Juzear 61T Butterfly Review
Intro
This review is covering the newest hybrid iem to come from the brand Juzear named the Juzear 61T Butterfly. The 61T comes hot off the heels of some relatively popular Juzear earphones in the Juzear Flame, Juzear 41T, Juzear Clear, as well as their planar set the Juzear TBS-01. Each of these sets made their own mark within the community. Especially the 41T and the Flame to a lesser extent. Now, I cannot say that I have actually checked out any Juzear’s iem yet. Full disclosure… I’m simply going off of the thoughts of others. Still, many respected reviewers gave the 41T, Clear, & Flame some very nice reviews. In the short time that Juzear has been an actual brand, they’ve crafted some underappreciated gems, going by the impressions of others of course. Juzear actually came around at a very good time in the hobby for consumers. In the same breath, it was also a very competitive time in the hobby, which made it all that much harder to stand out past this hobbie’s 5 minutes of fame each relevant set gets. Nevertheless, Juzear has become somewhat of a respected newcomer and I’m all for it.
Competition
It’s a competitive market, friends. Never have we seen so many great sets in so many different price points. It’s truly a difficult process for anyone seeking out an iem in the +$200 price point anymore. Scratch that, it’s hard to choose in any price point anymore. Truth is, none of us have money growing on trees and $200 is quite a lot for any sort of casual listening device. After all, you can now get only incrementally worse sets for far cheaper than the 61T’s $212 price tag. It’s just the truth. Now, it remains to be seen how well the 61T will stack up as I haven’t spent time with them yet. Just an initial listening session. Of course, after that initial session I wrote a glowing 1st Impressions post on Facebook, and I meant every word of it. Still, there are some serious baddies out there in the Audioverse. This is the same price point of the Tanchjim Origin (Origin Review), Simgot EA1000 (EA1000 Review), Letshuoer Cadenza 4 (Cadenza 4 Review), Penon Fan 2, Aful Performer 5 (Mahir’s P5 Review), Dunu Falcon Ultra, BQEYZ Wind (Mahir’s Wind Review), BQEYZ Winter (Mahir’s Winter Review), Rose Technics QT9 Mk3 (QT9 MK3 Review), Raptgo Hook-X (Hook-X Review) and that’s just to name a select few. Folks, the price point is beyond littered with amazing iems. What is so special about the 61T Butterfly? Well, I suppose I am going to have to find out.
Lets get it…
Now, the 61T is exactly as the name suggests, it’s a 1DD + 6BA hybrid iem and like I’ve said it has an MSRP of roughly $212 US. I want to quickly thank HiFiGo for sending the 61T to me in exchange for a full review and feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. Thank you very much. I think I’m now ready to do some long critical listening friends. The Juzear 61T Butterfly everyone….
Non-Affiliated Purchasing Link:
Disclaimer:
I received the Juzear 61T Butterfly from HiFiGo as a review sample and in exchange I will conduct a full review and feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. I have not received any payment or any other form of compensation for this review. This set is a review sample iem. HiFiGo has not requested to pre-read any review and doesn’t have any control over “what” or “when” anything gets published to mobileaudiophile.com. All thoughts within this review are my own, though please take note that I will always have my own biases. This is impossible to get around. I try to be as objective as my subjective self can be, but this is an opinion piece folks. Thank you to HiFiGo and thanks for reading.
61T Pros
-Build Quality is outstanding for the price
-The design is wholly unique and beautiful
-The best cable anywhere near this price, without question
-Great accessories and inclusions (Juzear nice job!)
-Nice, organic, and clean U-shaped sound
-Deep and well defined bass region
-Nice note weight
-Midrange is musical, airy enough and dynamic
-Treble is non-offensive to a degree, nice details
-Imaging is spot on
-Soundstage is awesome
61T Cons
-This design is not going to be everyone’s favorite (too effeminate?)
