Reviewed May 2013
Details: Enhanced-bass version of VSonic’s GR07 mkII
MSRP: est. $179
Current Price: $129 from amazon.com / $129 from ebay.com
Specs: Driver: Dynamic | Imp: 40Ω | Sens: 105 dB | Freq: 5-22k Hz | Cable: 4.3’ L-plug
Nozzle Size: 4mm | Preferred tips: Stock single-flanges; MEElec A151 single-flanges
Wear Style: Over-the-ear
Accessories (4/5) – Single-flange (3 sizes), Hybrid-style (10 sizes), and bi-flange silicone tips, foam tips, over-the-ear cable guides, and soft carrying pouch
Build Quality (4/5) – The build of the new GR07s matches the original quite closely, with similar housings and other hardware. The housings are designed for over-the-ear wear and feature adjustable-angle metal nozzles. The cord is a little bit softer but otherwise very similar to the original GR07 cable
Isolation (3.5/5) – Reasonably good for a dynamic-driver earphone
Microphonics (4.5/5) – Cable noise is very low as the GR07 can only be worn in the over-the-ear configuration. Although there is no shirt clip in the accessory pack, the cable cinch and ear guides can be used to fix the cord in place better
Comfort (4.5/5) – The earphone uses fairly large 11mm drivers but the lightweight, over-the-ear style housings actually work very well for prolonged listening with their slim profile, rounded edges, and adjustable-angle nozzles
Sound (9.1/10) – It’s been more than two years since the release of VSonic’s original dynamic-driver flagship, and yet the aging GR07 is still a standard I hold all new dynamic-driver earphones against. I skipped over the second revision of the GR07 – the GR07 mkII – which is said to remain very true to the sound of the original with some minor tweaks here and there. The GR07 Bass Edition, however, turned out to be different enough to check out.
The Bass Edition is advertised as having – surprise, surprise – more bass than the vanilla GR07. Comparing the Bass Edition to my two-year-old mkI GR07 unit presents far more similarities than differences, but the BE definitely does put more weight on the low end. Bass depth is good but the most noticeable change comes from the increased presence in the mid-bass region, which gives the BE a somewhat fuller, more impactful bass presentation. It still won’t do for proper bassheads, but those who found the original GR07 lacking slightly in the bass department but pleasant otherwise will be thrilled.
The midrange of the BE is very similar to that of the original GR07 – what differences there are all stem from the more prominent bass, which upsets the bass-midrange balance slightly in favor of the low end and makes the midrange sound a touch more recessed. Aside from that, it’s still the good old GR07 – clear, detailed, and open-sounding. Compared to the less expensive GR06, the GR07 BE very obviously sounds clearer, more natural, and less congested despite the greater bass presence.
Moving up into the treble, the GR07 BE again offers the familiar combination of energy and resolution. It’s very similar to my old GR07 here except a touch less sibilant, which is said to be the case for the GR07 mkII as well. The treble is still not as smooth as, for example, that of the Philips Fidelio S1 and S2 earphones but it’s definitely tolerable. The presentation, likewise, is largely unchanged compared to the original GR07, boasting good width and average depth for a spacious sound that is more distant compared to many other dynamic-driver earphones. As expected, instrumental separation is still good and the GR07 BE still provides crisp and detailed sound without sounding “analytical”.
Value (9.5/10) – While it does not deviate from the feature set of the original GR07, the VSonic GR07 Bass Edition does deliver exactly what it promises – the clear, detailed sound of the popular GR07 with a bump in bass quantity. The bass boost is nothing drastic – bassheads will still find the GR07 BE lacking and fans of more balanced sound still won’t be offended by it. On balance, the more consumer-friendly signature is an asset precisely because the difference is mild enough to retain the strengths of the still-popular GR07. Those seeking a direct upgrade from the GR07 should look elsewhere but for everyone else the GR07 BE is among the most capable sets in its price range.
Pros: A slightly more consumer-friendly take on the familiar GR07 sound; same fit, design, and functionality
Cons: Mildly sibilant on some tracks
130 Responses
Your description makes the R6 sound like their old S4, in which case I’d go with the MA750 to get the extra soundstage and smoother, more natural sound.
