Pros –
Sturdy and comfortable design, Rich analogue tone, Deep, articulate bass, Wide soundstage
Cons –
Fixed cable, Limited treble extension, Occasional midrange muffle
Verdict –
Cozoy flaunts their expertise with traditional acoustics to provide a gorgeous tonality and extract maximum quality from their chosen driver.
Introduction –
I find myself conflicted when introducing Cozoy, a name that has surely achieved wide renown yet a company that hasn’t released a new product for quite some time. I suppose this speaks for their confidence in the timeless design of their products. The Hera exemplifies this as a model that was introduced a few years ago but remains their pioneer IEM. It lacks any flash features, a down to Earth single dynamic driver earphone tuned with good old fashion acoustics. The wideband driver employs a composite dual-layer diaphragm while the metal housings undergo a painstaking milling process to reduce resonances and ensure stringent quality control. The Hera carries a $160 USD price tag which seems modest in the present day. You can read more about the Hera here and purchase one for yourself from Penonaudio or Cozoy directly.
Disclaimer –
I would like to thank Cozoy very much for their quick communication and for providing me with the Hera for the purpose of review. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.
Design –
The Hera will appeal to listeners wanting a more traditional cable-down fit. Yet, none will mistake this earphone for a generic consumer model, their metal shells were CNC machined by the same company as the venerable AKG K3003. Furthermore, rigid quality control ensures parity between channels and units. Red honeycomb accents tease the audio prowess offered by Cozoy’s unconventional, conventional IEM.
Such a simple design permits excellent ergonomics. The housings are compact and bullet-shaped, promoting a deep fit and avoiding contact and hotspot formation on the outer ear. The cables happily loop over the ear, heightening fit stability and mitigating cable noise when required. The seal is strong and noise isolation is easily above average for a dynamic driver earphone but still a far cry from sealed BA competitors making them suitable for public transport and commute if not air travel. No driver flex was apparent on my unit.
The cable is also a curiosity, non-removable but with a Kevlar jacket and silver/copper alloy conductors that promise sustained performance and longevity. The jacket is rubbery and springy but resists tangles well nonetheless. Microphonic noise is acceptable given the interwoven Kevlar fibres and can be further reduced by wearing the earphones inverted. The interconnects are slim with aluminium housings and the 3.5mm straight plug showcases pleasing strain relief alongside sculpting for easy manipulation.
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