Yincrow X6

EDIT 2023-08-25: If you are not aware, I am selling my own Earbuds, called RikuBuds: https://rikubuds.com/

• Non-Sound
• Sound
• Comparisons
• Conclusion

Disclaimer: I bought this from NiceHCK at AliExpress at full price at my own expense.

Price: 12.5-13.5 usd

Specifications:

Impedance: 32 Ω

Earphone sensitivity: 108dB/mW

Frequency range: 20-20000Hz

Cable Length: 1.2m±5cm

Weight: 15g


Accessories:

1 pair of blue donut foams

1 pair of red donut foams

1 pair of black full foams

Clip

carry case


Cable: The cable is bit thinner than average but feels sturdy. The jack isn’t straight or L-shaped and is diagonal so it is unique. Both the divider and connector are plastic (hard plastic = divider and softer plastic = connector). The cable feels a bit “rubbery” (easier to tangle and harder to untangle because of it) and I don’t really like that and unfortunately it is non-replaceable.


Build: Nothing special with the build, just a typical MX500 shell. It is a bit shinier due to the red color being a bit glossy, so looks pretty nice in my opinion.

Fit: MX500 shells fits me so it’s good for me.

Comfort: Being an earbud it doesn’t go into your ear canal so that means that there is less physical contact between the bud and your ears. There is not much heat generated and comfort is very good.

Isolation: None, it is an earbud after all.


Setup: Ibasso DX160 (low gain, volume around 44) stock cable, full foams

Lows: The best bass both quality and quantity in an earbud without making the tonality or timbre sound worse. The X6 is very close to the bass in iems which is extremely impressive.

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), Needs to be faster and tighter because it is a bit muddy. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper is hearable, but the imaging and the instrument separation aren’t very good.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), quantity is pretty good along with texture, but speed and tightness could be better because there is some slight bass bloat here.

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), Extension and rumble together with the punch quantity, texture, tightness and speed are all extremely impressive for an earbud. And the tonality and timbre are still great, so the bass isn’t sacrificing everything else.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), The punch quantity and texture are amazing. Tightness and speed are also very good so it is fun and clean.

Mids: Very good vocal balancing between male/female vocals and the tonality and timbre is very good. The bass does not compromise the mids either, very good.

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Detailed and clean vocals without any signs of sharpness (or fatigue) while timbre is top tier, but tonality with the female vocals is a bit too warm and need some more brightness to make it a bit more natural.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), Same as above but the tonality thing also affects the instruments here (as in, both the vocals and instruments needs to be brighter).

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), Not fatiguing or sharp at all, but tonality needs to be a bit brighter because it is lacking a bit energy here.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), Not fatiguing or sharp at all and tonality very good. Although the instrument

Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), tonality is good and suited for this song. The bass quality could be a bit better though, because there is some slight bloat so the male vocals aren’t as clean as I would have liked them to be.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), tonality is really good and bass quality is fine without bloat. The male vocals are as warm and thick as it should be without being too thick/warm.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), The electric guitars are not sharp at all or even fatiguing (a very hard feat to do). Although the male vocals need to be a bit brighter and thinner to be more tonally correct.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), Not fatiguing or sharp at all, but is lacking some energy with the treble, so it needs a bit more treble quantity.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), The cellos are very tonally correct and with very good texture. But the violins are lacking some more brightness and texture.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality and timbre are good and it is quite clean and detailed. But the instrument separation could be better.

Soundstage: A bit above average but not the best for earbuds in this price range either.

Tonality: Excellent timbre as expected from an earbud, but that combined with the tonality AND the bass quality/quantity is something I have never heard before. Spectacular and at this price is amazing.

Details: Good for the price, but could be better.

Instrument Separation: Same as with the details, it is good and acceptable for the price but wished it was better due to everything (non-technicalities) being so damn good.

Songs that highlight the Earbud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JpkMXinO1M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IH8tNQAzSs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F42qhxxz5_4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVTXPUF4Oz4

Good genres: EDM, Trance, Hip-hop, acoustic songs, OST, Rock, metal, very versatile and makes it very enjoyable.

Bad genres: Orchestral, due to the instrument separation it can be a bit muddy on those songs.


