consideration, I think Le01 is a really good choice for casual listener, especially if you are a basshead.

You can read the quick sum up here.

laid back signature.....warm....dark.....


u mean like Senns?

wat kinda music did u test on?

Emm ... testing with my apple, it does sound abit more emphasis on bass and the vocal is laidback ... but IMHO quite suitable for modern pop Anyway I'm offering 20 units of LE01 at special introductory price RM100 free postage! hurry up!

Warm and *slightly* dark. I don't have any Senn now to compare it with, but it does kind of remind me of Senn, IIRC that is. I used my own custom made CD and soundtrack of August Rush for the review, you can find more detail about them in the sum up link at the end of the review.

This post has been edited by ClieOS: Jan 22 2009, 12:13 PM

ouh my god... my pocket is going to have holes again..... resist temptation.....

that bolded line alone.....

Comparable with Mylarone bijou?

I think it is slight better than Bijou3. Le01 feels more controlled in all aspects. Bijou3's bass can be a bit overpowering at time. I'll place Le01 alongside the original X3, which is IMO one of the best sound IEM around US$50 price point. I do, however, prefer the metal earpiece of Bijou3

agree....the X3 was one of the best IEMs ive ever heard.....sadly the build quality was bad....even the X3i didnt sound as good as the X3.


how do u think the Le01 would sound with songs like avril, or other of those type of songs (be it male or female singers)

bet you haven't heard Senns out of proper amps

Le01 is quite an all arounder, except for music demanding high detail such as classical. I think Pop and Rock work quite good with Le01.

o.O Even X3 is better than bijou?

I think X3 is at least better than Bijou3 in sonic accuracy and detail. But for bass lover who look for a fun sound, bijou3 might be preferred.

how does this compare to soundmagic's pl30?

PL30 has better treble extension and detail, Le01 has better bass and mid. Overall, I think I'll prefer Le01 over PL30, especially after considering PL30 isn't easy to get a good fit.

Kinda interesting.. Love UM2 kinda signature... Plus its quite cheap.. Probably can use this for rough usage..

would a darkvoice 336i be considered as an "improper" amp to u?

so how does it compare to x3 then?

Post #8.

clieos,
did u audition it with E5?..and did it respond well with the amp?

Le01 is very efficient. No amping required and I don't expect amping it will show any major improvement.

wanna ask, compare between this and ep-630..which one should i go for?
in terms of better design and sound quality..if i listen to chinese and english pop song..like mariah's etc..

how do you compare it to ksc75 ?

maybe ksc75 is more detail and treble is higher.... i am just guessing

Le01 is definitely much better than EP630 in term of SQ.

If you don't need isolation at all, get KSC75. Of course, don't expect you can use it in noisy places or library.

This looks interesting. Would it perform nicely with R&B, pop, and rock? Can't decide on whether to get this or go for something RM200+. Not sure if I can hear the difference

LEAR Le01 is specially tuned for R&B, pop and rock

LOL! That's good to know! Would there be significant improvements compared to IEMs that costs RM200+?

Hmm, this piece of IEM seems to be pretty promising

I was planning to get an OEM EP-630 from Neologian; but stumbled upon this LEAR Le01 and apparently the latter is better sounding based on this review. And the price difference between the two isn't big, with Le01 costing some RM20+ (based on GodLuvSxS' promotion ) higher only...

Still thinking.. I'm planning to get a Sandisk Sansa Clip too. If I get the Clip, I'll probaby get an Le01 to pair too..
As there aren't many IEMs around this price range too, while the Bijou is at least twice the price..

Aiya, don't know how la, just don't buy anything la

IEM that costs RM200+ should be slightly better Anyway this already rivaling Bijou3

Better hurry up, not much units left

bro clieOS,

wanna ask which earphone between ep-630 and LEAR is more comfortable to wear and in terms of design, which one better..because i feel like LEAR doesnt look like a pricey one as compared to ep-630, thanks bro

If you use the included bi-flange on Le01, it is about as comfortable as EP630. Le01 might look a bit cheap on the outside, but you are not paying your money for the look. Anyway, EP630 isn't that good looking either..

to be honest the Lear doesn't look that good to me so naturally i'm quite doubtful with it's quality. with all the reviews here i might be proven wrong.

Just received the package, very overpowering indeed for me at first, had to turn my ipod volume down a notch down or two, the volume is already at 50%. Decided to change the provided eartips to Sony Ericsson, which has bigger 'holes' than Lear's and it sounds even better. Now onwards for some burn-in sessions...

This post has been edited by rickylaw86: Feb 9 2009, 08:02 PM

do keep us updated ya

cant wait to buy it -.-

since TS said it on par with bijou ..

how the performance of the noice isolation??

It offers some isolation for me, still can hear some outside noises though.

how is it compared with X3i?

Bro u mean the sound is as good as X3 and the Bass is as good as EP630?

As wat I know X3i is lack of midrange in my phone and I might sell my X3i (X3i is a great IEM just that it doesnt pair well with my phone)

how much you wanna sell your X3??

X3 and X3i is two different IEM. I don't have X3i to compare with so I can't comment on it.

Not sure, X3i is good IEM but I am looking for earphone instead of in ear type. Prefer Yuin PK2.

If I can find Yuin PK2, I will sell X3i lol~

the more i see this thread... the more itchy my hands wanna get this IEM... can u all guys wait until my next salary to poison me??
hahahahahahahahahaha

Just my second day burn-in and the sound is abit less overpowering already.

waiting it to arrive.. ordered yesterday.. hope that today can arrive.. heheh

Being 'less overpowering'..

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Or is it a personal preference thing again lol

Depends on your ear's tolerance on the volume pumping out of the earphone, I honestly don't wanna go deaf. Maybe less overpowering is the wrong word to use here, should replace with less loud perhaps? Haha.

This post has been edited by rickylaw86: Feb 11 2009, 12:30 PM

i only open my laptop volume a bit only ..
the sound really sharp
but i still cant feel the bass

If u cant feel the bass, probably it's the fitting, try to get one flanges which fit u well, all the bass will come!

Burn in the earphone for few hours and hear the difference again.

noted

i will try burning more and more ..

How well does this stack as compared to Creative ep830?

Less volume to produce louder sound means its very efficient... Good for portable so you don't drain ur battery fast by maxing out ur volume..
Lacking of bass usually caused by improper fitting..


Its comparable to mylar bijou so i guess its pretty much up to par with ep830 if not better..

nice stuff.. me and my friend are satisfied with the audio quality..

is it good for like orchestra music? how is the clarity and detail compare to ksc75?

its sq is clear .and superb

i dont own a ksc75 , i tried b4 my friend bijou , it comparable to it .
but the build quality cant compare with bijou . only sound on par with bijou



This post has been edited by fcuk90: Mar 2 2009, 10:56 PM

what u mea by build quality? u mean like very fragile? How about the microphonic? I mean like if u move the cable will be easily heard?

Now, I felt like trying Lear too after reading this review. Where can I get one?

GodLuvSxS has them on bulk before, maybe he has some left?

I PMed him, he doesn't have any left. You want to sell me yours?

I am keeping mine for future reference (seriously). I saw one or two seller on eBay selling Le01, a bit more expensive through (around US$50).

the cable is soft .and not thick like ep630 , so it wont be heard


but the SQ really impressed me

This post has been edited by fcuk90: Mar 11 2009, 01:56 AM