-Treble heads will likely want some more treble emphasis
-Low-end may be too much for some. Perhaps a bit too overbearing
-Fit may be a problem due to size of shells
-Thee very slightest metallic timbre up top (doesn’t bother me one bit)
Gear used for testing
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
The 61T arrived at my house inside of a medium sized box which has a sleeve covering. That sleeve has the beautiful 61T’s imprinted on the cover. You’ll also see some specs on the back as well. It’s a nice-looking box I suppose. I know that none of you care about that sort of thing, so I won’t spend a bunch of time on it. However, you can tell that Juzear puts at least some effort into making a nice impression. Anyways, once you take off the outer sleeve you are met with a black box. Take off the lid and the Butterfly earphones with the gorgeous cable attached staring back at you in all their splendor. Next to the 61T’s is the hard case, and in the hard case you’ll find the eartips as well as a lint-free rag for wiping fingerprints and other debris from the earphones themselves. We’ll, that’s about it, not too much to report. It’s a nice showing from Juzear and fitting of the price tag.
Eartips
Juzear provides a total of eight pairs of tips and three distinct styles of eartips within the packaging. They give you two sets of white foam tips which I didn’t use as I really don’t enjoy foamies. They also give you three pairs (S, M, L) of narrow bore orange and black silicone tips. I honestly don’t like the 61T using these tips as much. The third set of three is Juzear’s own “Soft Spring” tips which are a semi-wide bore pair of tips of certain different colors. The flange isn’t the sturdiest and slightly flimsy. However, I opted for the Divinus Velvet as they are truly perfect for me as far as fit is concerned. The eartips provided are all nice tips that work to help further tune the 61T to your liking. Certainly, good enough to use with other sets as well and who knows, maybe the tips provided fit you like a glove.
Carrying case
Juzear also provides a nice sand colored hard zipper case with a fabric material covering it. You have a soft internal to protect your precious iems as well. I don’t usually use cases, but this one seems to be just small enough for a pocket and just large enough to fit your earphones and cable. Not a bad case at all and a nice inclusion into the packaging.
Cable
Now we get to one of the coolest pieces to this package. That would be the beautiful white fatty of a cable that quite honestly beats every cable I’ve received form most any iem under $600. It is phenomenal. It’s super thick, about as thick as the Dunu Hulk cable (that’s THICK!) and reasonably pliable. The 61T’s cable is actually a 2-pin silver-plated-copper cable (SPC). This cable uses 6N copper and is 18 AWG and comes in either 3.5, 2.5, or 4.4 jack’s depending on what you order at purchasing. Friends, I cannot get over how amazing this thick white cable is to look at. It’s stunning when attached to the Butterfly. This is one area where many of these brands need to get it together. Juzear has the presence of mind to understand that the purchase doesn’t stop at the earphones. We want a solid cable, good tips, we want a good deal! Don’t skimp out on the cable “other brands”. Get it together. Oh, and nice job Juzear! This cable has a gorgeous white color to it which will go aesthetically with just about any earphone. White goes with everything. Really a stunning and fat, fatty-fat-fat cable. I love it.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
The build is going to surprise some of you. No this isn’t some “everyday” 3D printed all-resin shells. Yes, it’s all-resin but there is some real solidity and robustness to these shells. To be exact, the Shells were DLP 3D printed with weather-resistant resin. The faceplates, or “shell panel” was actually CNC carved from abalone into this very intricate design. Only a programmed CNC machine could do this type of work without the cost being through the roof. It is truly a stunning design, but more on that later. Juzear added one relief vent towards the back of the unit as well as a flush female 2-pin connection. The nozzles are about medium length. Not too long or too short. The nozzles are roughly 6.5 mm in width as well so be aware when finding tips. Folks, this build is fantastic, it really is. This set doesn’t feel like it costs $200. I’d go as far as to say that the 61T’s build is premium against the field.
Design
Now we come to the design. I figure that this design is going to be one that you either love… or not. It is a very pretty design, almost effeminate. First off, the colors on the faceplates are these metallic style blues, greens, oranges and they swirl in a beautiful pattern. On top of that layer is this silver metal butterfly wing design in a wavy pattern along with the company logo on one earphone at the center of the faceplate and “Juzear” written towards the bottom of the other and then overlaid with clear resin. Truly a beautiful design. I cannot say it enough. Even if you hate the look because you are too manly for it, you cannot deny how gorgeous they are. Whoever came up with this final design needs a raise like… yesterday. Great job once again Juzear. I do however have a tiny complaint about the overall finish of the resin as my unit does have some bubbles around the butterfly wings in some spots. Understand that it doesn’t bother me at all, and I realize it’s probably very difficult to lay down this resin without bubbles. Still, I felt it was worth noting.
