Disclaimer: As part of the Cayin N6II and YB04 tour I was lent these IEMs to try in exchange for an honest review. I am in no way associated with Cayin.
The YB04 is Cayin's first IEM and is positioned as a mid-priced multi BA over ear unit with a premium metal build and engaging, powerful, natural sound. The market <£1000 is pretty crowded, especially with all the new gems coming from China so lets see how the YB04 performs (in my honest opinion of course)...
The YB-04 specification is as follows;
In The box:
In the (quite large) box you get:
I really like the selection of tips, but after top rolling found the medium balanced to be my favourites.
I love the Tan leather case which has lots of space of the IEM, cable, tips, cleaning brush etc. and protects everything inside. It looks great, feels great and I could get 2x IEM in the same box (Fearless S8f & YB04). I wish more manufacturers would provide this level of accessory as I mostly use earphones on the move and need a secure case.
YB04 Case
Build Quality & Design:
Much like the N6ii, the YB04's build quality is excellent. Machined aluminium shells with screw on faceplates feel solid in the hand and look great. I particularly like the red and blue dots donating Left and Right orientations, useful when both shells look identical (the cable has identical markings too). The nozzle has a mesh wax guard and a very pronounced flange helping tips to stay in place.
Cable connection is via the standard 2pin 0.78mm socket so you can use aftermarket cables. Remember the actual socket raises out of the shell so the best connector would make use of a recessed 2pin plug such that the plug housing slips over the raised socket - just like the supplied cable does. This gives a very secure connection for all those times you pull and push at the cable connection (in/out of bags, dropping your DAP etc.).
YB04 cable detached
YB04 faceplate
The YB04 + Cable (had my own random tips on there for the pics)
I am not one to really care too much about cable 'sound'. To me the only thing that changes is the impedance. But cables make a difference in terms of practicality and looks. The included cable is totally fine. Looks nice, seems strong and well made. Very few microphonics when walking with the YB04 and well shaped over ear bend (although I would have liked to see some memory wire in this section so I could mould the cable a little more). The plug is a 3.5mm straight metal type with a long neck allowing insertion past thick DAP/Phone cases. Cable stain relief is OK, nothing special. Y split is a metal unit with a hexagon shape and a rubber slider to tighten the cables up. Cable length is 1.3m, not too long but still allows me to hold my DAP in front of my stomach whilst routing the cable through my shirt.
Fit:
The shells are of a medium size, quite similar to my Freedom S8f (maybe a little larger) and fit in my medium ears just fine with no pain or pressure points. I should state here that I was using medium silicone ear tips which suggests the metal YB04 nozzle diameter is an ideal size for me. Isolation with universals really comes down to nozzle width/depth and tip size. I found medium tips work best and provide decent isolation - can gently hear peoples conversations at normal voice level without any music playing.
Surprisingly the shell didn't feel at all cold to my ear even though it's metal on skin, which is nice as I often have earphones dangling around whilst outside in the cold e.g. queuing to board a plane, riding outside in winter etc. The cable bend feeds easily over the ear and can be slightly moulded in place. I did find the over ear bend would loosen up a bit after some time and I had to re-adjust (some memory wire would sort that out).
The shell fits fairly flush with my ear and I can lay my head on a pillow without much discomfort.
My wife has small ears and tried the fit with medium tips. Again, the fit was just fine and she obtained a good seal without any discomfort. I'd say the shell size is spot-on unless you have very small ears.
Sound:
TL
R: Lovely precise natural tuning, with fast attack and natural note decay. Great sound stage, kinda puts you a few rows back from the stage. Excellent stereo imaging and not at all fatiguing. Probably not for bass-heads.
I tested the sound using the Cayin N6ii with my preferred EQ setting using the same music files, stock cable and medium balanced tips.
Before we get into it, the included tips pretty much do what they say on the tin - bass tips = more bass, balanced = more balanced, vocal = more high-mid/high end, bi-flange = better isolation. After listening to them all, I found the medium balanced tips to be my favourite. I would have bet a lot of money that I would have proffered the bass tips before testing, but 'balanced' and natural seems to be the tuning for these IEMs and using the bass/vocal tips seem to make the sound a little artificial and break away from the IEM inherent tuning. Bi-flange is OK and sounds a little more bass heavy, but I have never liked the way bi or triple flange tips feel.
Tracks I used are as follows:
Bass: Bass is there but won't slam your brain - but certainly not 'thin' sounding. Saying that its very detailed probably thanks to the speed of the YB04.
Mid: Fantastic note weight and fast guitars are not lost or congested. Male and female vocals are equally great.
