EPZ X-Tipsy Star One
Intro
Hello friends, today I am reviewing the EPZ X Tipsy Star One from a collaboration effort between the very talented audio brands EPZ & Tipsy. The Star One is a single dynamic driver earphone with a great build and a slick look. The Star One will cost roughly $84 to $89 US which is a very tough price range to compete in. Something tells me that EPZ isn’t too worried.
EPZ / Tipsy
To be entirely honest, I’ve become sort of a fan of EPZ over the last year or so as I was able to spend quality time with a couple fantastic budget priced iems. Namely the EPZ G10 (G10 Review), and the EPZ Q5 (Q5 Review). Both iems “were” and still “are” close to top class (sonically) in their price segments and each was far better than I had anticipated. I also have a pending review on the EPZ Q1 Pro which I’m excited to get at. Beyond that, EPZ has a number of sets that I haven’t heard but would love to check out.
At any rate, EPZ is located in Shenzen China, the original company was actually founded way back in 2008! That took me by surprise. They specialize in R&D, 3D Resin printing of both universal and custom high-res earphones & true wireless, among other ventures and specialties. Apparently, they have their own independent R&D team and production towards micro-speakers, military earphones, and work closely with many well-known brands for production, supplying finished designs as well as acoustic components. Their team has many years under their belt and expertise in acoustic structure, acoustic device selection, calibration and tuning as well.
EPZ is formed…
However, it wasn’t until 2019 that the audio brand “EPZ” was actually founded & established. Since then, they have been really doing a fantastic job by the looks of their website in creating unique designs as well as some very well done universal iems. All seem to be 3D printed, gorgeous, and very well-tuned. This is a very condensed view of EPZ but from all that I know about them I couldn’t be more impressed.
As far as Tipsy, I know much less about them. I also don’t see much info about them other than they’ve crafted some unique and pretty well sold iems themselves. Sets like Tipsy Dunmer, Dunmer Pro, TTromso, as well as a few others.
Now that the introduction is complete, I’m ready to begin really listening to this set. I have burned the Star One in for many hours and it’s ready to go. So, with that, the EPZ X-Tipsy Star One everyone…
Purchase Links
Star One Pros
-Absolutely gorgeous design
-Build Quality is very well done
-Well balanced sound with good energy
-Black background
-Nicely organic sounding tone & timbre
-Deep sub-bass rumble
-Tight & controlled bass region
-Energetic & forward sounding midrange
-Very transparent sounding midrange with good texture
-Clean, controlled treble
-Well detailed with nice imaging
-Soundstage has good depth
-Noise isolation is great
Star One Cons
-Price in comparison to their lower offerings (maybe)
-Accessories aren’t the greatest
-Mid-bass could use some added brunt
-Midrange may too far forward & energetic for some
-Treble region could use some air
-May need to turn down the volume
-Some possible shout with the upper-mids emphasis
Gear used for testing
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
The Star One came to me in a smaller black box with a small graphic of what appears to be sound waves as well as a sticker listing the name and some highlights of the Star One. Once you open the box you are met with the Star One in all its glory attached to its cable and sitting in foam cut-outs. Under the foam you’ll find the carrying pouch as well as the eartips. Nothing too fancy here as I’m sure EPZ was trying to keep costs down to accommodate the pocketbooks of us consumers. Not much more to say about that other than, I did notice that the much less expensive EPZ G10 (G10 Review) did come with much better accessories so, for what it’s worth it did surprise me a little. However, I don’t know the ins & outs of the business side of things and I’m sure they had a reason for this.
Eartips
EPZ/Tipsey added into the packaging three pairs (S, M, L) of white silicone eartips. These eartips have a semi-wide bore with a semi-firm flange as well as a stiff stem. They appear close to the KBear 07 tips, only I didn’t find this set to be as rigid as the 07’s. So, of course I felt it best to tip roll to a copycat type of tips reminiscent of the 07’s (I have no idea where I got them). I found that this set simply sealed a bit better for my ears than most any other set of tips. I don’t think it is a requirement to tip-roll, especially if you can get a good seal. They are nice tips, but I would’ve liked to see a bit more options in this regard.
Carrying pouch
EPZ & Tipsy added in a smaller carrying pouch rather than a hard case which you may like, or not like depending on how you transport your gear. To be honest, I like pouches more than anything else because more often than not they are pocketable. I rarely use a hard case just because my front pocket looks a little bit ridiculous with one stuffed in it. However, a pouch I’ll do. Any other time I’m carrying a larger case which I throw into my bookbag with many sets. This pouch is a smaller pouch, probably just large enough for your earphones & cable. It is a soft gray fabric pouch which feels almost like polyester if I were to guess. At any rate, they didn’t have to add anything into the packaging and so I’ll take what I can get. Not bad.
