Project A³

Navigation Menu

  • home
  • in ear monitors
  • _review
  • __sub $100
  • __$100-$299
  • __$300-$500
  • earbuds
  • _review
  • __sub $100
  • __$100-$299
  • __$300-$500
  • headphones
  • _review
  • __sub $100
  • __$100-$299
  • __$300-$500
  • dacs daps & amps
  • _review
  • __sub $100
  • __$100-$299
  • __$300-$500
  • Accessories
  • first impressions
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Follow us

Form and Function: Shozy Form 1.4 Review

Project A³by Project A³  in 100-299 , aliexpress , chi-fi , headfi , iem , iem review 100-299 , Shozy Form 1.4 review 0 comments

Sound Review by Kzw

Disclaimer: Shozy has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views discussed below are a reflection of Project A3's thoughts surrounding the product. The sample has been run-in for at least 50 hours prior to reviewing in order to achieve an accurate representation of the product. 

The TLDR:                                                                                                            
The following item is NOT recommended if you like:
•
Neutral/Reference Lover
•
Treble-head
•
Enjoys a forward sound signature

The following item is RECOMMENDED if you like:                                                                          
•
Lush/Smooth Lover
•
Fatigue-free sound
•
Enjoys a laidback sound signature


Introduction:

Shozy, in the eyes of many an audiophile, is a Chinese company with a pedigree, known for its budget-tier releases, ranging from the cult classic, “Zero” to their recent collaborative project with AAW (Advanced Acoustic Werkes), the exorbitantly priced “Pola39”. Based on their past product launches, Shozy has the credentials to back their claims up.

In the recent months, Shozy has been toying around with a multiplicity of concept IEMs’ that have yet to make their debut in the portable-audio marketplace (be sure to follow Project A3 for the latest “Shozy related” reviews).

Today, we’ll be reviewing the Form 1.4; the titular successor to their budget phenome which shares its namesake, the Form 1.1. With an addition of 3 additional balanced armatures to its current array of 1 balanced armature and 1 beryllium-coated dynamic driver in the Form 1.1. The difference in price, however, isn’t a monumental leap; it’s only $100 USD more, at $199 USD. Based on what’s under the hood, its massive driver-array alone is enough to sell itself as a value proposition.

However, sound is king; and the Form’s 1.4 specifications means nothing in the grand of scheme of things, if it isn’t tuned right.

Will the Form 1.4 improve upon its little sibling, the Form 1.1? Or will it tarnish Shozy’s pristine ledger of successful releases? Available at Linsoul Audio.



PROS
CONS
●       Impeccably finished shells, with an extravagant wood faceplate
●       High-quality, cloth-braided cable
●       Mid-rich signature that sounds remarkably analog-like
●       Lower-mids are thick and weighted


●       Highs start to roll-off early on
●    Scooped out upper-mids that results in a drop in resolution









Specifications:
●       Driver: 4BA + dynamic
●       Cavity: imported medical resin 3D print
●       Faceplate: Imported stabilized panel
●       Technology: 3-way crossover 
●       Sensitivity: 102db
●       Frequency: 20 Hz-20KHz
●       Impedance: 16ohm
●       Cable: 2pin 0.78mm
●       Plug: 3.5mm



Gear Used & Tracklist:
Onkyo DP-X1 | Sony NW-A105 | Aune X1S | Periodic Audio Nickel (Ni) |

Genres
Artist
Songs
Live Recordings
Diana Krall
Desperado (Live)

Natalia Lafourcade
Soledad y El Mar

Case Lang Veirs
Atomic Number

Depeche Mode
Question of Lust (Live 1998)
Instrumentals
Max Richter
On the Nature of Daylight

Santa Esmeralda
Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Nils Frahm
Toilet Brushes (Live)
Jazz
Bill Evans
A Waltz for Debbie

Chet Baker
I'm a Fool to Want You

Sons of Kemet
Your Queen is Harriet Tubman

Ryo Fukui
Scenery
Rock
Avenged Sevenfold
Nightmare

The Stooges
Down On The Street

Avenged Sevenfold
Unbound (The Wild Ride)

Guns N’ Roses
Sweet Child O’ Mine

Ozzy Osbourne
Crazy Train

Green Day
21 Guns
Classical
Niccolò Paganini
La Campanella (From Violin Concerto No.2 In B Minor)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The Year 1812 Solemn Overture