High: A combination of fast attack, natural decay and great imaging produce wonderful musical sound that moves around your head. Extension is all there and does not seem to roll off at all, giving a very airy quality.
Sound stage: Right in the middle of the stage, a few rows back.
Other: The natural mid-centric tuning (to my ears) shines for acoustic music and the YB04's speed definitely works on rock tracks, preventing them from becoming loose or congested.
I did listen to this with my Cowon PM2 which adds some bass but the result is quite similar to the above comments. Cayin achieved great synergy with the N6ii ad YB04, but that's not surprising.
Conclusion:
The YB04 is probably No.1 from all the (what I consider) mid-centric IEM's I've listened to, from Empire Ears to 64 Audio to JH Audio. Cayin really has the tuning spot on if you love acoustic/classical/rock music or want a very non-fatiguing, natural sound. At this price range there is a lot of competition but the YB04 shines through when you look at sound, build quality and ergonomics. If you're looking for a natural sounding, non-fatiguing IEM with excellent build quality and top accessories, definitely listen to the YB04.
The YB04 is Cayin's first IEM and is positioned as a mid-priced multi BA over ear unit with a premium metal build and engaging, powerful, natural sound. The market <£1000 is pretty crowded, especially with all the new gems coming from China so lets see how the YB04 performs (in my honest opinion of course)...
The YB-04 specification is as follows;
- Driver units: 4 balanced armature drivers; Tweeter: Knowles x 2; Woofer: Sonion x 2
- Frequency response: 18Hz ~ 40kHz
- Impedance: 30
- Sensitivity: 113dB @1kHz +/-2dB
- Enclosure: Machined CNC Aviation Aluminium Alloy
- Headphone Cable: Unidirectional crystalized OFC, Silver Alloy
- Input connector: 0.35mm TRS Singled-ended
- Earphone connector: 2-pin 0.78mm
- Price: currently £449
In The box:
In the (quite large) box you get:
- YB04 IEM
- 8 wire Copper/Silver alloy cable, 2pin 0.78mm
- 12 pairs of ear tips (2 flange, bass, balanced )
- The fantastic Tan leather case (plenty of space for the IEM + cable + tips). I would buy this case alone for my current earphones.
- Cable clip
- Cleaning brush and cloth
- User manual
I really like the selection of tips, but after top rolling found the medium balanced to be my favourites.
I love the Tan leather case which has lots of space of the IEM, cable, tips, cleaning brush etc. and protects everything inside. It looks great, feels great and I could get 2x IEM in the same box (Fearless S8f & YB04). I wish more manufacturers would provide this level of accessory as I mostly use earphones on the move and need a secure case.
YB04 Case
Build Quality & Design:
Much like the N6ii, the YB04's build quality is excellent. Machined aluminium shells with screw on faceplates feel solid in the hand and look great. I particularly like the red and blue dots donating Left and Right orientations, useful when both shells look identical (the cable has identical markings too). The nozzle has a mesh wax guard and a very pronounced flange helping tips to stay in place.
Cable connection is via the standard 2pin 0.78mm socket so you can use aftermarket cables. Remember the actual socket raises out of the shell so the best connector would make use of a recessed 2pin plug such that the plug housing slips over the raised socket - just like the supplied cable does. This gives a very secure connection for all those times you pull and push at the cable connection (in/out of bags, dropping your DAP etc.).
YB04 cable detached
YB04 faceplate
The YB04 + Cable (had my own random tips on there for the pics)
I am not one to really care too much about cable 'sound'. To me the only thing that changes is the impedance. But cables make a difference in terms of practicality and looks. The included cable is totally fine. Looks nice, seems strong and well made. Very few microphonics when walking with the YB04 and well shaped over ear bend (although I would have liked to see some memory wire in this section so I could mould the cable a little more). The plug is a 3.5mm straight metal type with a long neck allowing insertion past thick DAP/Phone cases. Cable stain relief is OK, nothing special. Y split is a metal unit with a hexagon shape and a rubber slider to tighten the cables up. Cable length is 1.3m, not too long but still allows me to hold my DAP in front of my stomach whilst routing the cable through my shirt.
Fit:
The shells are of a medium size, quite similar to my Freedom S8f (maybe a little larger) and fit in my medium ears just fine with no pain or pressure points. I should state here that I was using medium silicone ear tips which suggests the metal YB04 nozzle diameter is an ideal size for me. Isolation with universals really comes down to nozzle width/depth and tip size. I found medium tips work best and provide decent isolation - can gently hear peoples conversations at normal voice level without any music playing.
Surprisingly the shell didn't feel at all cold to my ear even though it's metal on skin, which is nice as I often have earphones dangling around whilst outside in the cold e.g. queuing to board a plane, riding outside in winter etc. The cable bend feeds easily over the ear and can be slightly moulded in place. I did find the over ear bend would loosen up a bit after some time and I had to re-adjust (some memory wire would sort that out).
