Yinyoo ASH

disclaimer:   I received the Yinyoo ASH as a review sample on 7/10.   I had to take a couple weeks off for a summer cold so am just now finishing my notes on the ASH.   Thanks to Yinyoo/Wooeasy for providing the ASH for review.

 

Unboxing / Accessories:  

The ASH comes shipped in a slip cover box with the earpieces and one set of the tips mounted in a foam tray at top and a box beneath hiding the cable and another set of tips.   Packaging is similar to others we see at roughly the same price point as our accessories.   The optional set of tips is appreciated as this gives users the choice of a more neutral or more bass heavy signature.

 

Build/Fit:

The shells are 3d printed with a black pearl face-plate and a smoked transparent inner shell and are well fitted and polished.  The Raised bi-pin is the exception as some glue and fitment issues can be seen around the connections.  The Connectors are well attached and work fine, but look like the holes in the shell were initially cut large and filled in with resin when the connectors were installed.    The Connectors are raised slightly, but are not of the hooded variety that has become more common in the budget segment of late.   Nozzles are metal with two sound bores and a filter at the rear rather than a screen at the front as is more typical.  Fit is comfortable for long wear as the shell is on the smaller side and is well shaped.

 

Internals:

The Ash uses a single 10mm dynamic driver for lows and mids, and a single balanced armature driver for the highs.  Details on the drivers are few and far between but the BA appears to be a bellsing 30095.    Nominal Impedance is listed at 18Ω with a sensitivity of 108dB/mW.  The ASH is fairly easy to drive, but does scale some with better sources.  Most notably the bass is looser with a low powered source and tightens up some as more power is applied.

 

Cable:

The provided cable starts with a 90º jack with proper strain relief and exits as twisted pair up to the hard plastic splitter.  Above the splitter, two smaller twisted pairs exit and terminate with pre-formed earhooks and .78mm bi-pin connectors.  cable itself is listed as 4 strand oxygen free copper.  I found the cable to be well made and reasonably comfortable with low microphonics.

 

Sound:

Bass:

Good sub-bass depth and quantity but a bit loose at times.  Sub-bass is not heavily textured and comes across as big, but not extremely well defined.    Mid-bass starts out forward as well and falls as it moves toward the mids.  Mid-bass is still loose and a bit muddy when fast tracks are thrown at it. Those looking for big bass may appreciate this, those looking for a cleaner signature will want to look at the D2B4 or Topaz in the Yinyoo line as those while not as bass heavy do have a tighter, cleaner signature.

 

Mids:

Lower-mids suffer from considerable mid-bass bleed and sound a bit congested as a result.  Once the signature rises above the mid-bass bleed, it has good details, but remains a bit unnatural sounding.   EQ helps considerably here, but has its limits and while the mid-bass bleed and excessive warmth can be dialed back, its still a warm, laid-back sounding iem.

 

Treble:

Lower treble is pronounced with a couple large spikes that can be harsh at times.  Roll-off is fairly early and limits over all air and sparkle.  I am finding that listening sessions need to be limited to an hour or so at a time to prevent fatigue.   Detail is good considering the price point, and EQ can be used to dial back some of the harsh spikes.  The ASH does have a tendency to get strident if source material leans that way.

 

Thoughts/Conclusion:

The ASH shell is well made and comfortable.  As one of the first attempts to make a 3d printed shell by Yinyoo, I’d have to call that portion of the ASH a success.  it would be hard to tell the shell wasnt a poured acrylic unless you were told  as much.    In order for the comfort of the sound signature to match that of the earpieces, a fair amount of EQ is needed.  Bass is big and not all that well controlled and treble is likewise with a couple pronounced spikes and a tendency to fatigue the listener fairly quickly.  With a good bit of dialing back on both ends, the ASH can be a good performer.   This is a case where I think Yinyoo got some things right, but needs to adjust the tuning before it can be recommended.