Introduction –
Hong-Kong/China-based audio manufacturer Shozy has formed a loyal cult following with their classic sound tuning and daring designs. They’ve been pushing boundaries recently with the release of the POLA, their latest collaboration with AAW and one of the first in-ear earphones to sport electro-static drivers. Though it is no longer alone with contenders from Jomo, Fitear and NF Audio on the horizon, the POLA will likely be the cheapest with an estimated RRP of $750 USD. Let’s take a closer look!
New Design –
The POLA releasing today at Canjam Shanghai is the 4th version of many iterations and a completely different beast from initial units displayed in early 2018. It has a new housing design that’s compact and ergonomically formed. In addition, the earphone now comes with a custom cable featuring Neotech wires (not pictured). Custom options will be available at a later date.
A Short History –
Sonically, the innards of the POLA have gone through multiple revisions too. Shozy worked with various driver setups, 2, 3 and 4-BA to complement the ES tweeters. However, ultimately BA drivers proved challenging to implement due to a mismatch between their sensitivity and the insensitive ES tweeters that require a step-up transformer. The BA drivers required heavy damping which compromised efficiency and fidelity. Ultimately, Shozy settled on a massive 13mm graphene dynamic driver that matches the character of the ES driver, that Shozy claims to effectively provide excellent end to end extension free of obtrusive peaks and troughs. The POLA is stated to carry a slightly darker sound with pronounced vocals and a focus on dynamics.
Look forward to initial user impressions from Canjam and a full review on THL soon!