So after reading what i feel about the r6i what do you think would be better for me?
The Titan 1 has bass quantity similar to the GR07, so it would be also an odd choice if you’re worried that the significantly more bass-heavy MA750 or AD01 may not have enough bass for you. The DN-1000 is fairly v-shaped, comparable to the MA750 in bass quantity but also brighter and not as smooth. Great combination of clarity and bass but I probably wouldn’t risk it if I didn’t know for sure that I liked a v-shaped sound.
Ignore my last comment the dunus both went
I would recommend the RHA MA750 (more balanced sound, a little less isolation) or Yamaha EPH-100 (bassier/warmer sound, bit better isolation). Definitely not the GR07 as it can be a little harsh/sibilant.
Found out that the dunu titan 1 and dunu 1000 are around the same price as the ad01 and rha 750. So once again do you think the dunus will suit my likings?
One thing for sure is that the Klipsch have a punchy bass which i seem to like alot, however, these seem to sound very bad with acoustic music, as the clarity and sound stage isnt quite there. These are all my views and i might be wrong since its a long time since i listened to em. I would like to have around the same quantity of bass and of course not sacrificing to much of the mids and making the vocals sound muddy. I have also heard that some people found the 750s to be lacking in bass is that true? Once again thank you so much!!
Hi, I just wanted to say that I hate analytic sound, which doesn’t please my ears. But I do love the details. A little warm sound, with clear mids and highs that doesn’t feel harsh to my ears would be my choice. At least somewhat good isolation is important.
budget~(50-150). [being a student, it’s hard to go further 🙂 ]
what would be your recommendation?
thanks in advance!
GR07 (even the BE) is not really the answer if you want anything approaching the bass boost of a Piston 2. However, keep in mind that the bass enhancement is one of the reasons you aren’t getting the mids coming through very strong in the Piston 2, so it may be worthwhile to give up some of that bass quantity for a more prominent midrange. Still, GR07 also differs from the Piston 2 in other ways that make it difficult to consider it a direct upgrade from the Pistons – it is not nearly as smooth, for example, and doesn’t have the warm tone of the Xiaomi.
I want to say the MA750 from RHA would be a better option than the GR07 BE – it’s a little warmer in tone and more similar to the Piston 2 in terms of bass quantity, but with a better bass-midrange balance overall. It does still have more upper midrange than the Piston 2, but the overall effect on sound isn’t as great as with GR07. It’s something of a middle ground between the Piston 2 and GR07 BE, if that makes sense.
I’d probably go with the MA750 all things considered. It would help to know what your Klipsch sounds like to be more certain but generally speaking the MA750 is an extremely versatile IEM with very “likable” sound signature. Isolation is good for everyday use, maybe a little lacking for in-flight wear.
Hi, fell in love with piston 2, but.. Actually I am looking for an upgrade. I felt like I’m missing a lot of mids. So my sweet dream is better mids, bigger soundstage, with better /same amount of bass (punchy, not boomy) :p
Forgot to mention that i will need decent isolation as i want to block out most of the sound and listen to my music when i travel and study. Once again thank you for your hardwork on this site and the replies 🙂
So deciding question.. if i were to increase my budget by abit and get the RHA MA750 will it be a very big difference to the ad01? Also open to any recommendations as im an amatuer and not sure of what sound signature i like yet. Cheers man!
Sure, I recommend the MA750 all the time. Usually when I get requests for warmer/bassier IEMs, as you said, but it does work quite well for EDM in my opinion. It’s significantly less neutral than the GR07 BE, but not sure where it falls in relation to the R6i.
Would you recommend the rha 750? Seen you saying that this is a good pair of bass enhanced iems as well
It’s the usual tradeoff – AD01 has a little more bass and less clarity, GR07 BE the opposite.
I’m not familiar with the R6i but based on my experience with other Klipsch IEMs I’d say there’s a good chance that both the AD01 and GR07 BE are somewhat light on bass in comparison. This would make the AD01 the middle point/compromise and the “safer” choice of the two, if that makes sense. This is based on a generalization and my gut feel, but I do also think the AD01 works well for your genres.