The shell fits fairly flush with my ear and I can lay my head on a pillow without much discomfort.
My wife has small ears and tried the fit with medium tips. Again, the fit was just fine and she obtained a good seal without any discomfort. I'd say the shell size is spot-on unless you have very small ears.
Sound:
TL
R: Lovely precise natural tuning, with fast attack and natural note decay. Great sound stage, kinda puts you a few rows back from the stage. Excellent stereo imaging and not at all fatiguing. Probably not for bass-heads. I tested the sound using the Cayin N6ii with my preferred EQ setting using the same music files, stock cable and medium balanced tips.
Before we get into it, the included tips pretty much do what they say on the tin - bass tips = more bass, balanced = more balanced, vocal = more high-mid/high end, bi-flange = better isolation. After listening to them all, I found the medium balanced tips to be my favourite. I would have bet a lot of money that I would have proffered the bass tips before testing, but 'balanced' and natural seems to be the tuning for these IEMs and using the bass/vocal tips seem to make the sound a little artificial and break away from the IEM inherent tuning. Bi-flange is OK and sounds a little more bass heavy, but I have never liked the way bi or triple flange tips feel.
Tracks I used are as follows:
- AC/DC - Sin City (FLAC)
- Black Sabbath - Children of the Sea (FLAC)
- Portishead - Numb (FLAC)
- Infected Mushroom - Heavy Weight (FLAC)
- Nirvana - Where did you sleep last night (FLAC)
- AC/DC - Sin City (FLAC) - Symbols at the start of this track sound great and pronounced alongside solid midrange guitar rhythm and not overpowered by the bassline. The bassline itself is there but not overly extended. It seems the more mid-centric tuning gives this track a natural flavour, but I would like that bassline to shine. Bon's vocals are front and centre here and appear layered right on top of the instruments. At no point does this track sound congested - which I have found happens when bass bleeds into the lower mids.
- Black Sabbath - Children of the Sea (FLAC) - Tony's beautiful guitar sounds airy and natural, almost like he's sitting next to me. Again, the bassline is there but does not power through like I have heard. Dio sounds wonderful even when he goes deep. Bill's drum rolls sound great and move L to R well (thanks to the stereo imaging) and the fast attack really brings them to life.
- Portishead - Numb (FLAC) - As a glorious bass track, I could have done with some more low end. Even then it still sounds very musical (musical and fun is my general taste) and Beth's vocals come flying through the ensemble. Those light symbol strikes also shine.
- Infected Mushroom - Heavy Weight (FLAC) - This is a very holographic track (loads of sweeping sounds L and R) where the sounds seem to come from all around. That aspect is very nicely presented by the YB04. Top end sparkle all there and but bass is a bit light, which does not benefit the track. I'm a big drum freak and at 04:34 the drum beat sounds fast and musical. Vocals and guitars both sound natural and are right up front when they come in.
- Nirvana - Where did you sleep last night (Live, FLAC) - NOW YOU'RE TALKING! Man, Kurt really did an exceptional job didn't he! and it's all good on the YB04. I listened to this track over and over, even without the deeper bass notes I can close my eyes and I'm in the studio with them. This track brings out the best in the YB04 and I wonder if they didn't listen to it when tuning
Bass: Bass is there but won't slam your brain - but certainly not 'thin' sounding. Saying that its very detailed probably thanks to the speed of the YB04.
Mid: Fantastic note weight and fast guitars are not lost or congested. Male and female vocals are equally great.
High: A combination of fast attack, natural decay and great imaging produce wonderful musical sound that moves around your head. Extension is all there and does not seem to roll off at all, giving a very airy quality.
Sound stage: Right in the middle of the stage, a few rows back.
Other: The natural mid-centric tuning (to my ears) shines for acoustic music and the YB04's speed definitely works on rock tracks, preventing them from becoming loose or congested.
I did listen to this with my Cowon PM2 which adds some bass but the result is quite similar to the above comments. Cayin achieved great synergy with the N6ii ad YB04, but that's not surprising.
Conclusion:
The YB04 is probably No.1 from all the (what I consider) mid-centric IEM's I've listened to, from Empire Ears to 64 Audio to JH Audio. Cayin really has the tuning spot on if you love acoustic/classical/rock music or want a very non-fatiguing, natural sound. At this price range there is a lot of competition but the YB04 shines through when you look at sound, build quality and ergonomics. If you're looking for a natural sounding, non-fatiguing IEM with excellent build quality and top accessories, definitely listen to the YB04.
