Shuoer S12 Impressions
Thanks to Joseph from Shuoer for providing this unit for review.
Planar IEMs…I’m sure most readers are already familiar with the 7Hz Timeless, the $220 planar IEM that took the market by a storm. Of course, I didn’t like it very much because it was chock full of tonality issues, sounded soft, and came across more like a fluke to me than anything. But the market spoke, so we’re back for planar IEM round two, this time featuring the Shuoer S12. Right out the gate, most would probably observe that the S12 and the Timeless share a similar tonal profile; however, I do feel there are differences that need addressing.
First, the bass on the S12 is better than the Timeless in terms of tactility. In fact, I remember hearing the S12’s proto unit at MRS’s house (with no knowledge of what it was at the time) and commenting that it sounded almost DD-like, something I don’t think I’d mistake the Timeless for sporting. Yes, the S12’s bass is a little more textured and more “punchy” rather than “pillowy” akin to what the Timeless exhibits. Extension is excellent, digging into the 30Hz frequencies on Lightsum’s “You, jam” despite some graphs and comments I’ve seen noting a slight roll-off. The S12’s bass control is also better thanks to a slight droop from 200Hz to 1kHz by comparison. I don’t think this is class-leading bass, but it does make me consider dropping the Timeless’ score in this department.
I guess the midrange of the S12 is alright. In my Timeless review, I stated that “If 7Hz had chosen to either 1) focus more energy away from the lower-midrange, or 2) mitigate the degree of pinna compensation, then I think this would have resulted in either a cleaner or a more natural sound respectively”. The S12 falls more toward the former which benefits technical performance, but I do find the S12’s midrange to be a hair more strident, more shrill than I’d like. It follows that it’s noticeably thinner than the Timeless which might be a turn-off to some listeners.
Here comes the major caveat with the S12, and its largest distinction relative to the Timeless. But first, I should lend context: some will recall that I lambasted the treble response of the Timeless for being unbalanced. It had an absence of lower-treble, too much mid-treble, and just about the right amount of air. The S12’s definitely more linear; I hear a lot more of the stick impact and aggressiveness that I felt the Timeless was lacking. However , it’s genuinely too bright at times due to an even stronger peak at 8kHz, and a general elevation after that until ~12kHz, that comes off more abrasive than sparkly. The way I see it? The S12 is one step forwards and one step backwards in the treble. At least treble extension on the S12 remains superb with plenty of energy in the air frequencies.
Transient-wise, I do find the S12 to sound less “soft” than the Timeless, which can be partly attributed to the S12’s brighter tonality. Likewise, the S12 actually edges out the Timeless for resolution; impressive given that I’d already consider the Timeless to be the pack leader for $220. The planar advantage undoubtedly rings true here. The usual intangible limitations begin cropping up as we explore further, particularly in terms of imaging. The S12 might be a hint more open for soundstage and for image sharpness than the Timeless, but you’d be splitting hairs and that’s a very low bar altogether. C’est la vie. Dynamics-wise, the S12 is more incisive in the macro-dynamics department; it hits harder and sounds less compressed. Yet again, I’m thinking the Timeless is in due of reassessment on the ranking list.
Now all that said…is the S12 better than the Timeless? I’d argue no: it’s more along the lines of just different. To a certain degree, I feel like you have a KZ ZEX Pro vs. CCA CRA situation here. Like the ZEX Pro, the Timeless is debatably tuned better for listeners who want a smoother listen, but ultimately, I find myself more impressed with the S12 because of its stronger technical showing. And of course, due to the generous price differential. The S12 saves you more than fifty bucks compared to the Timeless; I’d say the S12 is an IEM worth giving a listen. Just stay away if you don’t enjoy brighter sets.
Score: 6/10
All critical listening was done off of my iBasso DX300 with the stock silicone tips and direct A/B.