Comparisons:

Earbud: NiceHCK DIY MX500, stock cable, full foams

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), Extends lower on the X6 but rumbles much more on it. Punch is tighter and faster on the MX500 but quantity and texture are much better on the X6.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), A bit tighter and faster on the MX500, but more quantity and texture on the X6 and tonality is more natural on it.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), Speed and tightness are better on the MX500 and sounds much cleaner. The X6 has more quantity and texture but is a bit muddy in comparison.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), MX500 is much more tonally correct, detailed and cleaner than the X6. Although the instruments are a bit more tonally correct on the X6 due to the warmth.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), less fatiguing on the X6, but it isn’t sharp on the MX500. But it is cleaner and more detailed on the MX500.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Tonality is more natural on the X6. But cleaner and more detailed on the MX500.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), Sharper electric guitars on the MX500.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), The violins timbre, tonality, details and texture are extremely good on the MX500. While the cellos have better timbre, tonality and texture.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Tonality and details are better on the MX500 along with much more treble air.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), Timbe are equal while tonality is a bit better on the X6 due to the bass extension and it being warmer. Soundstage, details and instrument separation are better on the MX500.

Overall: The X6 is a more musical and a bud that is more “complete” due to the bass being very good (close to iem level), very similar effect where you just enjoy music with it like the Blon BL-03 has in the iem world. But if you want a more technical and cleaner bud the MX500 is better.

Although both the MX500 and the X6 are very different. They are complementing each other so I would recommend having both since they are both at the top of what they are doing for buds in this price range and above.

Earbud: NiceHCK B40, stock cable, full foams

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), Extension, rumble, tightness, speed, texture are all better on the X6 and the B40 sounds muddier at the same time.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), Tighter, faster and more texture on the X6 while quantity is similar. Also sounds much cleaner and more detailed on the X6 while it is muddier on the B40.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), Tighter, faster on the X6 and is much cleaner and more detailed while it is muddy on the B40.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Tonality, timbre, details are much better on the X6 and the B40 is muddy.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), More female vocal quantity on the X6 and it is cleaner and more detailed.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), cleaner, tonality and more details on the X6.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), Tonality is not good on the B40.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Tonality, timbre, details, texture are all much better on the X6.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Tonality, timbre, details, texture are all much better on the X6.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), Soundstage, details, tonality, instrument separation and timbre are much better on the X6, sounds muddy and unnatural on the B40.

Overall: The X6 is superior to the B40 in every way and they are similar in sound profile.

Earbud: Turandot DQSM, Stock 4.4mm balanced cable, Double full foams

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), Extension is similar but rumbles more on the X6. Tighter and faster on the Turandot along with better texture while punch quantity is similar.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), Timbre and tonality are better on the X6 and it has more bass quantity and texture. It is faster and tighter on the Turandot though.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), Tightness, speed and texture are similar. But the better instrument separation in the Turandot makes it cleaner.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Tonality and timbre are much more natural on the X6. While it is cleaner and more detailed on the Turandot.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), Tonality and timbre are more natural on the X6 while the Turandot has a bit sharper female vocal.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Unnatural on the Turandot and sounds veiled on it.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), Electric guitars are sharp and the vocals are veiled on the Turandot.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Tonality, texture and details are better on the Turandot. But the timbre is better on the X6.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), Tonality and timbre are better on the X6, while it it is a bit cleaner and more detailed on the Turandot.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), Similar soundstage while timbre and tonality are much better on the X6. Details and instrument separation are better on the Turandot though.

Overall: The X6 is pretty much better on all aspects besides the instrument separation and details, and for almost 20 times more the cost. It is a joke. Unless you are rich then sure the Turandot might be acceptable, but then you wouldn’t be here looking at the X6.


Conclusion: The Yincrow X6 is a spectacular bud that doesn’t have the usual flaw of earbuds (or at least as much) where the bass is rolled off a lot and without much rumble to speak of. And if it does have bass quantity then It usually sacrifices everything else for it. The X6 has bass along with the tonality and timbre that you expect from earbuds.

Very musical and enjoyable, as long as you don’t focus much on the technicalities, it is going to please you a lot (like the Blon BL-03 does in the iem world). Highly recommended and even more so for those of you that are more into iems. Thanks for reading.