Cable
The cable that comes with the Star One is a decent one. No doubt very light and thin and so it won’t pull on your earphones when in your ears. I think this cable is probably more functional than anything. It’s a budget cable, nothing special, but it does the job it was created to do just fine. This is a white, slender, QDC style 2-Pin 3.5 single-ended, silver plated OFC copper cable. For any 3.5 single ended use I found the included cable perfectly fine. However, I did swap cables when I was listening to balanced sources. I went with the KBear ST16 Plus 4.4 balanced in blue/black. It’s a tough looking pairing in my opinion. I also used the Tripowin Altea 2.5 balanced quite a bit as well. You’ll see both in the photos. Certainly, the included cable is much better than any low-budget earphone offering and as far as comfort is concerned, it is perfect.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
The actual build of the EPZ X Tipsy Star One was crafted with stage use in mind, in that, the fit is meant to reduce outside noises. Made entirely out of 3D printed resin, I find no real fault at all with the actual build. Now, the earphones themselves are of average size with a slightly longer than average nozzle and only one rear vent. Folks, this is really a well-structured iem that was created for comfort.
Design
This is where the review starts to pick up steam for me friends. I absolutely love the awesome design of the Star One. The Star One comes in two colorways that are both equally dope. Simple “white” & “black”. However, the white is much more effeminate and geared towards females with the mostly white base color yet sprinkled in are what appears to be larger flakes of glitter using pinks, turquoise, purples etc. The black set is the one I received, and it is much more masculine (if you want to call it that) with almost blotchy paint swirls of electric blue, greens, purple and done so on a black base color. They are both beautiful folks. Each set has “Tipsy” written on the left earphone and “EPZ” on the right. If you spin the Star One, on the bottom you’ll notice the name “Star & One” printed very nicely. The nozzle is a bit smaller in diameter as well. This is a very high-quality design for such a low cost. Great job EPZ/Tipsy.
Exquisite Design for Live Streaming
EPZ Promotional
Choose between Broken Night Star and Diyun Star, two exquisite color options that enhance your live streaming presence. The design, crafted with meticulous attention, adds a touch of sophistication to your audio equipment.
Xingxiao No. 1 – Unprecedented Experience
Witness the fusion of TiPSY’s innovative design language and EPZ’s exceptional performance and craftsmanship, delivering an unparalleled live stage monitoring experience. Xingxiao No. 1 is more than earphones; it’s an audio revelation.
Specially Developed for Live Broadcast Monitoring
Tailored for extended wear during live broadcasts, these earphones boast professional ear return characteristics. With high impedance, low sensitivity, noise suppression, low distortion, and high restoration sound effects, they provide a pure and immersive sound experience.
Internals
What is an earphone if it has a cheap and no good driver installed? I can answer that… They tend to sound cheap. EPZ & Tipsy don’t play like that. They actually opted for a single “next gen” (their words) 10mm dual-cavity, dual-magnetic dynamic driver with an LCP+PU liquid crystal composite diaphragm. I don’t know a lot about Tipsy, but I do know a couple things about EPZ, they use good materials that make sense for the specific iem they are trying to build, and I also know that they spare no expense. The driver sounds like a very capable driver, and I’d expect no less.
Electric Regulation Dynamic Driver
EPZ Promotional
Powered by the next-generation LCD dome composite diaphragm, the electric regulation dynamic driver delivers pure sound quality, clear vocals, and powerful bass. This innovative technology sets a new standard for audio clarity and precision.
Tipsy & EPZ Innovation
Featuring a customized monitor-grade dynamic driver, these earphones offer an electronically adjustable unit for high fidelity and a powerful bass experience. The 3D printed semi-private molded cavity ensures enhanced comfort and fit, derived from stage customization.
Fit / Isolation
For me, a good fitting iem will sit perfectly in my ear, no fiddling, no moving them around to the side or in/out trying to get my tips to seal. A good fitting set for me will feel like they were crafted for my ears and I’m not joking even slightly when I say that I’m pretty sure EPZ snuck in my bedroom at night and took sample molds of my ears. Good Lawd folks! The Star One fits as good as an iem can fit. Now I know we aren’t all the same, but I have to imagine that more people than not will have a similar experience.
Drivability
The Star One is a bit of an outlier wherein it has an impedance of 64 ohms but yet a sensitivity of 112 db’s. The conclusion, the Star One is not a difficult set to drive so long as you aren’t simply using a phone. Then again, that depends on the phone you are using and also, what phones still have 3.5 Jacks? At any rate, I did use this set with my iPad, and I could get the Star One to volume, but I did not like the sound as much. Now, I don’t feel you need some tremendous amount of power to drive this set, but it seems to want a hair more than usual.
