Yinyoo Ash Review
The Yinyoo Ash is a hybrid in-ear monitor (1 dynamic driver + 1 balanced armature per side). The Ash retails for about $21 at the MissAudio Store on Aliexpress. The Ash was provided to me by MissAudio in exchange for a fair and objective review.
SOURCES:
I have used the Yinyoo Ash with the following sources:
Windows 10 PC > JDS Labs The Element > Yinyoo Ash
Pixel 3 > Fiio BTR1K (Bluetooth Apt-X) > Yinyoo Ash
Windows 10 PC > Fiio BTR1K (USB-DAC) > Yinyoo Ash
Pixel 3 > Apple USB-C to 3.5mm dongle > Yinyoo Ash
I have tested these headphones with local FLAC, Spotify Premium, and Amazon Music HD. Visit my last.fm page to get an idea of what I listen to.
PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:
The Yinyoo Ash comes in a rectangular white box. The Ash is pictured on the front of the box, and technical specifications for the Ash are given on the back in Chinese and English. Yinyoo’s contact information is also provided on the back, and The IEMs are held in a black foam mounting sheet. A .78mm 2-pin cable and 3 pairs of silicone eartips (S, M, L) are included with the Ash.
BUILD QUALITY / DESIGN:
The Yinyoo Ash sports 3D printed resin driver housings with a semi-custom fit. The inner faces of the housings have L/R indicators printed in white, along with text reading “RESIN 3D PRINTING.” The pearlescent faceplates have metallic Yinyoo markings. The nozzle is polished metal with a substantial lip for securing eartips and separate sound bores for the dynamic driver and the balanced armature. The housings do not appear to be vented, but I did not experience any driver flex with the Ash.
The CIEM-style 2-pin connectors are flush-fitting and are marked with red and blue dots to indicate left and right. The braided cable has pre-formed ear-guides without memory wire. The cable is not tangle-prone. There is no chin-adjustment choker. There is strain-relief above the 3.5mm jack but none at the Y-split.
COMFORT / FIT / ISOLATION:
The Yinyoo Ash is intended to be worn cable-up only. Comfort and secureness of fit are exceptional. The nozzles provide a deep enough insertion depth to facilitate a good seal with the stock eartips. Isolation is well above average.
SOUND:
The Yinyoo Ash has a V-shaped tuning dominated by bass and presence.
The Ash has excellent sub-bass extension. The sub-bass is just as prominent as the mid-bass. There is quite a bit of mid-bass bleed into the lower midrange. There is a distracting amount of rumble. The amount of slam is slightly less overwhelming. The bass has average speed, above-average articulation, good resolution, and limited texture.
The lower midrange is recessed, though both male and female vocal intelligibility are good. Male vocals sound thin and dry. Female vocals are a hair more forward than male vocals. There is too much presence and a lot of sibilance. Overall timbre is surprisingly realistic.
The treble trades smoothness for impressive detail retrieval. There is abundant sparkle and a good amount of air. Transients are fast and clean. Soundstage is average. Imaging is rudimentary. Instrument separation is above average.
EQ:
The Yinyoo Ash benefits from the following EQ settings, which greatly reduce sibilance:
MEASUREMENTS:
My measurements were conducted with a Dayton iMM-6 microphone using a vinyl tubing coupler and a calibrated USB sound interface. The measurements use a compensation file derived from relating my raw measurements to published measurements from Crinacle and Antdroid. The measurements are presented with 1/24th smoothing. The magnitude of the valley around 7k is a coupler artifact. There is a resonant peak around 8k. Measurements above 10k are not reliable.
AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SOURCE PAIRING:
The Yinyoo Ash can easily be driven to comfortable listening volumes with a smartphone or dongle. They do not hiss.
COMPARISONS:
Yinyoo Ash vs Nicehck DB3
The Nicehck DB3 is another 1DD/1BA low-budget hybrid. The Ash has better bass resolution. Although the DB3 has less mid-bass bleed than the DB3, the Ash deconflicts male vocals and lower midrange instruments more easily. The DB3 has a more even, less sibilant upper midrange than the Ash. The DB3 has less air and presence than the Ash, but the overall treble presentation is harsher. The Ash has better detail retrieval. The Ash is less prone to hiss. The DB3 has a larger soundstage. The Ash has a more realistic timbre throughout its frequency response. The DB3 comes with a carry bag and a wider variety of eartips.
Yinyoo Ash vs Blon BL-03
The Blon BL-03 uses a single dynamic driver with a diamond-like carbon diaphragm. The BL-03’s bass response is much more restrained, with more of a mid-bass emphasis. The BL-03’s bass has greater texture. The BL-03 has a less strident upper midrange with much less presence. The BL-03 has a smoother treble presentation with less air. The BL-03 has a more natural timbre. The BL-03 has a larger soundstage. The BL-03 has more premium packaging and includes a carry bag.
CLOSING WORDS:
The Yinyoo Ash is an extremely comfortable, highly isolating IEM with more realistic timbre than many other IEMs around its price point. However, it is far too bassy out of the box for analytical listening and needs EQ to correct its sibilant upper midrange.
