Onkyo ES-FC300 headset evaluation

Onkyo is a well-known audio brand from Japan, and is best known for its AV amplifiers and small stereos in the Chinese market. As the market for such products continues to shrink [the niche market is only a niche market], the "headphone" product line is almost launched. It is the most cost-effective reforming medicine for every traditional old-fashioned audio brand like Anqiao. Onkyo ES-FC300 is a headphone released by Anqiao in 2013. The official website of this headset is priced at RMB 1666. , online shopping licensed price is 1199 yuan.

The ES-FC300 is the flagship model in Onkyo's headsets, and the ES-CTI300, which is tens of dollars lower in price, seems to be consistent with the ES-FC300 in terms of appearance and parameters. It only adds support for iOS's remote control functions and connections. In addition to the ES series, Onkyo also released the corresponding IE series, for example, there is an IE-FC300 earphone, which is an in-ear type small earplug. ES-FC300 and IE-FC300, the product series are distinguished by prefix. This method is somewhat inconsistent with the general consumer habits. As a consumer electronics product, naming with such rules seems to cause some confusion for marketing and purchasing.

The ES-FC300 has a stylish, compact design and is available in three exterior colors. In addition to the purple version in our hands, there are also white and black models [black models with red headphone cable], from photos and Onkyo official website. The advertisement picture can feel the clear goal of Anqiao hope to enter the young user group through the earphone product line, and the strong metal texture and bright color matching are also in line with the jewelry style that the headphone "out of the street" needs in recent years.

The outer casing of the ES-FC300 has an aluminum metal casing with a very delicate oxidation process. Under the photo, the [flash] does not lose the metal texture, while the purple under natural light can also exhibit a soft metallic style. ES-FC300 The lower part of the head frame is adjustable in plastic. The outer layer of the plastic has a thin layer of "fleece paint" texture coating. It can increase the friction in the hand and bring a distinct touch. And the top of the head frame is wrapped with imitation leather material. It is worth mentioning that the purple color of each part of the purple ES-FC300 has good consistency, including earmuffs, ear pads, headstock, headphone cord, plug Wait, in our contact with a lot of color headphones or even the previous computer accessories, mobile phone accessories and other products, want to achieve the same color of each part is relatively high requirements.

Anqiao official data said that the ES-FC300 uses a 40mm titanium diaphragm speaker unit. The photo of the metal diaphragm can be seen from the photos we took. The ES-FC300 uses a closed design, while the closed design is designed to be full. The medium and low frequency of the whole earphone volume is relatively larger. The official said that the ES-FC300 uses a rear bass cavity to enhance the performance of the low frequency. The large size headphone of the metal diaphragm is rarely used in the recent evaluation of Soomal. Encounter, from the theoretical knowledge of the speaker speaker, the metal diaphragm is guaranteed by a sufficiently good process, its physical properties determine that it can achieve very good high frequency extension, and the forward transient performance. The characteristics of the diaphragm Also combined with the speaker design as a whole.

ES-FC300's ear pad thickness is relatively thick, and the elasticity of the sponge wrapped in the ear pad is slightly harder. These designs are not only related to wearing comfort, but also have a closer relationship with earphone sound design. ES-FC300 The maximum size of the headstock is large enough, and the pressure inward is also moderate when worn. If your head is not particularly large, the comfort of the ES-FC300 is still better [240g weight], but it is not particularly good.

In order to better evaluate this headset, we have over 400 hours of headset down. For the positioning of the headset itself, we use the mobile phone as the main reference source, use iPhone 5s, vivo Xplay and other mobile phones; use Monitor 06 MX sound card at the same time The headphone output is used as a reference for more advanced sources. Contrast headphones include AKG Q701, AKG K141MKII, Aurvana Live! 2, etc.

Overall impression : Although the impedance of this headset is 32 ohms, it can also get good results on mobile phones such as iPhone 5s. The overall sound shows good thickness and dynamics. This performance is better than Aurvana Live! H840 headphones are better dynamic and fuller. If you have enough experience, you can obviously feel that it is a closed earphone, perhaps because it is equipped with a titanium diaphragm, its sound tension is not even worse than that of an open earphone. The sound details are also very sleek, but it shows a special sound in the details of the whole sound.

High-frequency performance : The physical properties of the metal diaphragm determine the higher frequency extension of the speaker, which is not surprisingly resolving on the ES-FC300, but rather a very transient transient performance under loud pressure. The performance of the metal diaphragm speaker on the speaker has the same trend. The high frequency of the ES-FC300 has a good resolution, the whole sound is very smooth, even in the explosive percussion it shows better. Analytical power. In the transient performance of the speaker can be divided into "front and back" two parts, which is very easy to understand, the transient performance of a vibration is the beginning, the moment when the vibration is about to stop is the delay transient The metal diaphragm has excellent characteristics in the "pre-delay" transient, while the post-delay is very poor [the opposite of the paper cone].

