CVJ Shine

disclaimer:  CVJ was kind enough to send me the Shine for purposes of this review.  I have no financial interest in CVJ or any of its suppliers or subsidiaries.    If you are interested in more information on CVJ products see their Facebook or website.   Their website is currently only available in Chinese so those not fluent in Chinese may wish to use google translate or another website translation service.

 

Unboxing / Packaging:

The CVJ Shine are not for those who like to maintain a low profile as even the packaging has a large photo of the rhinestone encrusted face-plates.  The name is also prominent, but for English, you’ll need to take a look at the reverse.  The rear of the box shows the specifications in both Chinese and English as well as an FR plot that fairly closely matches what I found on my measurement system.   Opening the box reveals the earpieces in a foam surround, two extra pairs of tips, and a cloth carrying case.  The cable is neatly tucked away under the foam and case giving the presentation a nice clean look.   There is also a warranty card and instruction booklet that round out the package.   Not a lot of extras for an in-ear at the $40 USD price point, but it does come with everything needed to start listening immediately.

 

Build/Fit:

It’s hard to miss the Shine as the Rhinestone encrusted face-plates are either a big attraction or a major deterrent depending on whom you ask.  The center of the face-plate is encrusted in clear Rhinestones (imported Czech cut glass) with the outer most ring available either in blue like my sample or a pinky red color.   Honestly my first thought was these are best suited cosmetically to pre-teen girls as they remind me of an 90’s infomercial for the Bedazzler.  Both my wife and my daughter liked them though so perhaps the market is a bit wider than I initially gave it credit for.   Once past the face-plates, the earpieces are clear polymer of medium size with a raised bi-pin connector and brass nozzles.   Fit was comfortable and insertion depth moderate which allowed me to use mid-sized tips instead of needing the larger size that some shallower models require.   weight is good and there was no physical fatigue from long wear although I did get a few sarcastic comments about needing blue eye-shadow to accentuate my new look.

 

Internals:

Internally the Shine uses a 10mm dynamic driver with dual drive magnetic structure.  The ad copy does not list the diaphragm material or further details regarding the construction of the driver but it does list a nominal impedance of 22Ω with a sensitivity of 110dB/mW.   I found those numbers to be reproducible on my test rig as well with my measurements showing 19Ω @ 1kHz and a sensitivity of 111 dB/mW so both are within the margin of error of the test.     The Shine is easy to drive and didn’t require a lot of power for adequate listening volumes and doesn’t benefit from more potent sources as I found with power increases also came some increase in distortion as well.   The Shine worked well with the Cayin N3ii, the IKKO ITM02 dongle, and the DD Hifi TC35i dongle as well.

 

Cable:

The cable is silver plated copper strands in clear casing with a double twist pattern from jack to splitter and a fairly tight twist of two strands above the splitter leading to each ear-hook.   The jack is of my preferred 90º style with a short strain relief and a clear housing that matches that of the splitter.   There is no chin-slider provided.  Ear-hooks do not have memory wire but are tight enough that they fit snugly, and the hooded 0.78mm bi-pin connectors mate well to the raised connector on the earpiece surface.   The L/R markings are embossed on the clear housings which can  make them a bit hard to see so a drop of red paint on one side to help indexing would be appreciated.

 

 

 

Sound:

Bass:

Sub-bass is elevated with a center around 70Hz and a gradual taper to both sides.   Roll-off is only evident in the 30Hz range at the low end where the Shine transitions from sound to more of a monotone vibration that is fairly featureless but does provide some visceral lows.   Mid-bass remains elevated for its entire range but drops as it moves toward the mids.   There is some texture and detail to the mid-bass but at times it is a bit loose and can bleed into the lower-mids enough to be obscuring at moments.  It does convey some warmth in the process which helps balance the fairly large lower-treble push at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Mids:

Mids are not the star of the show here with the lower and true mids sitting firmly in the trough of the V and the upper-mids showing only a slight climb forward starting at about 1.5kHz.   Lower vocals have good weight and tone but are a step behind their higher counterparts.  Guitar growl is good making the Shine a good choice for Rock as strings are not as well realized and piano sounds a little less energetic than realistic as well.   The slight lift in the upper-mids does help higher voices stand out and helps provide enough energy to give them good life.   I found that a bit of EQ to pull back the bass helped make the recess a bit shallower that the tonality was improved.   Overall, the mids lend themselves to rock, pop, and hip-hop a bit more than orchestral or large ensemble works.

Treble:

The lower treble climbs to almost the same level as the sub-bass and plateaus for most of the lower treble range before dropping off significantly just above the 4kHz mark.   There is plenty of energy in the lower treble which keeps the Shine from sounding enclosed, but the drop-off in the mid-treble keeps cymbals from sounding correct and limits air at the top a bit as well.  There is a push back between 10 and 11kHz  that brings back some air but the gap between 4kHz and 10kHz gives the treble an uneven sound.   Percussion snap is crisp with good snare rattle and there is some detail to the treble but that too is somewhat limited.

Soundstage / Imaging:

Stage is wider than deep with some height but seating the orchestra is a little sloppy due to the bleed and only average instrument separation.   Imaging is good but not very precise with positions in space being somewhat loosely defined.   There is also notable compression as tracks get busier and faster with the mid-bass showing some additional thickening.   Overall, the performance here is on par with the price, but doesn’t outperform the price point.

 

Thoughts / Conclusion:

It is hard for me to separate the looks of the Shine from its other characteristics as the Czech Rhinestones are not a look I would normally sport.  Having said that, I had several comment on liking the look and my daughter has promised them a home once their time on the review bench comes to a close.   The signature is a big V with enough bass to rattle your head and enough lower treble to help balance the big lows.   Mids are a bit recessed and not the star of the show here so the Shine is best with genres that benefit from the V tuning.   Detail, soundstage, and imaging are all good but not great and while the Shine is quite pleasant, it isn’t the most revealing in-ear or the most technically adept at the $40-50 mark.   Those looking for an in-ear that makes a fashion statement and offers a good tuning for casual listening will find things to like here.      I still can’t shake the idea that it should ship with a Tiger Beat and a compact of blue eye-shadow though.