Reference/test songs:

This is not a Yincrow X6 review but a comparison along with measurement of all the Vido colours and variants.

Backstory
For awhile now there have been rumours of the different coloured Vidos sounding different, there are also rumours of the Yincrow X6 and Nicehck Traceless being just rebadged Vidos. Over time I've ended acquiring all the Vido variants and just from listening, there seemed to be some slight differences between the different colours, as well as more noticeable differences between the Vidos, X6 and Traceless. Now that I've managed to confirm what I've been hearing through measurements, I'll show the results for those who've been wondering whether or not there are any differences and for potential buyers who might want to know the differences.

All measurements taken with a IEC711 coupler attached to a flat plat, pressed into the coupler/plate for a full seal, with fresh Trig Rain full foams used on all the earbuds. I don't consider this to be the ideal way to measure earbuds, as it results in curves that generally aren't congruent with the sound that's perceived, but this is the most consistent way to measure and hence the best way to show the relative differences. Graphs are loudness matched.

Coloured Vidos
Graph legend:
Black Vido (grey line), White Vido (yellow line), Blue Vido (blue line), Red Vido (red line)

Black Vido
The black Vido is basically the average Vido, if you combine the curves of all the coloured Vidos the black is very close to that averaged curve. Since this represents the quintessential Vido I'll give some brief impressions and will also be using it as a basis of comparison to all the other Vido variants. The general signature of the Vido is bassy, slightly warm, and slightly dark. Technicalities good, with resolution, staging, layering and dynamics that aren't just above average, but properly good.

White Vido
The white Vido is the warmest Vido out of all the Vido variants. From the graphs, the white Vido shows increased sub-bass response from the black Vido as well as increased upper bass/lower mids. This technically also makes it the most bassy Vido, but the lower mid emphasis means this creates more of a bloom ad warmth to the overall tonality rather than outright bassiness. The treble of the white Vido is also more marginally more recessed compared to the black Vido, but with slightly smoother mid to treble transition. Collectively, these traits make the white Vido the warmest and richest sounding Vido, great for anyone who loves mids. Out of all the Vido variants the tone of the white is my favourite.

Blue Vido
The blue Vido is the bright Vido, with slightly more treble energy and no bass lift this makes the blue the most sparkly sounding one. For those who might like the general signature of the Vidos but want slightly more sparkle, the blue might be a good option. Though it's worth noting that it's a very slight difference, so trebleheads should still avoid.



Red Vido
The red Vido is the most interesting of the coloured one. There was some hype around it and I do believe that hype might have been justified. The red Vido is the most different amongst the coloured Vidos, with the white and blue just being slightly different from the black, the red actually noticeably changes the signature of the Vidos from warm and dark to more of a v-shaped signature. As is evident from the measurements, this is done through a slight sub-bass lift and a cut in the upper bass/lower mids, while maintaining the same treble level as the blacks and a slight bit more upper mids. The lower mid cut does give the mids a leaner character, and results in better overall resolution and clarity, and slightly more open staging. The sub-bass boost actually improves bass response and extension while helping to fill in for some of the body that might otherwise be missing due to the lower mid dip. The red is probably the most balanced sounding of the coloured Vidos, and with slightly improved technicalities, it's an easy recommend as an improvement/interesting variation of an already good earbud.

Yincrow X6 and Nicehck Traceless
Graph legend:
Yincrow X6 (green), Nicehck Traceless (purple)

Yincrow X6
The Yincrow X6 is more bassy and darker sounding Vido, not much more to say about it. It manages to maintain technicalities and staging fairly well despite its signature. If you're a basshead and don't mind spending a bit more for an even more bassy Vido, then the Yincrow X6 is a great choice and a welcomed variation to the original Vido.

Nicehck Traceless
The Nicehck Traceless is another interesting one, perhaps even more balanced sounding than the red Vido. The Traceless has the lowest bass quantity out of all the Vido variants and a midrange that is slightly more forward. treble quantity is comparable to the black Vido. These qualities make the Traceless the leanest sounding out of all the Vidos, it doesn't exactly get thin, due to how thick the Vido originally is, but it does result in a slightly honky timbre through the mids, which might be a flaw of the driver masked by the elevated bass of the other variants. However, with the leaner presentation technicalities do improve, with the Traceless having a slightly more spacious stage and the best clarity of all the Vidos, though at a slight cost to timbre, as mentioned previously.