Mobile Listening
During my time listening to the Star One I must’ve had these in my ears for most of the day. I used a number of different Bluetooth dacs, adapters (Fiio UTWS5), and dongle dacs and I honestly didn’t have many bad pairings. The only real issue I had was with the Fiio UTWS5. For whatever reason, these two just didn’t play nice together. Listening with the IFi Go Blu was good as always, whether on 3.5 se or balanced. However, for me the best mobile pairing was with the EPZ TP50 and the Aful SnowyNight. Both seemed to really play well off the tonality of the Star One. I did the greatest majority of listening on 4.4 balanced and found that more power and a more talented source really helps the Star One to come sound as great as it can sound, for me. The Moondrop Dawn 4.4 was another good option, but I really didn’t spend enough time with it to comfortably speak on that.
A bit more power
Other more powerful options come in the form of the iBasso DX240, the Shanling M6 Ultra & the Fiio Q15. All three have a huge amount of output on tap. Never once did I feel it necessary to use anything past medium gain. The power was clearly… enough. I hate to say something scales with power, but man did it sound like it. Each of the sources listed was nice. Perhaps the Q15 had a slight bit less mid-bass presence than I would’ve liked but man was that a clean pairing. Out of the three, I found the M6 Ultra was my favorite with its velvet sounding dac chip paired with the resolving sound of the Star One.
What you need
I feel the only thing that is needed is at least a small dongle dac. I even used the very small and underpowered dongle dac which comes with the Rose Technics iems and it did the trick. Maybe not enough to make the Star One shine, but it still sounded good. However, if you can get something, or have something with a bit more output than I think you’ll like what you hear.
Sound Impressions
The EPZ X Tipsy Star One is one of those sets which surprised me right away. I know I probably shouldn’t have been surprised as I’ve reviewed EPZ’s iems in the past. However, I was surprised. The midrange is forward, sub-bass is. Moderately heavy and the treble pretty sparkly. The sound is open and clean across the board. Very well balanced across the mix. I guess my idea of this set was something warmer, more relaxed. This is not the case. The Star One comes across as a Harman tuned iem (for the most part) which sounds very much neutral to neutral-bright to my ears. There is an organic quality which is somehow very engaging but also elevated and more vibrant than the graph suggests. I think it’s the mix of unapologetic energy and clean lined natural timbre which was, and is, pretty bewitching. However, do not be fooled by the graph, this is a brighter set, it is vivacious, and it may force you to step your volume down. That said, I adore the sound when my brain adapts. Also, it will not be for w everyone, this is a particular tuning and a nice alternative tuning for any collection.
Live broadcasts & stage use/monitoring
Now, I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t add that the Star One was actually created for stage use & monitoring as well as for live broadcasts. Hence the high impedance, the forward sounding brighter midrange for vocals and voices. However, this live broadcast tuning actually works very well for listening to music too. In the EPZ promotional material they do speak on the fact that the Star One is designed for these purposes both inside and out. I suppose this explains the forward and clean midrange and the semi tamped down treble. What this all equates to is an under $100 iem that has a multi-faceted tuning which can work for a myriad of listening situations.
Back to the sound, the Star One has a more neutral sound altogether with an emphasis in the sub-bass, upper-mids, and lower-treble regions. I could also say it has a bass-region that’s just north of neutral. It’s a fun sound with a lot of controlled energy. This is a nice feature to the sound. The Star One also has a black background with which helps the definition of notes to sound accentuated to a degree. It doesn’t have any grain or free floating debris floating around the sound field. The Star One is certainly a more lively listen with sprightly energy that remains composed for a set costing as little as it does. Nothing laid back about the Star One’s tuning. Notes are crisp, dialed-in and transient quick. You won’t find anything lagging too much and I’d just barely be able to call this a musical iem. But it is.
Condensed Sound Impressions Between the 20’s
I created this area of my review for the express purpose of helping the reader “Get the Gist” of the sound and not have to read the entire book I’m about to write. Obviously, I have a lot more to say but this is your condensed look at the EPZ X-Tipsy Star One.
Beginning with the low-end, the Star One has a sub-bass emphasis. I find sub-bass notes come across very rigid, defined and rumbly when called upon. The mid-bass is a bit dialed back for the purpose of keeping a clean midrange, less of an attack hardness and a touch more pillowy but most certainly not slow. Great for voices in a live broadcast and great for clean instrumentation, vocals and resolution. The midrange is forward sounding and has a clean & crisp sound. Possibly a hint recessed in the lower-mids against the rest of the mix, even though I find males to have great presence, almost like it doesn’t matter. There’s transparency and a black background. The upper mids can get a hint shouty, but for the most part they are controlled, clean and have a bit of a shimmer to them. The treble isn’t too forward but still having some sparkle to it. The energy is slightly more withdrawn from the rest of the mix, but extension is great, and I find the treble nicely detailed for a single DD. Stage size is about average, but the sound field is well laid-out and there is decent depth. Separation is nice and imaging is appropriate, as it should be.
