VSonic GR07 MkII

For a few years now I’ve been intrigued by the VSonic GR07, but buying it in Australia had been tricky. Thankfully, there are now a number of local vendors selling the GR07 and I finally have the pleasure of owning a pair. I bought these as a stand-in while my Unique Melody Miracles are away for a refit and it’s saying something that I’m not overly missing the Miracles – the GR07s are not better than the Miracles, but for $250 vs $1000, they are an incredible buy given the performance they offer.

Overview

The VSonic GR07s have been around for a while now with the MkII version the more recent iteration. The GR07s have somewhat of a cult following for their price-to-performance ratio. Here are the specs you get for around $250:

• Driver:  Dynamic
• Sensitivity:  105dB
• Frequency range:  7Hz – 30,000Hz
• Impedance:  50 ohms

As always, specifications need to be taken with a grain of salt until viewed in the context of actual auditioning, but the first thing I liked about the GR07s was their 50 ohm impedance. 50 ohms is a really nice mid-range impedance which normally means the head / earphones will happily perform with most sources.

Design, Accessories & Quality

The GR07 MkII arrive in a nice looking cream and bronze packaging which nicely displays the square housing of the GR07s. Inside you will find bucket loads of different tips – mostly single-flange silicon tips, but with some foam-filled and twin flange versions as well. There is also a single pair of Comply foam tips in medium size. There is also a carry pouch and ear guides for the over-ear section of the cable in lieu of in-built memory wire.

Simply stated, the GR07s are some of the most abundantly accessorised IEMs you will ever open.

Everything feels fairly high quality with the possible exception of the pouch, but that’s of minimum concern. The tips are admittedly direct copies of the Sony Hybrid tips, but they seem to be a good copy and are comfortable.

The included ear guides are a great idea as an alternative to memory wire in the IEM cable itself, but I have to wonder if they could have been made a little less bulky. I would probably choose to use them were they not so chunky. I have to admit to feeling a bit embarrassed to be seen in public with them on. As a result, I wear the GR07s with no cable guide and they are mostly fine with the exception of times that I move with any real vigour.

The ear guides aren’t required for sitting, walking, laying in bed, etc. but I would not recommend trying to go for a run or any similar exercise without the use of the ear guides. It’s your choice then as to how much your self-respect outweighs your desire for great sound! (Note: I’m over-exaggerating the embarrassment factor here. It’s not dreadfully embarrassing, but it’s also not ideal)

Cable Quality

The marketing of the GR07s says that the internals of the wire are silver which is a really nice feature if it’s true. There is obviously no way of knowing if it is short of pulling apart the earphones and there is the chance that it’s silver-plated copper that’s been lost in translation, but it does a fine job and the outside of the cable is excellent – it feels supple, smooth, and of good durable quality. I do wonder how the cable will hold up under continued use, but more-so because of the way the cable exits the earphone housing.

The cables exit the housings on an angle and out of a relatively small strain relief.

Based on the age of this model (this part has remained essentially unchanged in the mkII version), I can only assume that this isn’t a weakness of the earphones, but it’s one of those things that can only be measured in the fullness of time.

Housings and Fit

The housings of the GR07s are square! Not exactly an ergonomic shape so you might wonder how comfortable they can be.

Getting the IEMs inserted comfortably is easy given the massive range of tips available and the nifty angled nozzle which rotates on a ball joint within the housing (see right). I have to admit to finding the adjustability of the nozzles fairly useless, but figure that it could be helpful for some depending on the unique anatomy of everyone’s ears. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s not a selling feature from my perspective.

Once inserted properly, the square housings have no impact on comfort because they don’t really come in contact with the ear itself. Perhaps that’s where the nozzle comes into play – ensuring that the square housing sits away from the ear – but for me it is a challenge to get the housing to touch my ear so I again find the adjustable nozzles a bit redundant.

After a while listening to the GR07s, I tend to find them moderately uncomfortable no matter how I insert them or what tips I use. My right ear (which is usually my non-troublesome ear) starts to feel like there’s pressure on the front of the ear canal where the little flap of cartilage protrudes. No amount of adjustment seems to prevent this sense of pressure and it limits my enjoyment of the GR07s to around 1-2 hours at the absolute most within any sitting, but more towards the hour mark than the 2 hour mark. By 2 hours I find my ear has become quite sore and will remain sensitive to the GR07s if I try to use them again that day.

I have begun to wonder if the discomfort is caused by the diameter and length of the GR07’s nozzles as my other IEMs like the SE535s and RE-272s have shorter or narrower nozzles. With my narrow ear canals, this might be the problem.