Conclusion
So indeed there are differences between all the Vido colours and variants. I'd like to note though, that the differences between the colours are so slight that it might be down to batch variance rather than having anything to do with the colours themselves, so take those comments with a giant grain of salt. However, I have read quite a few impressions that seem to mirror my impressions and the differences I measured with the different colours, so there might very well be some magic sauce in the paint or assembly of the different colours, I'd like to do further follow up comparisons of the same coloured Vido from different batches to see whether or not it is in fact batch variance. Overall, the Vido is such a good baseline that you'd be hard pressed to really screw it up, and the variants in the X6 and Traceless showcase that perfectly, building upon the good platform of the Vido but offering signatures that are different enough that they might just justify their addition cost. At as low as USD$1.30 the amount of performance you get is just ridiculous and is a shining example showing how good sound can in fact be affordable.

TL;DR
Black: Average Vido
White: Warm Vido
Blue: Bright Vido
Red: V-Shaped/Balanced Vido
X6: Bassy Vido
Traceless: Lean Vido

The yincrow was recommended to me by Amar, who goes under the monikers of UncleRuckus and GhandisFist.
I bought one which included a microphone

The first and most important thing about earbuds is the fit, unlike the monks I own the foams on these didn't irritate my ears, neither did they feel rough. Despite apparently being the same shell these seemed to not cause any fatigue issues like the monk which would press into my ears. The included clip mean that I could quite easily go for a run in them without them falling out.
Overall the fit of these are really good and would stay in where beater devices would usually fall out due to poor ergonomics.

Moving onto the sound the two main strengths of these earbuds are the dynamics and bass extension.

Usually, an earbud falls apart in jazz or even modern pop because they don't have the extension to even have any form of midbass. The extension of these was enough to satisfy my requirements even in films. Aside from the extension, the bass performance itself was really good, it could accurately convey texture in drums to the point where you could determine between how hard the drum was struck, etc.. mainly because you could hear the difference between sustain and notes on kick drums. This same ability was present in cellos and double bass instruments in the Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack.

Moving onto the lower mids, the bass was well integrated with the lower mids, there is no real sense of bleed even in modern pop songs (like Havana) where the fundamentals and bass line were clearly separate and were resolved as such. The integration of the lower mids and dynamics leads to a very convincing sense of imaging (I will explain this in more detail later) since what you get in the lower mids is a good sense of spatial cues from the music. You can get a feel for the movements which make the sound happen. Obviously not to the extent of an hd800 or even hd580, but it is better than most other budget offerings. The timbre of the lower mids can be considered a bit wet, a lot like the HD6x0, where the decay is pretty liquid and it doesn't sound too fast, maybe even a bit slow for some.

The upper mids are in line with the mids and don't feel dipped or necessarily bumped, maybe slightly dipped compared to my hd580. A nice thing about this earbud is that the upper mid resolution is quite good for something at this price. it leads to the lower parts of the decay being in place because you have a sense of space.

The presence region of these earbuds presents some issues. There is a sense of congestion with these earbuds which comes across particularly in this region, it's more that the music feels stuffy as opposed to hazey like something with a 5k dip would cause. It's not really spiked either given that it definitely doesn't come across as nasal

The lower treble isn't dipped like the presence region seems to be and because of that cymbals have a good amount of sibilance as opposed to sounding damped like on the hd580, realistically there is a serviceable level of texture in this region compared to more expensive offerings.

the mid-treble and upper treble are dipped compared to flat FR speakers and headphones known for treble extension. These aren't the strengths of these earbuds and really anything at this price range. One thing I will mention is that the upper treble is considerably more present than a lot of iems simply because you have a greater sense of air.

The imaging of this earbud is really natural, I would consider it wider than the monks with a bit more depth using the full foams. what it does within this stage is really nice for an earbud, there isn't any significant rounding at the edges like most other earbuds, the decay seems well textures and expands into the stge, the congestion means that the seperation isn't quite as good but I wouldn't consider it smothered.

All in all it's my favourite cheap earbud which works well for running.