David Arnold
Independence Day
Pop
Hu Yang-Lin (胡楊林)
Perfume is poisonous (香水有毒)

Fish Leong (梁靜茹)
Love Song (情歌)
Western Pop
Anamanaguchi
MEOW

Iamamiwhoami
Chasing Kites

Algiers
Dispossession

New Order
Bizzare Love Triangle (Extended Mix)

Marian Hill
Breathe Into Me

Tyler, The Creator
EARFQUAKE

Tones and I
Never Seen the Rain

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Around the World
ACG
Saori Hayami
オレンジミント (Orange Mint)

RADWIMPS
前前前世 (Zenzenzenzense)

RADWIMPS
スパークル(Sparkle)

DAOKO
Cinderella Step

Kana Hanazawa
恋愛サーキュレーション (Renai Circulation)




Unboxing:

The Form 1.4 comes in a tiny cardboard box, one which appears to lack the capacity to hold most of its contents. To my surprise, the hard case takes up the entirety of the box. The case itself could easily hold two pairs of earphones without breaking a sweat. Inside the case, we have a few pairs of silicon ear tips in your standard sizes, ranging from S to L. stored inside a zip-lock bag.

Considering the stiff competition faced by the Form 1.4, a more enticing package that values quantity AND quality in its accessories offering would’ve been greatly appreciated by yours truly. But I will commend Shozy for including an oversized case; one that allows me to stow my Shanling M0 away, alongside the Form 1.4. 



Scalability:

The Form 1.4 is easily driven out of all the sources that I currently have on hand, carrying its strikingly “dark” signature. Balanced armatures are known for being high efficiency, low mechanical loads. In this case, there are no exceptions to that hard and fast rule.

On my Sony Walkman NW-A105, I left the volume at a moderate level of 50/100 steps to reach a listening volume that I’m comfortable with.

Like other earphones I have reviewed prior to the Form 1.4, the Aune X1S DAC/Amp effortlessly drives the Form 1.4. with the potentiometer placed a minute away from the 6 O’clock neutral position.

Any audible changes across sources were barely noticed or imperceptible.

Overall, the Form 1.4 doesn’t scale much, if not at all. But it is an efficient earphone that doesn’t require much power for it to truly sing. 




Fit:

The Form 1.4’s form factor follows the ubiquitous universal mold that has been accepted as an industry standard. The shells feature an exotic, stabilized wooden faceplate, juxtaposed by contrasting swirls of tan and burgundy. It looks extraordinary. Its nice to see manufacturers kicking their standards up a notch, even for products in the sub-$200 range. The shells are lacquered and finished with finesse; the seam between the faceplate and shell is nowhere to be found, as I trace my finger alongside it.

The contours of the shell sit well in my ear with zero discomfort. The length of the earphone’s spout sits snugly in my ear with a pair of medium-sized silicon ear-tips. There are no sharp protrusions or rough edges on the shells themselves.

The Form 1.4 features a standard 2-pin IEM termination, allowing for seamless cable-rolling.

The included cloth-braided cables are supple and easily malleable, preventing unwanted kinks or bends from forming. However, the sheathing is prone to microphonics, especially when you’re walking outside, where the friction generated from the cable rubbing against your clothes can prove to be an unnecessary distraction.

The metal-end cap at the back of the shell, which is the vent, to my surprise, doesn’t pick up on much ambient noise from its surroundings. Wind noise wasn’t too much of my problem on the daily commute.

So far, the Form 1.4 ticks all the right boxes.





Sound Signature                                                                               

Thick, Lush and “Analog-esque”











Dark, Warm and analogue, the Form 1.4 sounds vaguely inspired by the polarizing sound signature of the Audioquest Nighthawk.
The Form 1.4 sounds particularly dense, favoring a relaxed mid-range with a boosted lower-mid floor. This is what I would consider the perfect “grab and go” earphone.












Lows                                                                                                  
Pros:
• Mid-bass is well controlled, with a speedy decay
• Thick sub-bass rumble, but it doesn’t bleed into the mids
• Good air displacement and weight from the dynamic driver
Cons:
• Not neutral, nor is it a “bass head” signature
• Isn’t incredibly exciting or dynamic

Reference Tracks / Remarks :
Tyler the Creator- Earfquake
The Shoes- Time to Dance

The bass displays great control and restraint, but it errs on the side of “safe”. It lacks excitement and dynamism, which one expects from a beryllium driver. However, it falls in line with the over-arching, analog-esque sound signature that Shozy was gunning for here. 




