Introduction
LetShouer is a rebranding done by the dark horse of portable audio Shouer from Guangzhou, China and they are coming in guns blazing with great innovative products that have amassed attention from audiophiles around the globe. They are a well established company that houses great talents all in their own aspects and all the production is made in house in Dongguan with great enthusiasm. With releases such as Tape, all the way to the top shelf EJ07M and the flagship Conductor, they are indeed very focused on their main ideology which is to be one of the best in this industry. They are known for their bold moves in new technologies such as electrostatics, magnetostatic and now they are diving into the planar driver craze.
LetShouer has reached out to us at Audiomonsta and they have sent us a pair of the all new LetShouer S12 for an honest take and we are truly grateful for the opportunity. The S12 is equipped with a meticulously tuned high sensitivity 14.8mm planar driver that has already been the flavour(driver) of the year in the audiophile community. How will they truly perform? We shall find out in this review.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the LetShouer S12;
- Custom 14.8mm Planar Driver
- Shell: 5-axis CNC processing aluminium
- Frequency response: 20-30000 Hz
- Impedance: 16Ω
- Sensitivity: 102dB/mW
- Cable length: 1.2m
- IP Rating: IPX3
- Socket type: 0.78mm 2 pin
- Silver plated monocrystalline copper cable
- Termination: choices of 3.5mm,2.5mm or 4.4mm
Retail Price & Where To Get
The LetShouer S12 can be purchased at https://letshuoer.net/products/s12-hifi-earphones-planar-iems
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging is actually quite decent for the price as they are very well packed and include all the necessities and they are premium to the eyes all packed inside a white box neatly with all the information at the back. Inside we will find the earphones itself, 6 pairs of rubber ear tips, 3 pairs of foam tips, a thick 2 core silver plated OCC cable, manual, paperworks, and a leather case.
Design
The design of the S12 is very original indeed as they are specially designed with great ergonomics in mind. They are CNC machined aluminium earphones that are very light in weight and solidly built. The vents are next to the 0.78mm socket and another near the nozzle. The 2 pin socket is slightly protruded for a more comfortable over the ear wearing experience. They are very comfortable for my ears and suitable for an all day usage.
The S12 is equipped with a now commonly used and famed 14.8mm planar driver promising a true planar sound in an in-ear form that is easily driven.
The cable included is a 1.2 metre, user selectable 3.5mm, 2.5mm or 4.4mm upon purchase, 2 core OCC cable with a 2 pin 0.78mm plug on the earphone side that has a grey-black coloured theme matching the earphones. They are a little stiff but they sounded amazing with great clarity and provided better sound extension when tested even with my other in-ears.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO M17
Questyle M12 & M15
TinHifi P1Max Panda
Gold Planar GL20
Rose Technics Maria 2
Hidizs MD4
Final Audio Design A4000
HZsound Heart Mirror
Dunu EST112
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the S12 is best described as a bright in-ears with voluminous low end and a strong energetic highs AKA U-shaped signature. They are able to push out a good amount of details in their presentation with great extension on both ends of the spectrum. It does have a distinct planar sweetness to their presentation and they are indeed unique in their own way compared to the other usual drivers used. They have a very energetic sound that is fun and quite accurate at the same time.
Soundstage
Soundstage that the S12 is rather a little average but still good for their price but still able to give a decent amount of air. They are wide sounding but lack height in certain music. Positioning wise are superb as they are able to show the layers of music played and they perform quite well with vocals or instruments alike. Headroom that they are able to give is good with an average sized headroom.
Separation and Timbre
Separation is sublime on the S12 as they are able to convey layers of music without any congestion across the whole frequencies. The cohesion that they are able to achieve is great with music sounding in harmony without any gaps present. Instruments and vocals sounded organic with a perfect thickness to it but they do sound a little intense with high pitched instruments. Their timbre is quite good as they are quite accurate sounding without any fake metallic sound occuring.