Bass Region
Looking at the bass on the Star One, the first thing I think of is that the Star One has almost a Simgot EA500LM type bass replay but with a hair more oomph in attack impact. The Star One doesn’t have a very warm sounding bass as it basically “hits n’ gits” in a pretty tidy fashion. However, this doesn’t mean we have no decay, just less exaggerated, more mature as a whole, less atmospheric, harder edged and condensed. I enjoy the impact on contact that it has while remaining fairly well defined and clean for such a price. We’ve seen a move in this direction of late. Cleaner mids, mid-bass is less intense, deeper and extended sub-bass. However, the Star One has a certain quality to that bass. There is some slight coloration as well, but this is most certainly not going to be for the bass bois in the community. Let’s just get that out of the way. Also, I’ll go a step further and say that this probably won’t be for moderate bass bois either, to an extent. EPZ wasn’t going for that type of fun on the Star One. It wasn’t tuned for that. Remember, stage purposes, live broadcasting, casual listening. EPZ & Tipsy does a solid job at tuning a nice balance with most of their sets and that ability isn’t lost on the Star One. I just want to keep expectations in check.
Sub-bass
The sub-bass definitely can reach deep and has a nicely guttural growl down low as evidenced by the gritty and dirty bass guitar in the track “Groove” by Ray Wylie Hubbard. This is a track I routinely use for just this purpose. There’s a dense and deep drone which is very nice to hear against the dead panned vocals of Ray Wylie. This track will tell you how defined your set is as well, fairly easily. The Star One is able to replay that rolling haptic vibratory dense sound that you can feel. Not overtly deep like a basshead set, but deep. This is how it goes for any track that reaches these levels with the Star One. You’ll hear an emphasis which caters to some nice haptic vibrational energy. For instance, in Jack Johnson’s track “Wasting Time” off his In Between Dub album, the sub bass is pretty resonant and fairly bulbous in its mass filled convexity. Not too emphasized to offset any balance, but deep, reverberant, and most importantly it’s clean, and nicely defined. There is palpable texture to the sound, there’s separation to the sound. It’s a very nice sub-bass.
Mid-bass
This is the area which will get some complaints, or praise, depending on what side of the divide that you fall into. The mid-bass is not emphasized very much. It’s much less full, with a moderate level of slam. I would think that those who want a beefy bass drop that has plenty of audible boom… may want to look elsewhere. This is a mid-bass that gets out of the way of other frequencies and doesn’t encroach to a level of warm coloration. “Billie Jean” by Weezer (Michael Jackson cover) begins with big and repetitive kick drum booms. The Star One has that good “attack-contact-intensity” and that tacky note edge hits with a hard snap. However, the proceeding hollow boom is less intense and moderate in quantity. It just sounds a bit less full. Bass guitars are helped by the sub-bass to add the feels, but the fullness may be lacking for some hobbyists. Still, the Star One will rise to the occasion… on occasion. “2040” by Lil Durk proves that the Star One will bang when called upon to do so. It’s a bass drop that even the weakest of bass sets can replay with at least some level of thunder. Needless to say, the Star One is able to make its presence felt, so to speak. It rises to the occasion and gives back what the recording is giving it. Only the Star One’s bass is cleaner than most, which makes it very satisfying. So, it’s not completely without beefiness all the time, but I’m sure some folks will want a bit more. I’m sure some folks want a more fun and pounding bass. I would certainly like to see a touch more representation from this area. That said, I can dig it.
Further thoughts on the Bass
All that said, there is a whole other segment of hobbyists who will greatly appreciate the level that EPZ & Tipsy tuned the Star One with in the mid-bass. First off, it’s a low-end which gets out of the way and leaves a very clean midrange, untarnished and unsullied. The mid-bass is also pretty quick and can take on even my most rapid fire of bass tracks. The transient attack through sustain does not lag. It’s fast, it’s exacting in its definition and pretty precise in its note definition for a single DD. Not BA type quickness or planar quickness, but it’s efficient. So no, it won’t satisfy all the big-bass lovers, or even semi big-bass lovers, but there is a lot that it does well. Also, this set truly can rise to the occasion and surprise at times.
Downsides to the Bass Region
This is fairly obvious. I’ve already pretty much stated the “possible” & “subjective” issues with the bass. For many the Star One will simply not have enough of that raucous, hearty, & jarring mid-bass. It simply isn’t that. I know many folks who will pass on this set just because of that and I’m glad to have helped you. However, I cannot help but be very impressed with the lean type of density in the mid-bass and the haptic drone that the sub-bass can create. It’s a very good and mature bass folks. You won’t hear any fuzz, it isn’t soft, it isn’t hollow, recessed and it isn’t pillowy. Also, for the low quantity of bass it still has some lean-muscle-mass which at least makes for a natural sounding bass. Not colored to a fault, just north of neutral and clean.