Mids                                                                                                   
Pros:
• Lower-mids are thick, weighted and carries ample body
• Sounds incredibly warm and relaxed, focusing on “even harmonic warmth”
• An alluring signature that harkens back to an “analog era” 
Cons:
• Scooped upper-mids
• Safe signature results in a lack of detail in the upper registers
• Vocals are placed a bit further back in the mix

Reference Tracks / Remarks :
The Raconteurs- Help me, Stranger

Rich, thick and succulent; these are the adjectives I would use to surmise the mids. But the conservative signature has resulted in a upper-mid section that lacks energy or enthusiasm; it can oftentimes results in vocals sounding distant and further back in the mix.




Highs                                                                                                 
Pros:
•  Inoffensive highs that avoids peaks and harshness
• Carries enough detail without sounding muted
• Transitions smoothly from the upper-mids 
Cons:
• Plays it a bit too safe, lacking forwardness
• Lacks shimmer or sparkle

Reference Tracks / Remarks :
Iamamiwhoami- Chasing Kites

As mentioned earlier, the transition from the upper-mids to the highs is a smooth one; an overly smooth one. If you enjoy a sound signature that virulently detests the notion of “sibilance”, the Form 1.4 still carries ample detail in the higher registers. However, this is a textbook example of playing it too safe. It simply needs to be more daring. What gives the Form 1.4 its character at the same time, is what hampers its ability to truly shine. 




Soundstage                                                                                                                                                                                                  
Pros:
•  Above-average, lateral width                                                                                             
• Cueing of instruments and vocals are decently accurate
• - 
Cons:
•  Can sound congested on busier tracks


Reference Tracks / Remarks :
Santa Esmeralda- Please don’t let me be misunderstood

Despite my criticisms here, do take it with a grain of salt; this is a $150 USD earphone, not a flagship product.




Separation                                                                                         
Pros:
•  Good imaging capabilities
• Separation of instruments and vocals is good
• Instruments with different harmonic characteristics are differentiated well
Cons:
• There is still significant overlap between vocals and instrumentation
• As mentioned earlier, it can sound congested on busier tracks
• -

Reference Tracks / Remarks :
Santa Esmeralda- Please don’t let me be misunderstood

The Form 1.4 proves to be a formidable earphone, managing to untangle the reference track, which is a cavernous wall of noise coming from all directions. It put up a good fight, but eventually, the entirety of the mix is just too much for it to handle.





Musicality                                                                                         
Pros:
•  Excels with reverb-soaked recordings
•  Acoustic instruments sound timbre-accurate from the lower-mids emphasis
•  -
Cons:
• Lacks shimmer or excitement with brass instruments  
• Female Vocals can sound distant, lacking in extension and clarity
• -

Reference Tracks / Remarks :
Natalia Lafourcade- Soledad Y El Mar
Sons of Kemet- Play Mass, Your Queen is Harriet Tubman

By nature of the Form 1.4’s cloyingly sweet mid-range, restrained songs with an even harmonic emphasis, such as “Soledad Y El Mar” is further complemented by the Form 1.4’s signature, recreating a “cabin-like”, intimate experience.

However, jazz-instrumentals or songs with a screechy, instrumentals that favor odd-harmonics sound both cold and distant; it simply lacks clarity.



Comparison Chart
How we compare: We chose other similarly priced earphones or similar offerings from the same brand that Project A3 has reviewed in the past, to ensure that we remain as impartial as possible in our comparisons.

Shozy Form 1.4



Moondrop Kxxs



Shuoer Tape
BQEYZ Spring 1


Suggested Retail Price
$199 USD
$189 USD


$129 USD


$139 USD
Driver Configuration
4 Balanced armatures, 1 Beryllium-coated Dynamic Driver
1 DLC Dynamic Driver






1 Low voltage, Electrostatic driver





1 Balanced Armature, 1 Electrostatic driver and 1 Dynamic driver
Scalability
Mobile/Dongle friendly
Mobile/Dongle friendly

DAP suggested


DAP Suggested
Fitting

Snug and lightweight
Snug but heavy

Snug and lightweight

Lightweight

Comfort
Excellent
Good




Excellent




Very Good




Sound Signature
Dark, lower-mid rich signature






Mild V-Shape







Incredibly accurate mids, heavy treble emphasis





Light V-Shape, sweet treble, warmish mids





Lows
Speedy mid-bass but slubby sub-bass, with a slower decay






Fast mid-bass but realistic sub-bass decay. Slightly elevated bass response





Soft-bass response, more sub-bass than mid-bass.