Drivability
Rated at 16 ohms with a 102db sensitivity, they are quite easy for a planar based driver to drive but they really do need a good setup in order to truly shine. Simple setup like a basic dongle is drivable but they do sound a little unpolished. With a great dongle or a good DAC/amplifier, their dynamics is lifted to another level and their treble smoothes out as the S12 really does respond very well with good source and amplification. They are quite forgiving in their nature as they are not really picky on the type of files played but do perform audibly better with well mastered tracks with higher bitrates.
The Bass (Low)
Planar has been known for their uniquely good bass performance and the S12 does have the traits of a true planar bass response. The bass performance in my opinion is the main strength of this in-ears as they are strong but very well textured and it has a distinct airiness to their presentation. Details are very well portrayed with everything sounding clear without any looseness and they do not bleed into the other frequencies. The mid bass lift is quite minimal making them rather a quite balanced bass. The slam that they possess is a solid slam with a great rumble to go along and they extend pretty deep. Sub-bass is superb in this S12 as they possess a rumble that just hits the spot. They are almost at the level of a basshead’s heaven but still lacks an earth shattering level slam. Overall, the bass performance does punch above their asking price with their full solid bass response while not slouching in their details as well.
The Mids
Midrange that the S12 possesses is a neutral type of thick warm mids. They are not recessed in my listening but they are slightly overshadowed by the boosted bass and high range. Though being slightly overshadowed, they are still very present producing a warm midrange that has a lushness to them with decent details. Macro details are quite good here but I do find the micro detailing a little mediocre. Clarity and resolution in the mids is average at best but still capable to sound clear at most genres of music played without any haziness present. Vocals might sound a tad but distant due to their tuning of a big bass and a boosted treble but somehow manage to sound quite present. Instruments on the other hand are quite enjoyable as they sounded musically organic and lush. Overall, the midrange does sound lustrously alluring but they lack a pure detailed performance.
The Highs
The high range is a hit or miss to be honest, depending on your music preference, as they are a strong high range with a sharp decay and that might deter treble sensitive users. For me as a treble freak, they are amazingly fun to listen to as they are quite smooth to listen to with minimal fatigue. The details and clarity here is on par with their asking price and they sounded clear without any major harshness. They have a good crisp sparkle that makes them sound very energetic especially with EDM music but on metal based music, they might sound a little piercing on higher volume. Treble here sounded accurate with a slight push in their intensity making music more zestful. Overall I do adore the extra kick in their high range performance but I also do feel that kick might cause some problems for certain users out there.
Comparisons
VS Goldpanar GL20
The Goldpanar GL20 is one of the first companies to implement a planar based driver in an in-ear form and they are fitted with a 28mm planar driver with an open back design versus the 14.8mm in the S12. Fit here is the key to get the best out of them and they are one of my favourites when it comes to planars. Both are priced rather similar but the build on the S12 is on another level versus the plastic build of the GL20.
Side by side, the high range of both of these in-ears are day and night. The GL20 has a more laid back, smooth high range with mediocre details while the S12 has the edge in quantity and energy. Details on the S12 high range are better overall but extension on the GL20 is better.
Midranges on both on the other hand are quite similar as they are thick, warm and still able to pack the necessary details in. Vocals on the GL20 sounded a little more forward but details in vocals on the S12 is better. GL20 midrange sounds a little more pleasant overall but they are slightly veiled compared to the S12.
Bass quantity and quality on the S12 has the edge and they have a better textured bass with a deeper sub-bass response. The bass on the GL20 has a purer performance to them with a better airiness to them.
Soundstage on the GL20 is wider than the S12 and they have a better headroom as well due to their driver size and an open back implementation.