A little background of myself, I usually listen to the billboard 100’s ,edm and some acoustic music. I am also an amatuer and this will be my second pair of iems. The first pair i had was the r6i and i quite liked it but i lost em 🙁 . Im open to suggestions and would like you to recommend some to me(doesnt have to be similar to the r6i). Best if it is $100 and below however, if the difference if huge and it is a better bang for the buck, i dont mind paying a little extra. Once again thank you!
Hi joker! Been lurking around here for awhile and was wondering how does this compare to the ad01 in terms of bass reponse and clarity?
Which would you recommend me if i want both good bass and clarity? Thanks!!
It’s the one I’d get. Or the regular GR07.
so, as a fan of a heavy music (metalcore-like genres) i should stick up ti a gr07 bass as I can see?
Listened to it briefly so far, I still prefer the GR07 BE. It has more of a deep bass focus while the VSD5 seems to be a little more mid-bass oriented. Overall bass depth is better on the BE and the high end is a little less energetic compared to the VSD5.
Hey, have you listened to VSD5? How do they compare against GR07 Bass Edition?
Wow, the FLC8 look like a fantastic upgrade.
Thank you for the reply and the review!
Having been asked this a couple of times, I’ve recently decided that the FLC Technologies FLC8 is probably the best bet for the moment: https://theheadphonelist.com/headphone-list/#comment-118366 . Your question throws in the bass level of the GR07 BE (usually people are coming from a regular GR07), but in this case that doesn’t change my answer.
Someone actually purchased the FLC8 as a GR07 upgrade recently and posted some feedback here: https://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/flc-technology-flc8/#comment-118422 . Not sure which bass configuration was used there but they can beat the GR07 BE in overall bass emphasis with the bass ports.
Hey Joker,
I’m looking for a direct upgrade to the GR07 Bass Edition.
I thought about side grading with an RHA IEM or similar but I like almost everything about the GR07 (I would prefer a little more bass) so I decided an upgrade would be a better idea.
As a side note, I much prefer listening to them with the biflange tips and the others tips (foams/hybrids/single) didn’t feel as good.
Do you have any recommendations for a worthwhile upgrade? I’m interested primarily in universals, but customs are not out of the question.
From personal experience, the NAD Viso HP50 is essentially a full-size equivalent of the GR07 BE in terms of sound signature. From extrapolation using the graphs and reviews at Innerfidelity, I can predict that the Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 would be a good full-size equivalent of the regular GR07. If you need a full-size open back can, the Philips Fidelio X2 would be the equivalent of the GR07 BE.
Thanks for your opinion. I’ll check them out.
I don’t have any experience with those cans, unfortunately. I am a fan of the Fidelio L2 but those are open-back and rather bulky. I guess out of what I’ve tried the AKG K551 would be decent as a semi-portable, closed-back, full-size GR07 match, but there are probably newer and better options.
Thanks, but I forgot to tell you that I’d prefer a low impedance headphone for easy use with portable devices. And my budget is around $250. I’ve read on Head Fi that Fidelio X2, HE-400i and AKG K712 might be closest matches. What do you think?
http://www.head-fi.org/t/751802/over-ear-similar-to-the-gr07-be
I haven’t tried many of the newest full-size cans on the market but my usual answer to this is the classic Beyerdynamic DT880/600. Very nice cans that have many of the same strengths as the GR07 – linear but definitely not underpowered bass, crisp and prominent treble, good clarity, near-neutral tonality, etc.
Hi. Could you recommend some full-size headphones with the same sound signature as the Gr07 / Gr07 BE? I love the Gr07, but also want more soundstage of a full size and avoid the hassle of having to find the right ear tips.
Just to add to this. I’ve used my Sony hybrid and regular tips (they’re more isolating) and they work wonders with the GR07 tips. My $0.02
If you really enjoy the VSD3S’s sound signature, the GR07 BE is pretty much you only option for an upgrade in this price bracket. As you’re expecting it’s not a huge upgrade, but then the VSD3S is so good already that nothing will be.
If, on the other hand, there are some things about the VSD3S’s tuning you’d want to change significantly (e.g. more bass, smoother treble etc), there may be better options out there for you than the GR07 BE.