Internals
Juzear decided upon one dynamic driver and six balanced armature drivers to house in these fairly large shells. The dynamic driver which covers the low-end is a custom built 10mm composite carbon-based unit with a PU folded membrane. Juzear states that they used gold plated solder pads, neodymium magnets and a large black voice coil. The midrange is taken care of by two Knowles ED balanced armature drivers and the highs are replayed through two custom 31736 balanced armature drivers. I am very impressed by how well Juzear was able to tune this set with nice coherence across the mix and without any obvious distortions, even at high volumes.
Fit / Isolation
The fit is fantastic for me. Like a glove. I don’t know how well the 61T will fit your ears but for me it’s great. Again, these are semi-larger shells which were made this size to house all seven drivers and so if you have very small ears you may want to consider that. Now, passive noise isolation is much better than most iems on the market that I’ve tried. Certainly, above average and that’s something that you can tell right away. Obviously, you need a good seal though. When I use the Divinus Velvet tips it is pretty remarkable how well the 61T attenuates the outside world.
Drivability
The Juzear 61T Butterfly has an impedance rating of 46 ohms and a sensitivity of 115 db’s. For all intents & purposes the 61T is “relatively” easy to drive. Without question I feel that you need a slightly more robust dongle dac at the least. Not that a simple smartphone cannot drive it to decent volume. However, volume doesn’t mean much when you aren’t getting the most out of this set. I feel the more power I threw at the 61T the better it performed. Of course there’s a cap to that though. You obviously don’t need a million watts powering it. I’d recommend a good dongle dac. That’s it. Certain areas of the mix tighten up, dynamic range seems to extend, the stage adds depth, bass feels denser etc. So, there’s a lot of reasons to get the 61T something talented to play them through.
Mobile Listening
Using a slightly warmer Bluetooth dac/amp like the IFi Go Blu works like a charm but seems to open up a bit better through the 4.4 balanced port. The Go Blu has CS43131 dac chips which run a hint warmer from neutral which pairs nicely even though the 61T is closer to warm/neutral in tonal color. However, I don’t feel that warm or bright really matters too much paired with the 61T. It is in that perfect warm/neutral place that responds well to just about any dac chips. I did say “just about any” as nothing pairs well with everything. Just some more than others. I’d definitely say that the more sonically gifted your source is the better and it does seem to be more expressive with more power. The EPZ TP50 for example is a beast with this set. TP50 leans neutral, clean and precise, dynamic and seems to be just what the 61T needs. Aful SnowyNight is very similar in this regard. Both run on the CS43198 dac chips with a boatload of power for dongle dacs. Certainly, plenty for the 61T Butterfly. I also really enjoyed the subtle warmth and smooth demeanor of the Simgot Dew4x with the 61T which also uses the CS43198 dac chips. A hair less powerful but easily enough to bring out good dynamic range and musicality. Even the warmer Roseselsa RS9039 seemed to pair well. However, the lack of treble rise on the RS9039 does make the 61T sound a hair less energetic.
More juice
Now, I was very happy with the Fiio Q15 which runs on the AK4499EX and AK4191EQ dac chips along with more power than the 61T will ever need (1.6 watts). Again, the neutral sound of the Q15 is a welcome sound on the 61T. However, the Shanling M6 Ultra is skewed warmer, velvet, smoother but also very resolving and the 61T takes to that type of source tonality perfectly. So, I honestly don’t see many issues with pairing the 61T as it seems to do well with just about anything.
What do you need?
Like I’ve said, the 61T does gain some dynamism and the spectrum tightens up a bit with more power. Still, that doesn’t mean you need a million watts of raw output to bring the 61T to its best either. Just be reasonable, a decent Dongle Dac should suffice. 100 mw @32 should do just fine and just about any dongle dac made anymore carries well over that. Beyond that, like most iems, the 61T will certainly scale to the sonic ability of your source as well. I’m sure a simple smartphone will do the trick, but the 61T has a good chance of surprising some folks when a little more output is added.