VS TinHifi P1MAX Big Panda
While LetShouer has the S12, TinHifi has the Big Panda. A new generation planar similar to the S12 in size and they are also easily driven unlike their previous generation planars. The build and design of the S12 is better with a CNC metal shell but their sound signatures are both different almost as day and night. The Panda has a more relaxed, smooth and airier performance versus the energetic fun sound of the S12. The packaging of the S12 is more complete with a better cable and a leather hard case. Both are priced the same in retail.
High region on the S12 has the better quantity and they sparkle better with better energy. Panda highs are smoother and airier, more suited for treble sensitive users. Details on both are quite similar. Extension on high range is better on the S12
Midrange of the Panda has a more forward approach and sounds fuller with vocals. The S12 mids is warmer and lusher, more suited for the instrumental genre. Resolution on the Panda is better with more details intact.
Bass on both of these units is rather similar with their authoritative and qualitative planar bass but the S12 trumps in terms of quantity and sub-bass amount. Bass on the S12 sounded fuller with more energy while the Panda bass is more forgiving and more natural per-say.
Soundstage in the Panda sounded a little wider than the S12 by a small margin but S12 has better air in their presentation.
Overall, I do find their planar signature to be similar but both have their own pros and cons as their sound signature do differ by some margin. For a more relaxed sound, Panda is the one, for a more fun, energetic signature, the S12 certainly does the job.
Synergy
FiiO M17
The top of the mountain of FiiO’s DAP line, the M17. The beast when it comes to driving power and packed with high end features that has been touted as the most powerful DAP around. They have a wide range of gain levels that will suit most gears and the mid gain suited the S12 best. The bass the M17 is able to give the S12 is truly, outstandingly great as they sounded tighter, clearer and produced an even more solid bass response. Details are pushed up a level along with a greater extension in the sub-bass region. Midrange sounded clearer and slightly more forward with vocals sounding a little more accurate in their positioning. High range has been smoothen out by a great margin and they are less piercing. Also it extended the treble more with a smoother signature overall. Soundstage that they provide is great as the improvement in the width and height is quite imminent making them sound bigger and gives an extra airiness to them. Overall, the S12 certainly benefited from the extra juice from the M17 to make the S12 perform to their full potential.
Questyle M15
The Questyle M15 is my favourite dongle DAC/amplifier of all time as they sounded really sublime as they are very well built with Questyle’s signature direct current amplification and I believe it will stand the test of time for their performance. They are a neutral to bright sounding device for a portable usage with a great extension on both ends. Bass on the S12 stayed the same in quantity but in terms of quality, they sounded tighter with a clearer bass response overall. Sub-bass extension goes deeper with a better rumble. Midrange has taken a more forward path with better clarity, making vocals sound clearer and more upfront. High quantities have increased by a little but they remained smooth but still bordering at a piercing level. Sparkle on the S12 sounded crisper and extension on them has increased. Soundstage stayed mostly the same on this pairing. Overall, I do find the synergy of both matches each other well, making the S12 sound more energetic and fun all in a small portable package.
Who Is It For?
Those who want to experience the sound of a planar driver without breaking the bank will find the S12 an amazing entry as they indeed have the taste of a planar driver and are easily driven with a dongle. The bass is sufficient for a basshead delight while still having a high degree of fidelity. The high range might not suit those with a treble sensitivity as they are quite strong but for those who love it, They certainly will. The S12 in my opinion are for those who want a jovial energetic vibe to music and not suited for critical listening.
Final words
Letshouer has indeed been a true innovator as the S12 is certainly an unique in-ears in terms of their sound along with a well thought design as well. Though they do lack resolution and details, they make up the difference in their pure energetic sound that pleases your ears. Their bass is simply one of the best in their price range with a mids that just hugs you warmly like a cup of hot coffee on a rainy day. Their treble might be too piercing for some but for a treble head like me, I find the treble rather enjoyable. The S12 by no means the perfect in-ears, but they are uniquely well made planar in-ears that have a special place in my heart(ears). Hats off to Letshouer.
I would rate this product 4 and a half over 5 stars
