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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Post #8.

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

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.

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..

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

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

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).