INTRO:
Shozy is not a new brand, they have been making some of the best IEMs in various price ranges. They won me over with their Pola and Pola39 but the Form 1.1 wasn’t a slouch either. Shozy started to rise with the Zero, Hibiki was fantastic, Neo BG5 was a class apart and now I have their BA based flagship, Shozy Elsa.
Sounds fancy, looks equally excellent. It’s a totally customizable IEM with custom face plates and shell colors. Priced at $750 it houses 5ba drivers in a 3 was cross over. Unlike the Pentacle the Elsa is a beast when it comes to sound.
There are a lot of IEM in the market but there aren’t many brands who understand the consumer as well as Shozy. When I saw the Elsa, I had to buy it. That’s a risk I took with a smile on my face. Why risk? Because this IEM is China exclusive!! I have to envy the Main Land Chinese. It goes against the Campfire Holocene, Andromeda and many more IEMs but it’s in a very secure place, Why? Let me tell you.
To get hold of the Elsa, one has to drop Shozy an message on Facebook or Email them at [email protected]
ACCESSORIES and PACKAGING:
Hmm.. Shozy.. Why?
This is a $750 IEM, and the packaging is not different from their $100 IEM. Unboxing is very simple. The IEM along with the cable is placed inside the carry case. It’s the signature Shozy case with hexagonal design. Guys.. Make it a bit bigger maybe? This just fits the IEM. Accompanying the case are 2 set of tips with wide bore and narrow bores. The cable isn’t of the thicker type either. I liked the Blackhole cables, that wound have looked nice on this too.
CABLE:
Does this 4 core cable do the IEM justice? Aesthetically, No. This brown cable doesn’t really compliment the beautiful IEM. It’s a contrast but it doesn’t have anything fancy on it. It’s not the suppler type either. The braiding is tighter and is slightly on the bouncy side.
Sonically though I love the sound of this cable. It’s on par with the Penon Orbit giving the IEM enough freedom to express itself. Yes, if you spend around $360 you can get better cables but 8f you don’t have a budget like that, this cable is already very good to replace.
Effect Audio Cleopatra:
This IEM sounds soo good that I didn’t bother trying different cables but since the EA Cleopatra isn’t staying with me for long I thought let’s put it to use.
This pure silver cable is definitely something special. It’s a $699 cables afterall. I love the way it makes the Elsa sound bigger. Elsa now has a nearly 30% bigger stage in every direction with better air between instruments. It does make the notes feel a bit more weighty which may lead to a bit less crispiness but adds to the musical and cohesive side. A bit more meatier and throaty male vocals add extra character to the Elsa.
It doesn’t add to the sonics of the IEM. What it does is improve Elsa’s imaging and resolution with better layering and extra transparency with micro details and details inbetween notes.
BUILD:
Build quality of this IEM is exquisite. Made with resin this IEM is very sturdy and stable inside the ear. Initially I was unsure about it’s size but to my surprise this is smaller than most of the multi driver IEM I own. It has a less aggressive semi custom design, and the smaller size makes it very ergonomic. Fitting is splendid. And if you can get it custom shelled it will be even more delightful.
The only part of the Elsa which may look a bit off is the nozzle. Being a 3 way it has 3 bores giving it a slightly wider lip. Its a bit wider than the competition but isn’t as bad as the BGVP DM8. Having a longer nozzle helps a lot with comfort and stability.
Sound, comparison and conclusion on the next page.