If you already have vsd3s would you say it’s worth the $120 to upgrade to the gr07 or buy something else because you said there really isn’t a night and day difference
Sure, there’s an A:B comparison between the GR07 and VSD3S in my VSD3S review here: https://theheadphonelist.com/brief-impressions-vsonic-vsd3s-ostry-kc06-havi-b3-pro/
yous said the vsd3s sounds like the gr07 can you explain the difference and how they sound alike
Aftermarket tips on the GR07s have always been a bit of a challenge to me because the nozzle, with that sharp “lip”, is sort of in between sizes. I cannibalized the tips from my meelectronics A151 (which are sized for a smaller nozzle, but stretchy). Even though they are still silicone, they gave me a better seal than the stock tips.
You can also find some tips on ebay that are advertised as foams that fit the GR07: http://ebay.to/1KKbazw . Haven’t tried these myself but they look similar to the stock foam tips, which are decent enough.
One last thing I can recommend is throwing this question up in one of the long GR07 threads on Head-Fi to see what else people have found that fits and is easy to get your hands on.
Hi joker!
I am moving my questions to this thread since they didn’t make much sense in the RE-400 thread 🙂
So as you know I purchased the GR07 BE in China and I’m very happy with them. However, they did not come with any of the hybrid tips. I’m having difficulty getting a consistent seal with the supplied tips.
What tips would you recommend I look for to improve the seal and sound quality?
The MA750i is a significantly warmer and bassier earphone. I compared it to the bass edition of the GR07 in my original review: https://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/rha-ma750-ma750i/
Hello again 🙂
About warranty, I bought the gr07 from ebay and I did not know who to turn to for help about my gr07, but it to late for me because my warranty canceled because I tried to fix my gr07.
Someone else suggest to buy MA750i- what do you think about them ?
My music style : house, house progressive (avicii, axwell….)
Thankss!
Warranty?
Besides other versions of the GR07 and the other VSonic models (VSD3S, etc), the closest thing for GR07-like sound in that price range is probably the Philips Fidelio S2. Very different form factor on those, though – large housings, shallower cable-down fit, flat cable, etc.
Hi joker,
I have vsonic gr07, their sound quality are amazing !,
but after 4 month they broken :(,
So I am looking for new headphones that their sound quality are very good like GR07,
my budget is 150$, So what do you suggest me?
No, unfortunately I haven’t tried those two.
I’ve read a ton of your reviews, and I’ve decided to get an entry level pair of IEMs – I decided to hang up my cans, as they’re huge, and unwieldy on the daily commute.
Based on what everyone has said, the GR07BE seems like a great choice, but I was also told to consider the ATHIM70 and ATHIM02 – would you happen to have any experience with the latter 2, and if so, how do they compare with the GR07BE?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks. Didn’t even know there was a price difference
Yeah, these should do it, especially if you want that over-the-ear in-ear monitor form factor. Normally I’d recommend the GR07 Classic for stage/studio use because it’s less expensive and even more accurate, but the difference in clarity is negligible so if you’d rather have the bit of extra bass and don’t mind paying a few bucks extra, by all means go for the Bass Edition.
Joker would u recommend the gr07 or gr07be for drummers iem? Monitoring Drums, click, and band. I purchased a pair of ma750i and the midrange has no clarity. Or any other iems in the $150 range.
Unfortunately I don’t have an IE2. I have tried the old Bose IE and it had a significantly different sound from the GR07 – warmer, smoother, and generally not as crisp and clear.
The IE2 has a pretty unique form factor – vented and what we call “half in-ear” so it may help to consider a more similar model for your upgrade. The Philips Fidelio S2 has comparable sound to the GR07 BE but has a form factor more similar to your Bose, so it may be worth looking into.
Joker, could you please compare VSonic GR07 BE with Bose IE2? Actually I am using these Bose headphones from a long time and I really love its sound. But now I want to purchase another headphone with similar sound stage. Please help me to find one earphone with similar sound stage like bose. Thanks in advance.
The new GR07 Classic doesn’t really sound worse than the original GR07, so I don’t think there’s much to this rumor.
Impressions here: https://theheadphonelist.com/brief-impressions-vsonic-gr07-classic-plus-warning/