Sound Impressions
The Juzear 61T Butterfly comes across with a slight bit of warmth (very slight) against an otherwise neutral sound. I would call this sound signature “U-shaped” as the midrange is not as recessed as a typical V-shaped sound. I go back and forth on that though. Anyways, the 61T is all about dynamism and big displays of controlled energy that come across just as musical as it is technically inclined. Nothing that I hear is veiled, not in the slightest. In fact, I’m more apt to say that the 61T is subtly airy and uplifted in its presence. The sound is upreared with a certain levity to the overall feel of my music library. Yet it’s not bright, not thin, or too trebly, and it’s definitely not a boring sounding set, not by any measure. Like I just said, it’s clean energy with control that has large and considerably vivid macro-dynamics. Notes can be either relatively vibrant or subdued, with a nice balance of crisp and smooth, depending on what the track is asking of the 61T. Never grainy, harsh, or sibilant and the metallic timbre is kept to a very low minimum. It’s a very nice sounding $200 set folks. This isn’t the warm type of musicality in the sense that it’ll draw out all of the emotion from a track, but instead, the 61T has a very nice mix of symphonious overtones and clinical glass lined crispness. Both show up when needed and it’s nice to hear. To me, the 61T is an engaging and very immersive sounding iem which shouldn’t struggle to hold your attention.
Timbre / Note Weight
Again, note weight is lean-lush, semi-rich, but really it’s just dense enough and isn’t sloppy. It’s a clean lined sound. I think you get that good lean-lush display when transients are pretty tight coupled with a slightly warmer hue to the sound. Maybe a hint, a feathering, a dash of low-end mixing in with the midrange. Very tastefully done which adds a more natural sounding timbre in this area. However, the timbre can get a hint more artificial at times (I said a “hint”) in the upper portions of the midrange, but I truly don’t see this as a problem because the 61T still sounds great and leans more organic. No, it’s not perfect… but the timbre has a certain authenticity to it which you don’t always hear with balanced armature drivers.
The 61T has a somewhat thickened note body. Definitely not a heavy note weight, and I don’t hear any veil across the mix either. Nothing tonally murky or muddy and nothing fuzzy, grainy, or too edgy at the note outlines. The sound is pretty transparent and comes with a black background which draws the micro-dynamics to the surface to a certain extent. The 61T handles rapid and quick changes in volume levels and sudden dynamic shifts well, without sounding compressed to my ears too. These are very generalized statements though, so please be aware that perception can change with a simple changes in how we listen. Obviously, the track you are listening to, the source you’re listening with, along with other variables can alter how we perceive such things. Generally though, the 61T does well in this regard. Good body yet still well controlled is a nice thing to be if you’re an iem.
Condensed Sound Between the 20’s
The low-end is more sub-bass lifted, though the mid-bass still slams with good impact and weight. This isn’t some weak bass. Instead, this is a robust and quick bass per its quantity. The bass is also well textured, haptic, and palpable enough to feel. The low-end has the ability to dig deep with heavier rumbles, and again… not slow. Maybe too much for some but that is what it is. Nothing is for everyone. The midrange is nicely manicured with a certain precision to the transient swiftness. Note weight is very good, not thin, and the mids pay off with a nice vocal delivery as well as a decently detailed midrange. It’s warner towards the lower half of the mids and sprightlier and more sparkly towards the top end of the midrange. The treble is mostly non-offensive, isn’t shrill but there’s some mild brilliance there and the treble is also pretty well extended. There’s some body to the treble here. Of course, treble heads will be left wanting, but I feel that the treble fits the overall character of this tuning very well. Detail retrieval is above average across the mix (my version of average) and I’ve already said that transients move along with some pointed attack, a taught and clean decay with a tighter release. Certainly not like some analytical set which is tuned for details illumination and the quick transients, but great for a fun sounding all-rounder type set. The stage is good in width, depth and height which leads to decent layering of sounds and good imaging, which also is helped by better than average separation.
Bass Region
The low end of the Juzear 61T Butterfly is very well extended & deep in its range with a clean-lined density that doesn’t sound overbearing even though it’s a larger quantity of low-end amplitude. I never got a sense that it’s too much and the bass never really overtakes the mix by influencing other areas in a negative way. The tuning is nicely accommodating of the midrange by only gradually spilling over. with a gentle glide downhill into the mids. Not a bass tuck in the sense that there is an abrupt line drawn in the sand but instead it’s a feathered-in blending coming across as nice cohesion between frequencies and between drivers.