Midrange
The midrange is quite nice. I suppose this is another area where you “may” or “may not” enjoy the presentation. The midrange is fairly crisp with speedy transients, very kempt and clean micro-dynamics for a single dynamic driver. Imaging is good, there’s good layering which occurs, and separation is very well established. This is an open sounding midrange, nothing stuffy, nothing congested (unless you’re listening to a bass heavy or congested track). I find note weight to be a bit leaner throughout the midrange, but with nice solidity to the sound. It doesn’t sound brittle, analytical, dry, or papery… it sounds very good. The sound has some gravity, some lean weight, and is somewhat moist, even with the leaner note profile. Again, I hear some decent depth and decent layering to the midrange which really helps this set to sound subtly 3D & well detailed. The midrange has a very lively presence. In fact, it’s the “presence” within the midrange which sticks out at me. Vocals are forward, featured and prominent, especially the upper-mids. Vocals “can” be flat out gorgeous when the situation is right and so well highlighted, like they’re center stage. I assume this tuning helps for live broadcasting purposes, but it works for casual listening as well and specializes in vocal delivery.
Lower-midrange
The lower midrange is ever so slightly recessed against the canopy of the rest of the mix. Most certainly it takes the biggest back seat of any other area of the mix. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s veiled, low in volume or distant. Furthermore, I really don’t hear this “recession” to any great degree. I presume the reason is that the lower mids are so clean without the mid-bass veil and interference, which kind of helps the low-mids to stand out a bit more than you’d usually hear. Also, the Star One presents a damn near black background, all the time. Anyways, male vocals aren’t the most authoritative or weighty full, and they don’t come across as colored to me. To counter that, males also don’t come across as weak or thin. Not at all. Unless you love thick warmth in male vocals then I’d imagine you’ll like this delivery. I certainly wouldn’t call male vocals an outright “con” either. Personally, I see male vocals as more of a “pro”. But the truth is, it’s a preference thing. Some will enjoy them, and some won’t.
Low-mids cont…
“Patina” by Brent Cobb shows off his voice with the Star One in my ears. Usually, he sounds a bit lost to the melody. Almost in the same plane of the rest of the music. Usually, his voice shares the sound field and melts into the melody a bit more. With the Star One, his voice is set a hair in front of those other instruments. He sounds well defined, melodic and not attenuated. Also, his voice has wonderful timbre and sounds very clean. Very good for $75. Of course, it won’t appeal to everyone, but if given a chance I do think it’ll appeal to many with the Star One’s particular take on male vocals.
Upper-Midrange
Females are more obviously forward with great presence in the mix. They have a resplendent richness and a silky vibrance, yet with almost a bright presence. Females do sound “front and center” with very resolute, and very lucid note outlines, that goes for almost any female I listen to. However, there is some spice in this region as the Star One can get shouty in tracks which are common offenders to it. At times I’ve had to turn the volume down. I certainly feel that any track which replays a lot of upper midrange activity will sound a bit spicy without some level of bass presence to counter that brightness. Or, just turn the volume down a few clicks. That said, by a wide margin I enjoy the sound. I really dig the shimmer and that 3D type of replay amongst the instruments and vocals in this region. Nothing metallic, sibilant, or grainy. The feeling is open, separated, and lively while not losing sight on musicality.
Know what you’re getting
Now, less energetic music like Ellie Goulding in “How Long Will I Love You” comes across absolutely beautifully. Her voice is so captivating with this forward sound. Every intonation and wave-like modulation to her voice is very engaging with the Star One. Also, when listening to Caitlyn Smith in the track “High”, her voice, as well as instrumentation can go from soft an delicate to immense and ballad like in the chorus section. On the flipside, a track like “Sensitive” by Megan Trainor is actually a song which can become rather shouty. A good track to test for it actually. Again, without some warmth to counter the intensity, things can become slightly strident for those sensitive to it. The upper mids do have a good amount of accentuation or intensity which seem to be exaggerated with the pitch of Megan’s vocals. For me this isn’t really an issue, but I want you to know what you are getting.
I realize my words aren’t glowing in praise at all times and some of my examples speak to some of the Star One’s issues. Those examples are akin to thorns on the Rose in my mind. I have to explain the thorns, but I don’t want to overshadow my opinion that… this is still a rose. A very nicely tuned rose. I find the upper-mids to come across very nice, for the most part. Most females have a pleasant and natural type of timbre. Smooth when they need to be smooth and crisp when they need to be crisp. Instruments follow this same logic. Vocals and instruments just have a little added pepper to the sound.