It is important to realise here that your ears and mine are inevitably completely different so please judge the fit for yourself before crossing the GR07s off your list. It would be a shame to miss out on the sound they present.

EDIT: After further extended use, either my ears have adjusted or I’ve found a good fit. The GR07s are now perfectly comfortable for extended periods so don’t despair if it takes you a while to find the right fit for comfort and enjoyment!

The All-Important Sound!

This is always where the rubber meets the road.

The GR07s have a good reputation and it’s well-deserved. Their sound is generally balanced and neutral. They don’t offer any significant “colour” to the music you play, but instead just provide the music as per the recording. Some might want some extra bass, extra warmth, or extra treble, but to me the GR07’s sound style is just right.

This is actually one of the more difficult reviews I’ve written because the sound of the GR07 doesn’t excel or fall short in any particular area – it’s just on the mark across the board. This makes it pretty dull to write about, but really nice to listen to.

Highs

The top end of the GR07s is clean and clear. They start off a little harsh out of the box, but after some listening time or burn-in they settle into a really nice groove.  There is a nice amount of breath and air in the sound and the details are crisp, clean and present, but are rarely too forward or bright. Percussion and incidental sounds (e.g. the sounds of fingers on guitar strings and frets) are really nicely textured and detailed, but again don’t overshadow anything else.

Because the highs are accurate and clear, a recording with harsh top end will sound harsh through the GR07s, but this is not a knock on them – it’s actually them doing their job perfectly.

Mids

The mids in the GR07 aren’t spectacularly smooth or obvious like some other IEMs / headphones like the SE535s or HD650s, but they’re well placed and clean. Once again, you’ll hear exactly what the album producer meant you to hear. Vocals are well-placed and well-balanced. Voices and instruments have texture and depth. Once again, a perfect performance in terms of neutrality and balance.

Bass

The GR07s have deceptive bass. On one track you’ll think they’re bass shy and then you’ll get something bassy and realise they’re very capable in the bass department. Listening to a 20Hz to 20kHz sweep tone, it’s quite impressive how much rumble they produce very early in the range.

I have to admit to occasionally wishing for a touch more bass than the GR07s offer, but I think that’s more a reflection of the mastering of a lot of music more-so than the design of the earphones. Without fail, when a track is well mastered and produced, the GR07s produce really nice, clean, textured bass. They are capable of a good level of impact and punch as well as some rumble. Not on par with full-size headphones of course, but very respectable for an IEM.

Presentation

The presentation of the GR07s is fantastic. Instruments are well separated and defined. The stage is clearly laid out inside your “headspace” and extends well in all directions. The presentation definitely improves over time with the GR07s though, so don’t judge them straight out of the box, and give them a good 100 hours before expecting their best.

The GR07’s stage isn’t massive (in IEM terms) like the HiFiMan Re272s, but I find myself coming back to the GR07s because they have a more enjoyable sound overall. The Re272s create incredible space and separation between each instrument, but their lack of warmth and bass impact means I don’t feel the music as much. I’m much better able to groove with a track played through the GR07s and the difference in staging and separation is not enough to return to the Re272s.

As I said a little earlier, the GR07s just do everything really, really well. There’s nothing to complain about and no characteristic  that stands out above the rest. That’s a good thing in my experience because when something stands out it also leaves you wanting more elsewhere. The GR07s just don’t have that problem – I’m always left satisfied by their sound and presentation. Sure, some more bass can be fun as I said before, but it would also muddy the waters in terms of the detail and staging. No, the GR07s have it exactly right for what they aim to provide.

One small side note here. The GR07s perform beautifully with every source I’ve attached them to, but really came alive when driven from a full-sized amp (Audio-gd NFB-5.2 in my case). Nothing in their specs suggest that they need high quality amplification, but there’s absolutely no doubt that they benefit!

Summary

For the money, there are very few options that can compete with the Vsonic GR07 Mk2 for the crown as a neutral sounding and highly enjoyable IEM. The Re272s are a contender, but are let down by their lack of bass which can render them a little soul-less at times. The Gr07s provide exactly the right amount of everything and would be a great choice for anyone considering a non-custom IEM at any level. They very comfortably compete with much more expensive IEMs like the Shure SE535 and are not even that far behind custom IEMs in terms of their balance, quality presentation and refinement. It’s also a bonus that they sport a 50 impedance because they’re far less picky about the source than many other IEMs including the SE535s and Re272s.