Dense & clean
There’s a harder surface on attack with a dense edge at the crest of a note in this region. I haven’t heard anything pillowy, thankfully. The bass has contour, definition, and is well texturized with a stony roundness. The 61T doesn’t come across in an analytical style, it’s not thin or weak. You still have that weighted and moist body to notes which doesn’t sound too wide in presence, or too flat to my ears. There’s some depth there, some roundness, some tactile feel and kinetic force which maneuvers around with pretty good agility for a $200 hybrid. You also won’t hear any sort of “one-noted” replay between the sub & mid-bass. I hear decent definition and good distinction between the two, not just a blur of bass. I hear a nice macro sense of details coming from this bass region. Of course, there are some overly bassy songs which will make me a liar to a degree. However, for the most part this is a well tuned bass which suits the 61T overall tuning beautifully, acting as sort of a foundation for the rest of the mix. Possibly even a focal point. Oh and one more thing, this is not what I would consider to be a “basshead” iem. It just misses that moniker for me.
Sub-bass
The sub-bass isn’t polite, it isn’t weak, and it isn’t sloppy. It’s none of those things. Instead, the sub-bass sets the tone, forms the foundation while adding good depth as it stretches the sound field a bit. Like I’ve said a few times, this is a sub-bass which adds texture to the sound, the guttural grit, like the meaty growl of a dirty bass guitar. The 61T’s “lowest of lows” will get you there. Listening to the track “Mancey” by Andrew Bird shows off this low droning rumble in a visceral way. What I like is that the sub-bass is not overbearing, at least for my ears. I’m sure some folks will think otherwise. The rumble is heavy when it needs to be, it’s weighted and solid in its note structure. Nothing plastic here. The song “Heavy is the Ocean” by Bush is another track which shows off a growling and mean bass guitar as the track begins with a bassy lead into the main verse. That bass guitar coincides with successive light kick drum booms and progressively gets speedier in tempo. The 61T sounds so authoritative folks! To add to that, I hear nice separation between instruments down low.
Mid-bass
The mid-bass is slightly less authoritative. Actually, I should say it’s less emphasized in comparison to the sub-bass, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a very nice impact and boom. To me the mid-bass is actually pretty nimble and rather dexterous depending on the track you’re playing at any given moment. In some ways the mid-bass is atmospheric and warm and in others it speeds right along with transients which can attack and release fairly quickly. All the while I hear good dense notes. Of course, much will depend on the track but the 61T is well able to replay a swift or even complicated bass passage. Obviously, not to the speed and articulation of something like a good BA or planar but on the flip side the DD’s inside of the 61T sound authentic and full bodied. Great for big bass drops, synth, and bulbous resonant kick drums that require that satisfying thud. I hear that distinctly on the track “Billie Jean” by Weezer (Michael Jackson remake). Each successive kick drum is fast, thundering and never soft. Each kick drum thud has that tacky wet edge on attack followed by the earthy and weighted hollow boom with resonating harmonics. Also, bass guitar has good fullness. They sound dirty (in a good way), guttural enough and gravely. Like in the track “Groove” by Ray Wylie Hubbard. Notes are hard edged and crisp.
Downsides to the Bass Region
The downside for most folks will be the emphasis. That is usually the downside down low with a bass heavy iem. Not everyone will appreciate the warmth cast from the low-end and not everyone is going to be a fan of the slight masking that a bigger bass will provide on some tracks. Now, I don’t think it’s an issue and for a bigger bass I do feel that the 61T handles itself very well. However, you aren’t me and you may hate that. So… Downside. Honestly, that’s the only downside that I see. Many people really only want that tightly wound, always taught bass that comes and goes and doesn’t make any mess in the process. I get it. I like that too. The 61T is only partially that, but with a nice serving of meaty weight to go along with it.
