Simgot EA500 LM IEM Review – Added Life For Those Short On Years

INTRO

Simgot EA500 LM is a second generation improvement to the EA500. Simgot is a brand that stays out of the limelight but they have had some honorable IEM’s in the past. My first virgin encounter was an introduction by Loomis to the EN700 Bass.

I was impressed enough back in the day to purchase the current iteration called the EN700 Pro, which was a more balanced model with improved treble clarity. The EM2 also was a good mid tier offering with a forward mid-range that was typical of the time-frame.

But enough about the past, The Simgot EA500 LM at $89 is current news, with some hiccups. One of my favorites in this price bracket was the Moondrop May ($65) with built in DAC and the Truthears Hexa ($79), both tough competition. With a standard Harman curve, it has the makings of a strong finish, but I am not sure it will be exciting enough to draw a crowd.

PACKAGE CONTENTS

The Simgot EA500 LM comes with tuning nozzles, and two types of ear-tips that are similar to what was found on Simgot EN700. While they are a step above generic, they are rather flexible. I found that insertion into my ears had to be gentle, or the seal collapsed. The nozzle is long so the stems should be shorter on the ear-tips, or the ear-tips need to be firmer in my experience. I settled on the brass red tuning nozzles for the majority of listening.

The zippered carrying case is of the larger variety with the oval shape more conducive to sliding into pockets. The cable has a striking quality with the black and off yellow appearance.  The Simgot EA500 LM metal shell is smooth, comfortable and isolating.

SOUND

Tested with LG G8 with Shanling UA3 (warmer source), Truthear SHIO and PC with SMSL DO400.

The Simgot EA500 LM elevated bass peak is centered in the midbass section, with sub bass rolling off. The target curve is Harman 2019 or their Simgot Golden 2023 curve. It is not particularly punchy even given the peak center, but much softer and blunter. A very bookshelf speaker type of tuning. It can sometimes exhibit some pumping, as if the lower bass is behind in the impact. Highly recommend a solid DAC dongle or amp to increase control.

Midrange falls into recession classification while sounding rather clean, with male vocals presenting some thicker warmer tonality. Female vocals have a slight ringing in the upper registers. I am not picking up much depth in this area, it sounds somewhat lifeless.  The Truthears Hexa on the other hand offers some spaciousness that gives vocals and midrange more dimension and layering.

In two thirds of the spectrum it feels mostly over-damped and mellows out things that should have more energy, but then we get to the treble. Extra fuzz on the Simgot EA500 LM treble causes it  to feel somewhat electrified and always waiting for it to cut loose. Reproducing cymbals and shakers sounds very rough edged, grainy and coarse. Based on our review of the EA500, the EA500 LM did not fix this area, or the EA500 was even worse.

There is a peak in the upper treble region somewhere around 12-14khz that is accentuating it, normally measurements are suspect above 10kz, but in this case I believe the peak is real and adjusting EQ around this point make sit more manageable.

The Simgot EA500 LM tends to come forward in the treble, and then we also still lose the last octave. The black nozzles with their extra foam does tame it slightly and makes it more listenable, but it does not solve it completely. I suspect maybe it is driver breakup.

Compared to their wonderfully balanced EN700 Pro, the EA500 LM lacks refinement in clarity. The reason I prefer the EN700 pro is that the treble is rather sweet and delicate and well balanced with the leaner bass. The EA500 LM provides more warmth in the upper bass but with a slightly off-putting peak in the treble that messes with the timbre.

While the Simgot EN700 Pro still has a recessed midrange, the layering is stronger and there is some width present with the overall stage sitting further behind than what is presented with the EA500LM. While the Simgot EN700 Pro was launched with a price tag double that of the EA500 LM, years later it still feels like a better value.

The Truthear Hexa has slightly leaner midbass, but overall the bass is also quicker, tighter and articulated better than the EA500 LM. To be fair the Hexa is also a hybrid driver, so the dynamic does not have to do all the work. The Hexa also delivers more depth and width and less congestion. It’s hard to find something that the Simgot EA500 LM does better than the Hexa. 

THE FINISH

I was really hoping for a better iteration from the Simgot EA500 LM, but unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. They are not alone in this price bracket, there have been plenty of less than stellar recommendations in what some brands might consider entry level.

The build quality is great, the accessory package is good, tuning shows promise, but the edginess in the treble becomes tiring while also missing an opportunity to clarify the presentation. For older ears maybe the peak is welcomed, but for me it does not bode well.

On less complex music it can sound fine, but I have slightly higher expectations at $89. The tuning is reminiscent of early KZ and similar tuning. I recommend saving up a bit more and going for their older EN700 Pro keeping in mind the slightly leaner bass, or if there is no room for extra budget the Truthears Hexa is still a solid pick. The Simgot EA500 LM is not a bad earphone, but I think after the new model syndrome wears off you might be looking for the next fix.

Disclaimer: I thank Linsoul for providing them at zero cost, and reminding me to enjoy what I already have in life.

SIMGOT EA500 LM SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver Type: DMDC 2nd Gen (Dual Magnet Dual Cavity) 10mm Dynamic Lithium Magnesium
• Impedance: 21 Ohm +/- 15%
• Sensitivity: 123dB/124dB @1KHz
• Frequency Response: 10-50Khz
• Cable: 2 pin 0.78 high purity silver plated OFC wires

GRAPHS

• Left vs Right
• Nozzle Tuning Changes
• Simgot EA500LM vs Simgot EN700 Pro vs Truthears Hexa

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DISCLAIMER

Get it from the Shenzhenaudio Store.

Our generic standard disclaimer.

About my measurements.