SIMGOT EA500 Review – The Magic of Good Tuning/Good Driver Combo
Simgot’s EA500 adopts a specially developed 10mm dynamic driver unit that features a dual-magnetic circuit and dual-cavity design. This dual-magnetic system of EA500 provides both internal and external magnetic circuits. They are made up of high-power N52 magnets that produce a powerful magnetic flux allowing for swift movement of the diaphragm. The dual-cavity design manages the air-pressure buildup inside the cavity and helps the pair to produce a clean sound with wide extensions and lower distortion.
The dynamic driver on EA500 adopts a composite DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) diaphragm coil. It is composed of three different kinds of materials in different regions, DLC offers strong rigidity, and a high-damping structure that produces crisp Treble performance. Elastic composite material is used to build the edge that produces the mid and lower end. DLC diaphragm is highly used in premium IEMs today and is highly trusted in the industry for clean sound reproduction.
Simgot EA500 offers sound frequency adjustment with the help of detachable nozzles. The pair actually offers two different tuning responses. But for the comparison between the red filter nozzle set and the black filter nozzle set, however, the difference between them is mostly placebo for me. I can’t hear any difference and I think you’ll have better chances with the tip-rolling. In my opinion, the Simgot EA500 does not need anything extra, unless you have fit issues with the included tips. Long story short, the nozzle sets do not change the sound signature but it’s nice to have them for easy servicing/cleaning.
Simgot has crafted the ear shells for EA500 using high-density metallic alloy. The cavities have been optimized to suppress standing waves and produce a clear sound. They are made using a mirror-plating process that gives them an elegant mirror finish.
Simgot packs the EA500 with a high-purity silver-plated OFC Cable. The pair uses standard 0.78mm 2-pin connectors and has a 3.5mm termination. High-purity silver-plated material ensures clean sound performance with low internal resistance to the sound signal.
What’s in the box
Features
- 10mm Dual-Magnetic Circuit & Dual-Cavity Dynamic Driver Unit.
- 4th-Generation DLC Composite Diaphragm.
- Dual Tuning & Dual Frequency Response Curve.
- Detachable Nozzle Design.
- High-density metallic Cavity Design.
- Mirror-Plating Process.
- Detachable 2-pin Cable Design.
- High-purity silver-plated OFC Cable.
Specs
- Driver: 10mm Dual-Magnetic-Circuit & Dual-Cavity Structure.
- Impedance: 16Ω±15%.
- Connectors: 0.78mm 2-pin.
- Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
- Sensitivity: 123dB/Vrms(Red Ring), 124dB/Vrms(Black Ring).
- Price: $79
I want to thank SIMGOT for providing me with the review sample of the EA500 IEM.
Sound
The Simgot EA500 is an interesting monitor with a special dynamic driver inside. From the very first listen, you notice that it has a unique, slightly warm, and impressively airy presentation. It has a wide and deep soundstage and it offers a precise sense of instrument layout. I must say that its technical prowess surprised me a lot. Especially compared to IEMs in the sub-100 USD price bracket.
Simgot EA500 is indeed almost neutral in their presentation, and they couple this feature with good technical ability that makes them especially interesting given their price. They use a single 10 mm “diamond-like carbon” dynamic driver.
Tonality-wise it is not as flat and neutral as Etymotic’s EVO but it does not feel particularly colored either. It offers a slightly warm timbre with a good body. One of the major points that I liked about the tuning of the Simgot EA500 is its ability to stay relaxed no matter the genre. Of course, all of these positive points allow it to be a brilliant all-rounder. It does not nit-pick recordings or sources and plays well with the sources in my inventory. Let’s try to take a closer look at the Simgot EA500, sound-wise.
Lows
Simgot EA500 has a dynamic low-end reproduction. The bass is punchy, rounded, and very controlled. I found the amount of bass quite balanced. This earphone is by no means a bass head’s delight, rather, it offers a bass that feels precise, accurate, and organic. On another note, to my ears, the sub-bass range feels slightly fuller than the mid-bass range. The sub-bass is perfectly present with good rumble whereas the mid-bass seldom feels light, especially when you are listening to woodwinds. Apart from that, the EA500 has a clean, agile, and natural bass reproduction and in this price bracket, it can easily go for the throne.
What I especially like about bass is that it’s fast and detailed: it’s something I always bring up in these cases, but the fact that you can hear the leather of drums bouncing or the vibration of the strings on bass is so satisfying I can’t mention it. Add good physicality on top of this, and you get a very pleasant bass section.
Mids
Simgot EA500’s midrange feels balanced, articulate, and clean. The vocals are crystal clear with good detail, and mid-based instruments like the guitar or the violin feel organic and breathy. The mids show a good body and the tonality feels right. Male vocals sound adequately bold and authoritative, female vocals sound transparent and open. The vocals are dead-centred. The stereo imaging capability of this monitor is one of its best perks. The Simgot EA500 presents the midrange to you in perfect control.
The upper midrange is excellently controlled, but energetic at the same time. This is a rare feat and I don’t see this often in this price bracket. The Simgot EA500 manages to keep things excited and dynamic but never gives in to the congestion. Upper mids have a great extension and they sound crystal clear just like the rest of the spectrum. Overall, the midrange is transparent, resolving, and smooth. Simgot did an excellent job here, as well.
Highs
As I mentioned before, the Simgot EA500 is an interesting monitor. It feels like you could listen to it for days without fatigue but concurrently it offers excellent energy and dynamism. The treble range is no different than the rest of the frequency range. It is gentle with a good presence and it is detailed. Highs also extend really well without hitting that harshness threshold.
Furthermore, the treble carries good detail with great definition and this contributes to the perception of clarity. The effortlessness and smoothness of the signature come from the perfect coherency between the three regions. Combine this with a good technical foundation and you’ve got yourself a sub-100 gem of an earphone.
Technical Performance
The Simgot EA500 has a very spacious and breathy presentation with a slightly warm, balanced signature. It also has a solid technical foundation. I didn’t expect this kind of agility and speed from a single dynamic driver, however, after critically listening to it for a week, I came to realize that my prejudice was unjust to the monitor.
It offers excellent stereo imaging, it has a wide and deep soundstage with precise instrument separation. There is plenty of air between the instruments and it is quite easy to follow individual instruments on stage. The layering and the positioning of the instruments are clear and distinct. Additionally, the Simgot EA500 handles congestion well, thanks to its breathy presentation and coherent signature. The transients, on the other hand, are fast and agile, unlike many IEMs with a single dynamic driver. Overall, the Simgot EA500 has an excellent technical foundation and offers very good performance for the price in this regard.
The soundstage has very good width and even good depth, which is quite uncommon in this price range. Instruments appear on a wide front which has some depth, but the most important factor is the size of the space they play in, which is quite large in all directions.
Sum-Up
Simgot EA500 is a great IEM for the price. At less than $100 they offer some stunning value, especially when it comes to sound quality. They’re balanced enough to sound almost neutral with relatively small deviations from the Harman Target curve. They are amazingly good in all departments, even on the technical front and in terms of comfort. I did not expect this kind of layering, staging, and technical prowess from a sub-100 earphone, and I am surprised. They’re really easy to like and for good reasons. Therefore, it is really easy for me to recommend the EA500.