Midrange
When listening to the midrange I find the 61T Butterfly to replay this area well. Now, this set is not a vocal centric iem and it doesn’t exactly specialize in this area. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t do a very good job. I spoke earlier that the mids were only partially recessed and to be 100% honest, they aren’t really “recessed” at all. Maybe a hair, I suppose. The bonus is that the midrange presence is very nice with the 61T’s black background. So recessed? Eh, not really. Anyways, this set has a U-shaped profile, but I could see someone saying it’s more W-shaped. The only thing that keeps me at U is the fact that the mids aren’t pushed overly forward. Juzear tuned this set very crafty, in a way that portrays solid vocals along with clean and clear instruments. Separation is even pretty good and detail retrieval is above average. There’s a sliver of warmth against a mostly neutral tonality across the midrange, which carries a lean-lush profile. Cohesion is also really nice in this area with the very slightest metallic timbre in the upper midrange. So, little in fact that… I wasn’t even going to mention it. I hear good crispness when a track calls for it with a nice underlying smoothness. Nothing peaky, nothing sibilant and nothing fatiguing to my ears either and the vocals are really nice.
It has a charm to it…
The midrange has good energy with good resolution apart from bassy tracks. The 61T has nice clarity as well, though that clarity focuses in an ever-so-slight warmer setting. I don’t hear a congested sound and separation of instruments and voices are very well done. I hear a nicely technical replay on a set that wasn’t tuned to be a traditionally “technical set”. This is still a more fun listen, less bright vibrance yet still a good and dynamic presentation. The 61T has a charm to its sound in my opinion. Is it perfect? C’mon, nothing is perfect. However, there is a certain authentic charisma to the sound. Of course, much will depend on your musical library, the source you listen with, etc. And obviously much will depend on your taste and preferences. So, there are variables which can teeter the listening experience one way or another. Still, for the most part I’ve really enjoyed what Juzear accomplished with the 61T Butterfly.
Lower-midrange
I love good male vocals and I like how the 61T is tuned to add just a light feathering of energy into this area. The bass just barely spills over into the midrange and just barely pushes some added warmth into this region. Just enough to give males a little realistic authority to their voices. Just enough to help a man sound like a man. I call it lean-lush which kind of tells the tale here. It isn’t straight-up “thick”, it isn’t super rich and robust. But it is robust enough to give weight to strings, some resounding underlying vibrance to piano, and some solid “pang” to snares. However, I like a male voice with this set. Listening to Calum Scott in the song “You are the Reason” shows off just how melodic and clean the low-mids come across. The background is silent on this set which almost highlights Calum’s voice. It sounds great to me. A little weight, a little boldness, a little oomph to the body of his vocal notes. Another track is “Jake’s Piano” by Zach Bryan. His southern voice finds a home with this set as each and every inflection or shifting modulation in his voice is pretty clearly etched. Never edgy, never grainy. Not that I’ve noticed anyways. But again, there’s realistic and organic weight to his voice that isn’t too bogged down and full. There’s still some air to separate elements of the stage. Like I said, it’s a cleaner presentation. My opinion.
Upper-Midrange
Now, females in the upper midrange are a hair more forward, they have some slight shimmer to them, a bit more on a pedestal in comparison. There’s a bit more vigor and vivacious style timbre compared to the low-mids. You only have around 7 to 9 db’s of pinna gain against roughly 10-12 db’s of bass shelf. Still, the upper-mids have enough of a lift to bring some semblance of sparkly energy. Like I said a bit ago, there is some BA timbre which can show up. I hesitate even saying that because the sound is so very cohesive, and it almost melts into the overall character of the 61T perfectly. If that makes any sense to you. Anyways, female vocalists do stand out a hint more. Adele for instance comes across well weighted and every intonation in her perfectly melodic voice comes through beautifully in the track “Someone Like You”. There’s enough subtle warmth in the fundamental tone of her voice as well as her harmonics to convey some emotion to this song. Almost like there’s a moist edge, some texture, some tactility. It isn’t a dry and thin voice or overly rich either. Closer to neutral with a pinch of warmth. Most females come across well. For instance, Olivia Rodrigo in the song “Driver’s License”. Her voice shows off her teenage emotion very well with the 61T. She sounds very nice. Details in this region are also fairly easy to hear so long as the bass isn’t taking over the spectrum. There is layering of the sound as well which does seem to give a more holographic listen.
