Co-Donguri – Tornado equalizer earphone
Co-Donguri Dawn Blue Earphone
Pros
- Light and Airy Non Fatiguing Signature
- Extremely good value with great fit
- Large Soundstage
Cons
- Slight veil over the Mid Range
- Treble a little sharp at times
Comparison
I had a set of Sony MH1s which a headfier from Italy by the name of Guido custom recabled , put memory wire on and sold to me at a similar price level to the Co-Donguri IEM. They are acknowledged as a fantastic sounding IEM for the price level. Guido with his recabling pushed them further. I now have now Custom Earsleeves on them , retailing at £130 , which pushes them to the point were there should be a no contest between the 2 . And yet….
The MH1’s did have a nicer warmth and substance to the bass, but the mids were more veiled than the Sky Blue’s. Treble and soundstage fared even worse between the 2 – the Sony’s sounded muddy and muffled and pulled in.
I was surprised to see the Sony’s winning in only 1 of the 3 departments.
It had , in effect, lost – Miserably. Japan ‘Co Donguri’ David – 2 – Japan ‘Sony MH1’ Goliath – 1.
Shock win from the under contender trained by Ocharaku.
Build
The build is a stylish one. The Sky Blue metal finish is elegant looking and this fires a shot across the bows of the heavier hitting cousins , the Flat4 range, which have no finish to them. The diminutive size of the driver shell means a lot more can be put into the ear. This allow for a good sense of isolation from outside noises although the Spinfits don’t isolate as well as Comply Foam Tips. So traffic noise will be picked up and train rumble etc. The music is enjoyable enough to take your mind off most of these mundane things whilst there is enough getting into your shellike to keep you away from those angry cars.
There is no hands free cable facility on these , something often found in IEMs at this price range , the most hotly contended end of the marketplace. It’s always welcome when it’s there , but it’s absent on the Co-Donguri.
These are durable enough that the website compels you to get out into the World and exercise with them. That’s always good. Music and fitness go hand in hand. Sweat and IEMs don’t always find themselves the best of companions.
Microphonics , caused by cable noise reverberating into the ears through the driver, is thankfully not present. This is due to the over the ears style of wearing the IEM. The cable is supported by the ear and not by the driver shell wearing it this way.
Conclusion
A great value offering from a company I really hope to spend more time with. I hope they make a leap onto the World Stage and I can say to everyone “I told you they were good”.
In the meantime a select few know the secret and can take advantage of a really nice inclusion into our Earphonia gallery.
Until we meet again , Mr Yoshida, thank you very much for your time.
