Intro
Letshuoer is a company that was founded in August 2016.They are specialised in making in ear monitors for stage use but they do have in ear monitors for audiophiles as well. They were called Shuoer previously and I am very sure a lot of audiophiles are familiar with this model Tape Pro that is using an electrostatic dynamic driver.
This is my 2nd experience with Letshuoer and it’s safe to say I have had a rather positive experience with them till to date. I liked the S12 and let’s see if I will like the D13 as well?
D13 is a single dynamic driver IEM with replaceable tuning nozzle.
Packaging
With the past unboxing experience from S12, I have had a very positive unboxing experience and D13 doesn’t let me down either. The overall presentation is very premium despite the asking price, faux leather carrying case, D13 itself, and the iem cable with the termination of your choice either 3.5 or 4.4 balanced.
Build/Comfort
Build quality is very good. The overall chassis of the IEM is aluminium and fairly lightweight. The shape is also quite ergonomic and I have no problem using them for a long period of time and no discomfort throughout.
Source
Macbook Air M2 -> Kaei HP100 -> Letshuoer D13 (4.4)
Macbook Air M2 -> Letshuoer D13 (4.4 -> 3.5)
Macbook Air M2 -> Dunu DTC 500 -> Letshuoer D13 (4.4)
Tempotec V6 -> Letshuoer D13 (4.4)
Sound (Stock cable and eartips with Gold colour nozzle - Single layer filter)
D13 sounds very balanced to my ears with a gold colored nozzle. The default nozzle is the silver colored nozzle and I have checked with the Letshuoer’s rep and confirmed that the default nozzle has a double layer of filter vs single on the gold. What that means is that the silver nozzle will have a more energetic presentation and also slightly boosted low end, at least that is what I heard, whereas the gold nozzle will be a more balanced and smoother treble.
D13’s sound presentation is neutral and slightly bright to my ears, that is if it’s on the default silver nozzle, however on the gold colored nozzle, the top end energy is slightly toned down and that naturally contributes to a slightly boosted low end.
Bass
D13’s bass response is clean and tight,right amount of quantity but doesn’t skimp on quality, some may perceive this is bass light, but the amount is just right for me
Bass is speedy and it has no problem keeping up on complex track such as Slipknot’s People = Shit, i have had experience with other IEM where they have slower bass and it will then be what you perceived as muddy,i have no such experience on D13
Sub bass rumble is there when it’s called for, definitely nowhere near basshead level, nonetheless, it is still very enjoyable and i honestly don’t find the bass lacking at all
Bass has got good texture and never once sound bloated
Mids
Vocal positioning is in between slightly recessed and forward,i personally find that this kind of positioning is the sweet spot for me (Source does affect this as well, Kaei’s HP100 does pushes the vocal slightly forward but not the point where it's in your face)
Both male and female vocal has got good texture to it and never once it sounded thin
Female vocal sounded very sweet especially Lana Del Rey’s, very enticing
Lower mids has got plenty of details and moving to upper mids,the upper mids doesn’t get hot as this is the range where most people are sensitive
Treble
Treble on D13 has rather good extension but never harsh or sibilant even when you crank the volume up
For those who are sensitive to treble, you may switch to the gold nozzle like i did, i’m not really sensitive to treble but i just find that using the gold nozzle presents a more balanced and smoother sound
It has got good amount of air and sparkles despite on the silver nozzle
Generally the treble presentation is fairly good and never once i felt fatigue even when i’m listening to it for several hours
Very good detail retrieval for the asking price as well
Soundstage/Imaging
Soundstage is fairly average, nothing exceptional,not too wide nor too in your head
Imaging is quite good,instruments can be pinpointed easily and very good separation during complex track as well, but then again, this is a 107$ product and you should not have the expectation where it will have similar performance as a 200$ IEM,something’s gotta give right?
Driveability
D13 is very easy to drive, and i personally find that it is quite sensitive with source, for me, it works well with a slightly warm source or neutral source
Of course, it can be driven of an Apple Dongle as well :P
As you feed it with slightly more power, it does sound a little bit more controlled, but generally, a mid tier dongle is more than enough to extract its performance, heck even Macbook Air M2’s internal DAC is good enough
Final Thoughts
What is exciting is that ChiFi is moving so fast and rapidly and hitting consumers with new products almost on a monthly basis, at least from my observation. Where exactly does D13 position themselves among the competitors? They pull themself ahead of the competitors by offering a swappable nozzle to fine tune the treble response based on the user’s preference, not to mention at a price point where it’s considered as affordable with a high price performance ratio. Although not really a new thing, take BQEYZ’s Autumn for example, it does offer several swappable nozzles which alters the bass response but the price is significantly higher than D13.
I personally think that D13 is being overshadowed by many other brands with their rapid releases, and it definitely deserves some attention as they are really a good set. I have no problem recommending them to anyone who’s looking to spend 119$ on an IEM.
*D13 is sent over by Letshuoer F.O.C in exchange for this review. I received no monetary compensation nor i am under any influence by Letshuoer to produce this review
If you are interested in getting a pair, head over their store to grab one now! Letshuoer’s D13 - Official Webstore - Non affiliated