Instrumentation
Percussion has a strong snap to them on contact. There’s a pop on attack. Stuff like the fundamental frequency of a cymbal strike has a vibrant body and a solid “chisk” on most tracks. Snares come across with a very precise “Pang” and really sound as though they have decent impact. Strings also sound great to me with fantastic detail retrieval, especially on acoustic tracks. Strings in general have an energetic edge to them, which can be a good change of pace from other warmer & smoother sets. Violin can be very melodic yet at the same time it can come across a hint sharp like fingernails in a chalkboard but very much appropriate to the natural sound. Fiddle sounds great as there is so much energy afforded listening with the Star One. Again, acoustic guitar is fantastic to me. Resolute, full of tiny details with decent harmonics. I won’t go through every instrument on every track I’ve listened to, but I do make pages of notes. What I gather in my notes through days of listening goes like this; take any instrument, and unless there is a good bass presence in the track, expect a natural sound but with a hint of brightness. I have grown accustomed to the Star One’s particular sound. I enjoy it quite a bit. Still, I am not disillusioned to think that some people may not enjoy it as much.
Downsides to the Midrange
Looking at some of the subjective issues of the EPZ X Tipsy Star One, I would first state that this is a mid/upper-mid/lower-treble forward iem. If you don’t have a healthy bass emphasis in a track, then the sound does tend to lean “a hint” brighter than neutral. Especially at high volumes. The midrange is forward, it’s front and center, highlighted and has some pep to it. Some folks won’t find this appealing. Also, there is evident shout in the upper-mid area on some tracks. Again, this is helped with lower volumes to a small degree. Warm/dark/smooth lovers will not find this midrange appealing either. This is not the type of set to expect a lazy chill session with, unless of course this is your perfect tuning. This midrange is simply a bit rambunctious. However, I need to stop myself because I rarely have an issue while listening and the great majority of the time I am struck by how clean and resolving the Star One is. Yes, it’s brighter on occasion, yes it can add some spice to the upper-mids too, but more often than not, I really enjoyed that forward sound. This is another iem that I’ve kinda grown attached to. Despite that attachment, it’s also probably a bit polarizing too, so please take that into account. Of course, that won’t stop some of you from DM’ing me with your rebuttals… LoL.
Treble Region
The treble region has some sparkle to it with a definite emphasis in the lower treble region. Actually, the lower treble has the majority emphasis by a good margin. I find this treble to have good energy and to be pretty well controlled as I don’t hear anything grainy, fuzzy, metallic, sibilant or too sharp. Treble notes are pretty decisive with decent bite and a good shimmer with a slightly toned-down brilliance. Extension is decent but the upper treble and air region does have somewhat of a roll-off. This is a good or a bad thing depending on where your preferences align. I find the upper-mid/lower-treble pinna rise is one of the focal points of the entire tuning. The treble has decent note density though still not the kind of palpable and crisp sound with the best texture. All the same, I hear nothing splashy, tizzy or too knife edged. Also, the treble is enough to uplift the entire mix, even with the sub-bass emphasis. Enough to impart some levity to the sound as a whole.
It just…fits
I don’t hear an oversaturated treble, yet I also don’t hear a bland or dull treble. This certainly is not a set which was tuned with any forced resolution or “faux” resolution. This is a treble tuned to work with the whole as the Star One is certainly better judged as a whole, rather than the sum of its parts. Not a treble heads paradise by any stretch of the imagination, yet at the same time may be too much for those treble sensitive. The highs on the Star One are probably it’s biggest achilles heel, yet if you changed anything I don’t know that you’d really improve anything. It just… works. It fits.
Not missing anything
So yes, there is some levity, but it isn’t the airiest treble in the world. Separation is decent to good, details are above average, but it doesn’t come across as ultra-airy and open sounding. At times. Again, the treble also doesn’t have the greatest extension. That said, even with the slight roll-off and slight lack of extension, I really don’t feel I’m missing anything. At the worst I don’t hear some of the secondary harmonics past 8k like some other sets in the price range. Yet I don’t feel this slight lack of airiness derails the overall sound. In fact, it’s probably a good thing. The sound is already on the bright side at times and the sound already feels energized and uplifted, so I couldn’t imagine adding even more upper treble emphasis without attenuating the upper-mids or adding some more mid-bass emphasis. I feel that EPZ & Tipsy did what they could to make a “monitoring/casual listening/live broadcast” multi-purpose budget iem, which covers all use cases in a fashion that satisfies. Heck, I’m satisfied! In fact, this review probably reads much worse than how I personally feel about the Star One. Obviously, if you can enjoy this slightly unusual type of tuning, as I do, then you’ll see that the cons aren’t nearly as detrimental. In spite of that subjective opinion, this hobby is one of incremental hairline differences, and those differences will either make or break an iem or audio device.