Midrange Instruments
Most instruments come across fairly organic apart from a hint of BA timbre in tracks which are a bit more energetic. Other than that, I don’t see many issues. The 61T is well tuned for what it is and “in general” a more fun sounding iem with expressive macro-dynamic energy which plays into most instruments. Now you don’t have the brighter tilt to some instruments that a more emphasized treble would’ve been able to color the midrange with. The 61T isn’t quite as luminant as some other sets in that regard. That said, I would never call the 61T dull or boring. It isn’t that. It simply doesn’t have the sheen of bright levity casted upon its midrange as some other sets like the Simgot EA1000 for example. A little more earthy, lusher, organic. What it also can provide is some nice transient behavior and decent separation of those instruments. Again, strings have good body, fantastic textured harmonics with very satisfying abrasiveness. Violin actually sounds very nice too, as in Lindsey Stirling’s album “Duality”. Pick a track. They can sound silvery, melodious, and slightly edgy too while harmonics are simply awesome. Percussion also sounds nice to my ears as they all have that good fundamental body, nothing splashy, good snap-on attack. I’m not going through every sort of instrument I’ve heard through this set and it’s best to just give a general idea about what you should expect. Otherwise, I’d be here all day. However, for the most part instrumentation sounds pretty good.
Downsides to the Midrange
The downsides of the midrange would probably come from those who desire a more clinical approach. Those who enjoy an analytical type of sound, dryer sounding, ultra speedy, and even more technically astute. The mids aren’t the airiest sounding in the world either. I’m sure some folks would want a bit more shimmer in their mids. Maybe a hint brighter energy and ear gain would make some folks happy. Transparency is pretty good, but I know there are plenty of hobbyists who want that crystal clear sound in conjunction with lightning-fast transients that a different tuning can provide. All in all, the midrange is a very nice mixture of musical and technical with a robust and semi-lush sound that should please the majority of people. Vocals are great, mids are lush and very pleasing to my ears.
Treble Region
The treble region comes across a bit less bright as a whole compared to some similarly priced sets, but I wouldn’t ever call it rolled-off of dark. The treble has enough of a rise to add some level of subdued brilliance against the rest of the mix. I’d say the treble adds quality energy bringing some some air between instruments and even enough levity to the mix to strike a decent balance, though everything does tilt to the left a bit. However, just because the treble isn’t overly emphasized and bright doesn’t mean that it isn’t a very talented treble region. You still have some good energy up top and even some very good extension into the upper treble. What you don’t have is any forced resolution brought on by strategic rises and peaks in the treble region. Juzear added just enough of a rise up top to keep the Integrity of the timbre and the overall cohesion in good standing. I wouldn’t enjoy this set nearly as much if they would’ve pushed the issue and boosted this region even more than it is. I find it perfect. Texture in the treble region is what does it for me. There’s a roundness to instruments and even some good bite up top. You may not have the pointed snap at attack like some good EST drivers, but for BA’s I am very happy with the treble.
Pretty quick
This is a quick treble too. Literally the 61T was able to take on any track I threw at it. Whether it was Yusef Lateef in the old school track “Bishop School” which has all kinds of treble activity, or whether it was “Secrets” from Billy Strings or even some Orchestral treble… The 61T does a very good job and does so without fatiguing the listener. On “Secrets”, I can hear each and every banjo string with good texture as Billy’s lightning-fast abilities are all caught in HD. I don’t hear that subtle smearing of treble tizz after the initial attack like so many sets do. The sound of each instrument is distinct from the next in a very transparent and clean treble presentation. Again, this is a quality treble region that doesn’t need to be overly boosted to hear its abilities. To add to that, detail retrieval in this region is actually great. Separation is also very nice. There is a crispness in the treble and slight crunch even which isn’t what I would’ve expected. Juzear nailed this one.
Again, I also hear very good extension which adds good air to the rest of the frequency. Usually, you’d hear a more emphasized treble region to establish decent air but that’s not really the case on this set. The secondary harmonics of a cymbal strike are very natural sounding to my ears. I love that I don’t hear that splashiness which so easily rears its ugly head. Instead, cymbals come across nicely bodied and the harmonics are clean.
Downsides to the Treble Region
There really aren’t many downsides that I could jot down here. I would say that treble heads may want even more brilliant energy and even more treble punch and texture. Maybe. Actually, treble heads will most definitely not be impressed with the output here. Honestly, Juzear really did a nice job creating a quality treble without the offense. Very nice job.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The soundstage is good. It’s a nicely laid-out sound field with what seems to be some dimensionality to it. Certainly not just a flat plane of sound in front of me. In the same breath the stage size is not going to change your life as these are iems so, keep that in mind. Still, for iems, the stage is above average with a very good and wide stage that helps greatly in separation and the feeling of extra space. The height is good too, but it’s the depth that gives this set its slight 3D style or holographic style presentation. It’s really a very nice stage. I hear actual layering of sounds too. I’d say that the soundstage presents a nicely open sound and a full sound as well.