Deep but light sub-bass, slightly forward mid-bass






Mids
Engaging, “analog” sounding midrange, with a lower-mid boost













Not so prominent lower mids, similar upper-mid response to the IT01s













Incredibly clear midrange, slightly heavier focus on upper mids to lower mids.












Organic, lower-midrange emphasis, warmish/analogue midrange












Highs
Decent detail with zero harshness, but lacks forwardness and extension









Well extended highs, little to no harshness











Clear highs, slight brightness










Rolled off highs, zero harshness











Soundstage
Above average horizontal width






Extremely wide horizontal width, great positional cues





Above average horizontal width






Above average horizontal width






Separation
Above average imaging capabilities. Struggles under musically complex tracks
Excellent imaging, vocals, and instruments are incredibly distinct





Above average imaging capabilities. Struggles under musically complex tracks




Good imaging. Slight bass bleed affects separation on faster tracks
Remarks
Suitable for people looking for an IEM that serves as a callback to the analog era with a bit more weighting on the lower mids







A well-rounded earphone that is suited for many listeners, slightly on the neutral side.









Suitable for consumers who favour clarity and midrange detail, especially focusing on upper mids with less bass quantity










Suitable as a “grab and go” earphone for many occasions.
















Conclusion

The Shozy Form 1.4 makes me reminisce of an analog age that favored the noise and surface crackle of a needle tracking the grooves of a vinyl record. Yes, it isn’t the most detailed earphone in the market. But that is what makes it is so endearing. In fact, I found myself investing more listening time into the Form 1.4 simply because of its aversion to abrasiveness. In the meantime, Shozy has many upcoming products in the pipeline (*hint hint*).  

Be sure to follow Project A3 on Facebook for more reviews*.



*All ratings are accurate as of date of publication. Changes in price, newer models may affect Project A3's views on the performance and value of the reviewed product.

  















100-299 aliexpress chi-fi headfi iem iem review 100-299 Shozy Form 1.4 review
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Project A³

Project A³

Related posts

No comments:

Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Featured Post

Wild Beast – JQ Elk (8+1 Pro Gen 2/Si Bu Xiang) Review

Popular Posts

  • Vox Populi: The people's earphone- MOONDROP KXXS Review
    Sound Review by Kev Introduction Disclaimer : ShenzhenAudio has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an ...
  • Wild Beast – JQ Elk (8+1 Pro Gen 2/Si Bu Xiang) Review
    Sound Review by Mikan Disclaimer: JQ Audio has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views...
  • Neutrality epitomized- TinHifi T4 Review
    Sound Review by Kev Disclaimer : ShenzhenAudio has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest re...
  • Spring-time is here- BQEYZ Spring 1 Review
    Sound Review by KZW Disclaimer: BQEYZ has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views disc...
  • Striking Gold? - Shozy & Neo BG5 Review
    Sound Review by Hoshi星 Disclaimer:  Shozy has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views d...
  • Sonic Dragonglass - Ikko OH10 Obsidian Review
    Sound Review by Hoshi星 Disclaimer: Ikko has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views di...
  • Ztellar! - Zorloo Ztella MQA Review
    Sound Review by machinegod Disclaimer:  Zorloo has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The vi...
  • Untainted- Tempotec Sonata HD Pro Review
    Sound Review by machinegod Disclaimer:  Tempotec has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The ...
  • Uber-fun!- Urbanfun ISS014 Review
    Sound Review by KZW Disclaimer:  Urbanfun has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The views ...
  • An audible anomaly: Little Dot CU-Rad
    Sound Review by Kzw Disclaimer: Little Dot has graciously provided us with this sample unit in exchange for an honest review. The view...

About Me

My photo
Project A³
Project A³ is a collection of individuals that are passionate and dedicated to consumer and enthusiast audiophile products. Originating from various countries and involved in different fields what they all have in common is an appreciation for listening to music in the best way possible.
View my complete profile

© Project A³. All rights reserved.