Examples
Listening to “Do It Again” by Steely Dan, I found the Star One had zero issue keeping up with this track. Each note was accounted for and defined pretty well with a decent bite and fairly transparent. Another track which sounded more sparkly than I would’ve thought was Billy Strings track “Secrets”. It shows that the treble on the Star One is pretty well controlled and isn’t just a mess of treble sheen while still being able to add in some luster to the sound. The Star One is able to keep up with Billy’s banjo play & acoustic guitar with some pretty distinct clarity for a single DD. Yes, extension on some tracks isn’t perfect, but there’s ample shimmer and even some brilliance to add a nice top end touch of radiance to your music. Secondary harmonics of some cymbals (depending on how they were recorded) may sound a hint less energized but again, I’m really not missing much. However, I’m sure there are those who’d like a bit more of an extended range.
Downsides to the Treble Region
I would say the number one issue that some folks have is that the treble isn’t the most extended into the upper treble or the air region. Thus, making the sound quality a hint less spacious or airy. You already read that I don’t think it’s a problem, but I certainly could see some folks wanting their treble represented even further out. Hence, it makes the “cons” list. You’d be surprised what info is out there past 8k. Some feel it’s insignificant, but I would argue against that. I just don’t find it a problem for much of my library. However, I’m not you. Also, treble heads will not be impressed. Treble is a tough thing to get right folks. You usually end up paying a pretty penny for a set which can accurately recreate an organic and energized treble with a good treble bite and a haptic attack that you can feel as well as hear. Again, to me I find the treble gives me enough of a lift, enough to tilt the balance of the Star One to not sound veiled as a whole. We have quite a rise in the lower treble which really directs the focus of this set to that region along with the upper-mids. I suppose it’s good for $84. On the other hand, there are sets in this price point which do have some great extension with some very clean treble.
Technicalities
Soundstage
I find the soundstage size to be roughly about average. Saying an iem is above average is not the norm I’ve come to find. Most are average. Also, that is not a bad thing. The good thing is that the Star One is far from congested. It isn’t too narrow, short or flat. I’d say average width, average height and good depth for an under $100 single DD iem. Well, better depth than most single DD’s in this price range. Of course, it’s not unheard of. Another nice thing is that I’m not distracted by a “wall of sound” or a flat sound with no depth. While it isn’t a cavernous type of depth, it is deep enough to sense the front to back layers. All in all, I’d say that EPZ & Tipsy did a nice job here.
Separation / Imaging
When it comes to separation of elements on a psycho-acoustically rendered stage, I’d have to say that the Star One does a nice job. Especially in the midrange where the brunt of all the action is. The bass is separated and to a lesser degree the treble is too. But the midrange has a nice open and expressive sound with good clarity. The only caveat would be highly congested music, or complicated tracks which could trip up many budgets (and non-budget) single DD’s. For the most part the Star One seems to separate instruments and vocals pretty well. Imaging is the same, it’s good. Technicality wise, the Star One is a good set and does so without it coming across as overtly analytical. It almost has a sneaky analytical type of sound, or a sneaky musicality, however you want to say it. There’s still density and body to the lean profile. Couple that with slightly tighter transients and you have yourself a set that separates instruments pretty nicely. As I said before, Instruments are all in good position and there is depth to the sound, so you aren’t relegated to a flat plane in front of you, but instead you get some layering which is nice.
Detail Retrieval
Details are somewhat of a mixed bag. Some areas are better than others, but for the most part the Star One has good detail retrieval. I feel the Star One is toeing the line of musical and technical at all times. It’s a nice dance. You’ll hear some of the subtleties and micro-details, but I would certainly never call this set a detail king. The bass is a bit more boosted in the sub-bass region, the upper mids are boosted as well and so there is some color to the sound, but not so much that I’m hearing a ton of masking happening. Bass heavy tracks that are more congested will likely confuse the Star One a bit. Blaring electric guitars within complicated passages of music will also sheen over the sound at times too. However, hearing the finer stuff is good on the Star One. There’s no grain, no laggy transient behavior, notes are tighter rather than flattened and smooth. There’s room to exist for each element of the stage. All this helps to create above average detail retrieval in my opinion. Is it nearing tops in class? No, not quite. This is not some dry and analytical, fine lined, perfectly balanced iem with no flavor that was tuned specifically a technical replay. Instead, this is a fun take on a technically adept musical iem which… has a lil soul.
Ratings (0-10)
Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the EPZ X-Tipsy Star One ratings below, that would be $50-$100 iems of any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5-6” is roughly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $50-$100 US is a decent sized scope of iems and so seeing a 9 should probably be pretty special. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.
Aesthetic
–Build Quality: 9.0 Built very well.
–Look: 9.7 What a nice looking iem!
–Accessories: 7.7 Decent for the price
–Overall: 8.8🔥🔥
Sound Rating
–Timbre: 9.0 Organic, neutral/bright.