ES-FC300 high frequency can show good dynamic and sound density even on mobile phones. It has good control under large dynamic and loud sound, and it can reflect its resolution under the sound source of 06 MX. Transient advantage, compared with the Q701, the dynamics and density of the ES-FC300 do not occupy the disadvantage, just because the metal diaphragm is "received" too fast, the details are quite special, in general, it can be considered that the sound is not stretched enough, but There is no feeling of cognac and restraint, but a relatively sleek, slightly cautious voice. But compared with the Aurvana Live!2 headphones, its density and dynamic advantages are quite obvious. In the stringed instruments, wind instruments In terms of performance, the sound is very clean, bright, tensioned, and energetic. There is almost no hairiness or sharpness. It just lacks the details that stretch the sound.

IF performance : ES-FC300 is not a hard-to-drive headset, but it is a little powerless when it comes to the IF part with the iPhone 5s. Its IF features and disadvantages are similar to the high-frequency part, the sound dynamics and thickness are sufficient, but not enough stretch However, the intermediate frequency is not stretched enough, especially in terms of vocal performance, which will bring about a very different style difference.

The vocal performance of the ES-FC300 is still much thicker than that of the H840, and it is slightly better than Live!2. Compared with the AKG Q701 or K141MKII, the metal diaphragm is too "clean" transient. Too straightforward, as if the space for singer recordings has been reduced, for those who often sing K songs, we can simply think that the reverberation of sound effects seems to be reduced. For some fast-paced pop songs, this The change has little effect, or just different styles of performance [compared to Aurvana Live!2, AKG K141MKII, etc.], but if used to appreciate some thick, soft sounds, such as Tsai Chin? The sound of ES-FC300 Then the convergence has changed.

The lack of vocal performance is more obvious in the source of mobile phones, and there will be a significant improvement in the audio source such as 06 MX. In the performance of instrumental music and electronic music, the problem that ES-FC300 is not stretched is not so bad. Hearing. It has a good transient, especially in the big dynamics, the middle frequency and the middle and high frequency parts are more balanced, the sound is relatively clean. However, there are already obvious closed headphones, the sound is not stretched. open.

Low-frequency performance : The ES-FC300 uses a closed design and the officially described rear bass cavity to enhance low-frequency performance. The overall performance is satisfactory. Compared to the open design, the ES-FC300's low frequency is not so slack, but It also shows a relatively balanced performance. It is rare that under the sound source of 06 MX, the low frequency has a relatively good resolution at a low dive frequency. If a better amp is used, the low frequency of the ES-FC300 can also be expressed. It is more imposing. This is similar to some excellent closed-type headphones low-frequency style. On the one hand, it has good transient and resolving power, on the other hand, it may need a relatively stronger amp and there will be no small improvement. If the low-frequency performance of the ES-FC300 is not good enough, on the one hand, its style seems to modify the taste slightly, the sound is very smooth and elastic, and the performance is probably an advantage in electronic music, but in the unplugged instrument. In the performance, it is somewhat sleek. If it can be stretched more, I am afraid that it is not a thousand-level headphone positioning... And the low-frequency advantage of the ES-FC300 is still a relatively balanced performance and a good resolving power under big dynamics.

to sum up

The overall sound style of Onkyo ES-FC300 is elegant and restrained. The titanium diaphragm and closed design make the sound of ES-FC300 more sleek in all aspects, and its tuning style is more balanced, even if it is used. The metal diaphragm does not pull up the high frequency. The diaphragm and structure of the ES-FC300 give it a full advantage of the transient advantages, especially in the mid-high frequency and high frequency as well as the lower low-frequency part. The resolution and transient sound have certain characteristics. It also has a higher quality. And its entire sound performance has good dynamics and good dynamic sound level even under the mobile phone sound source. It may be a surprise under some big dynamic music. Of course, more A good sound source can better express the level of ES-FC300. The performance of vocals may be a relatively obvious shortcoming of ES-FC300, or a more picky side. Its vocal performance seems to be too "clean", the sound is not When I got it, I took it back and it took me back. It affected the feelings and stretch of the sound. Although the price of this headset is about 1200 yuan, it does not show a very high price/performance ratio, but it is still a sign model of the earphone product line of Anqiao. There is a technical content.