Yuin G1A Earphones

The Yuin G1A. You can say that these are the most high end clip-on headphones in the world. That sounds like hyperbole, but it's true. Clip-ons don't really have much of a market for audiophiles, and are content with staying relatively on the domestic market, and/or for physical activities. With a small niche market, the Yuin G1A sits comfortably as the most expensive and highest regarded clip-on headphone.I am a huge fan of clip-ons. They don't hurt my ears like IEMs. They stay in place no matter what I do, short of literally touching them. They are small enough to lay down with. After a few days of adjusting to how clip-ons feel on your ears, they may as well be the most comfortable headphone design ever made.It helps that my first experience with clip-ons was with the Koss KSC-75, which for a mere $10-$20, should be in every audiophile's inventory. The KSC-75 hits well above their price range, is extremely comfy, pleasing, and just... legendary.My 2nd taste of clip-ons headphones was with the rare and mature KSC-35. The KSC-35 is older than the KSC-75 and discontinued everywhere, but can be bought directly from Koss on their website. The Koss KSC35 sacrifices just a little comfort in place of more musicality and warmth compared to their cheaper, and more common sibling. It's also now sold for 3x the price of the KSC-75, though I personally don't believe they should be priced so high, despite my overwhelming love for them.So how does the Yuin G1A stack up next to the budget conscious Koss offerings? Does the overall package justify the huge price difference? Let's find out.The package is quite small. A nicely designed cardboard box, with a nice presentation. Doesn't look as generic as the Koss packaging. Upon opening the package I am greeted by the sleek Yuin G1A.Build Quality: The 'cups' have a sexy, brushed metal finish to them, which immediately puts it well above the KSC-35 and 75 in aesthetics. With that said, that really is the only physical aspect I find superior to the Koss clip-ons. Everything else is so ridiculously similar to the Koss clip-ons, they may as well have been made by the same OEM. The cable's only difference is that the two sides merge further down the line, making it easier to wear the G1A behind the neck, so you can take them off and let them rest on your shoulders/chest, which isn't that easy to do with the Koss clip-ons due to how close the clip-ons are to where the cables merge.The build itself is... well, it doesn't inspire confidence. The clips are plastic (a very comfortable curved plastic), which seem like they won't take a beating the way the KSC-75's silicone/metal clips, or the sharper, stronger plastic on the KSC-35 would. The cable is quite frankly, sad. It is essentially the same thin, flimsy cable found on the Koss clip-ons. My KSC35's cable is already pulling away from the drivers, and I have feeling the same would probably happen to the G1A's cables.The good thing about the Koss clip-ons is that their ugly 'hubcaps' aren't luxurious, so I doubt you'd fear messing them up. They are rugged to say the least. On the other hand, you have the G1A with it's amazing brushed metal finish, which might be just as sturdy, but I'd be scared to just toss them in a bag in fear of scratching them or leaving any marks whatsoever. The fact they are $150 further enhances my fears of treating them with wild abandon like I'd do with the Koss clip-ons. In the end, they are expensive, yet very cheap feeling other than the back cover. Very disappointing overall. It's fine with the Koss clip-ons, NOT so with a product this expensive.Comfort: If there is one thing that can be said, it's that the Yuin G1A is amazingly comfortable. They literally disappeared on my ears. The most important part of a clip-on in terms of comfort is the clips. If the clips don't feel good resting on your ears, that can be quite problematic. Thankfully, the Yuin's plastic clips are smooth and curved just right. They share a very similar form factor as the KSC-75's clips, which are both quite a bit better on the ears than the KSC-35's relatively sharp-edged clips. I also like that the clips are so smooth, they easily slide on my ears. The KSC-75's rubberized clips 'grip' on my skin, so it's a little harder to put on than the Yuin clips. They are both wonderful to wear, however. As mentioned before, the small form factor, secure fit, and super comfort make these practically unrivaled in terms of long sessions, relaxing, or physical activities. As usual, clip-ons may not be the best in comfort for those who wear glasses, as they have to share the same placement on the ears.Accessories: The only accessories is a 3.5mm to 6.3mm (1/4") adapter (the same exact one found on the HE-400, coincidentally), as well as an extra pair of foams.Isolation/Leakage: As with the Koss clip-ons, the Yuin G1A is open backed (though they actually LOOK closed). This means that they do not isolate well, if at all. External noise will come in with very little contention. I find this to be more good than bad for my Koss clip-ons, as I'd like to be able to hear things around me when I wear my clip ons at work. However, the G1A being hard to drive for such use (more on that later), as well as my fear of physically damaging them makes their very open nature not as beneficial, seeing as the GA1 is more content being used at home with a dedicated amp.Amping: As I briefly mentioned, the Yuin G1A is a rare breed of clip-on, in that it has a relatively high impedance of 150ohm, and take advantage of that by being harder to drive than typical clip-ons (as well as lots of full sized headphones), which results in more refinement at the expense of versatility. They don't demand a LOT of amping, but amping is necessary nonetheless. Soundstage and overall positioning didn't change, but I feel the improvement in audio fidelity warrants using an amp.Sound Signature: Before I get started on it's sound, let me state that all three clip-ons I have used can easily swap clips with the others (i.e. KSC35 with Yuin clips, G1A with KSC75 clips, etc). The problem I see with this, is that the sound signature of the headphones change quite a bit just by whatever clip you have equipped onto them. The reason being that each clip places the drivers at certain distances from the ears, which greatly vary the sound signatures. Even with the same clips, just a light bending of them will alter sound quality (easily done with the KSC75's clips). The Yuin clips can bend just a teeny bit, but be prepared to possibly break them in the process if you attempt to. The KSC35's clips don't seem to have any give whatsoever, so what you hear is what you get. For the purpose of this review, I will be rating the G1A based off it's stock clips, which I found to give the most balanced sound signature.Now on to the sound itself. Upon first listen, the first thing I thought of was that the Yuin G1A sounded like a mini Q701. Well balanced, relatively neutral, with just a hint of warmth. Obviously lacking in soundstage, as well as being lot smaller in presentation of sound, but mini-Q701s is the best description I can come up with.Bass: Starting with the bass, I can say that the Yuin G1A has neutral bass. The bass is neither strong nor weak. It's present, but not emphasized nor lacking. The KSC35 has more bass impact and presence by quite a bit, and the KSC75 has a slight lead in bass impact.Mids: Really nice, balanced mids. Not forward or recessed, they sound natural and full. Some frequencies are ever so slightly forward than others, but overall, I find it well integrated with the rest of the frequencies.Treble: Nice and smooth. SOMETIMES has some sparkle, but overall, it's presented quite naturally. A nice improvement over both the Koss clip-ons which sound grainy and unrefined next to the Yuin, especially in the treble.Soundstage: Like the other clip-ons, the soundstage isn't big, but it's somewhat airy and spacious, still not rivaling a full-sized headphone's soundstage.Clarity: Very clear. Very impressed with how detailed the G1A is. Detailed, and full sounding. Just a lovely balance all around, making these very good for all around purposes.Value: It's hard to judge the Yuin G1A's value. They deliver a rich, detailed sound which is noticeably improved on what the Koss clip-ons offer. On the other hand, the improvement doesn't justify the huge price jump, nor does the shoddy build quality on the cables. I would say these would make more sense being sold at $75, and even then, they could use some improvement on the cables and perhaps the clips, even though I love the clips.Final Impressions: The Yuin G1A is a fantastic clip on, though overpriced when everything is taken into account. They won't replace full-sized headphones in either competitive or fun gaming, but they are great alternatives if you wanna lay back and listen without the feeling of having something on your head. If you are a huge fan of the Koss clip-ons, you may wanna give the Yuin G1A a chance, as it refines and fills out the already great sound found on the budget friendly Koss offerings. Just be prepared to pay a steep price for a fractional improvement. Do I recommend it? No. The only people who should look into the Yuin G1A are those who love clip-ons and want to see what the best sounds like. Other than that, $150 gets you close to some legitimate full-sized headphones that eat the Yuin G1A alive.

I wanted earphones that were small, but not in the ear. I use these everyday at work. I have bought a few earphones with similar design in the past, but these were the most comfortable and sounded the best.If you want a smaller earphone that doesn't trap the sound in your ear, I think this is the best option available.