–Bass: 8.9 Quality over quantity.
–Midrange: 9.4 Vocals are sublime, a bit spicy too.
–Treble: 8.3 Sparkly yet extension could be better.
–Technicalities: 8.4 Technically very good for a single DD.
–Musicality: 8.8 Nice musicality w/a technical side.
–Overall: 8.8🔥🔥
Ratings Summary:
I rated the EPZ X Tipsy Star One at a pretty darn solid “8.8” overall against any and all iems within the price ranges of $50 to $100. That is a tough place for any set to thrive in. $50 to $100 is probably one of, if not thee, most competitive price points and so getting anything over an “8.0” overall is a win. Looking at each rating variable I have a hard time with some of my own ratings. The reason being… I like this set a lot and it’s easy to let bias effect the decision. To an extent. I try to rate with most folks (consumers) in mind and not simply my own preferences. However, subjectivity makes a rating almost useless. Also, rating these products is a goofy enough thing to do in the 1st place. Furthermore, each Rating really only holds value for about a year before they are rendered null & void, as the market never stops moving and production of the latest and greatest products never sleeps. All that said, the Star One is one of those sets which don’t rate as high when broken down into individual ratings. This is most certainly a set which you should really only judge as a whole. In my opinion anyways. So, take these ratings lightly. The Star One is rated against the multitude of iems within this price point that I know very well. Still, I haven’t heard them all so take that into account as well. Granted, I’ve heard a lot.
Explain Yourself!
Honestly, I don’t feel there are many issues with these particular ratings. Possibly the “Bass” category may gain some disagreement. I rated the Star One’s bass on its… “quality”, and not the “quantity”. Without question any bass bois will not agree with me that the Star One should receive an “8.9”. That’s a high score against any and all iems between $50 and $100. However, I really think it’s justified. I also feel that I went a bit low on “Technicalities” with an “8.4”. I could definitely see that rating a couple points higher. The only thing which holds the Star One back technically is that there’s a good handful of iems with better detail retrieval (my opinion) and another handful with a larger stage etc. However, the Star One really is a very technically adept iem. All the while it holds onto a very nice level of musicality. Every other Rating is pretty self-explanatory, and I feel comfortable locking them in. Actually, I’m never comfortable with ratings. Lock em’ in.
Is it worth the asking price?
One of the more important questions one should ask. Is the product worth the asking price? Is there something better near the price point? The only thing I can give you is my subjective answer. I can say that I am certain the EPZ X-Tipsy Star One is absolutely worth the asking price. 100%. That’s for me though. I really like the Star One. I like the energy this set has, the dynamism, the clean portrayal of my music and the musically technical approach to the tuning. Personally, I could listen to this set and be perfectly content for hours. However, I am not you and there are some great iems in its price point. I just reviewed the Simgot EA500LM (EA500LM Review) which is a bonafide stud at the same price. You even have the EPZ Q5 (Q5 Review) which I know some folks would rather have over the Star One. There are a metric ton of iems that compete with the Star One. However, the Star One has a very particular tuning and sets itself apart from the pack in its own ways. No question the Star One is a great set for any collection.
The Why…
Now, for folks who can dig this type of tuning; there are a few reasons why the price of the Star One is definitely worth it. For one, the build is stellar for the price. You won’t find a blemish on this set, it’s durable, and truthfully the Star One just feels robust. The look is absolutely bewitching, it is a gorgeous iem, whether you get the black or the white version they are both stunning in my opinion. Comfort is top notch top. The Star One was designed by two companies who specialize in comfort. It’s light as a feather and can be worn all day long without issues. But none of that matters at all if the Star One doesn’t sound good. Thankfully, it’s a set that truly excels in sound. I think it’s one of the sleeper sets of 2024 to be honest. The bass is tight with a dense moderate rumble and tighter transient speed. The midrange is forward with a beautiful presence and very well detailed. Vocals are so very nice. The treble is non-offensive but fits the overall sound very well. Technically the Star One is above average across the board for a set under $100. I’m telling you, if you enjoy a more balanced neutral sound with sub-bass boost than the Star One should fit you like a glove. I am more than happy with them. So, without question the Star One is easily worth the $75 MSRP. The nice thing is that this set goes on sale often. Great job EPZ!
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the EPZ X Tipsy Star One I have to say that I’ve enjoyed this set. I have been very impressed by what EPZ has been able to accomplish with darn near every iem or audio device I’ve tried from them. Surely, I hope to check out many more. Well, I hope this review has been helpful to some of you folks and I thank you for reading.
Other opinions
Please make sure to check out other views regarding the Star One. The sound is one that not every person is going to be a huge fan. We are all so very different in so many ways and we won’t always think exactly alike. It will behoove you to listen to, watch, or read other perspectives of the Star One. Well folks, that’s about all I got. Please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!
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