Separation / Imaging
Separation of elements within the imaginary stage on the 61T is better than I would’ve ever thought just looking at the graph. I would’ve thought the sound would be a hint too stuffy to be able to add that distinction between instruments and vocalists. Well, I was wrong. I actually feel that instrument separation is very well done. For this tuning, with its slight warmth, bigger bass section, robust note weight to be defined enough, transient swift enough and transparent enough for good separation is quite awesome. Cause that’s what I hear. There is air between instruments, there are delineated elements within this psycho-acoustically rendered stage. I’m not saying the 61T is going to separate as well as a set that’s tuned for that purpose. However, for a musical iem to also come across this well done is quite good. Imaging follows suit and is spot-on to my ears. Left to right & front to back are separated & layered well with compartmentalized and partitioned off instrumentation. Not bad at all.
Detail Retrieval
Now we come to detail retrieval. Once again, the 61T finds itself outperforming my expectations. Certainly, this is not a detail monster and bass heavy tracks will mask some of those details. However, all things considered the 61T is far better than I thought going into this review. Obviously a more analytically tuned, dry, more thin sounding set with a more illuminated treble region will draw out more subtleties within my music. However, for what the 61T Butterfly is, it does detail retrieval nicely.
Comparisons
Aful Performer 5 ($219)
The Aful Performer 5 (or P5 as I’ll call it) is one of those sets that took the hobby by storm. It was one of those sets that was on everyone’s lips and to be quite honest, it was hyped quite a lot. That said, the hype was justified as far as I’m concerned. It’s a very nice sounding set. A bit different from the 61T but we will get into that in a bit. The P5 is a five driver Hybrid iem consisting of one dynamic driver and four balanced armature drivers. Aful also added in a ton of tech and ingenuity inside of this set which you can read about here. The P5 can be found for as low as $175 at the moment.
Differences
The original MSRP of both sets is about equal. Now, the 61T does have a couple more drivers as it’s a 1DD/6BA hybrid. The Juzear 61T Butterfly is also a bit larger in size so be aware of that if ever these are two sets that you are debating against. I feel the 61T is much better accessorized which really just comes down to the cable. Folks that cable with the 61T is absolutely amazing. It blows the doors off of the P5 cable. Now both sets are built relatively the same. Both are made of all resin, 3D printed, both are not super heavy, and both are pretty durable. However, when it comes to appearances, I do believe that the design of the 61T is on another level. That’s just me though. I could definitely envision some people not enjoying the 61T’s elaborate design and preferring the P5’s instead. Not me. That 61T is gorgeous. In the end, both sets are good looking, and both built well, and both come well equipped.
Sound Differences
Between the two I find the P5 to be a hint closer to neutral whereas the 61T has a slight bit more warmth. Very close though. The 61T has a denser and more extended bass. More concrete and defined whereas the P5 actually comes across almost pillowy. Still pretty deep and emphasized but not as clean as the 61T either. The midrange of the 61T has a slightly thicker note weight, more authentic in that regard. However, the P5 has more shimmer in its upper-mids, a bit more sparkly and crisper by a very slight margin. The treble of the 61T comes across with a hint better body, more punch while the P5 has the smoother treble of the two. I find the 61T also has better extension up top. Not really as emphasized but more realistic to upper treble harmonics. Both sets offer very nice detail retrieval for what they are, both have a fun sound, and both have very nice timbre throughout. The stage of the 61T is wider, deeper and more 3D. Honestly, both sets are phenomenal, but the 61T is just a bit more refined to my ears. That said, the P5 is a hair brighter, more neutral and with a bit more luminant energy.
Final thoughts on this comparison
This is a close battle but for me I would take the 61T all day and every day. It’s simply a better sounding set to me. I really enjoy them both, but I simply hear a more holographic sound out of the 61T with a more engaging and immersive sound. Both are nice sets and great for any collection.
Is it worth the asking price?
The one question I get asked more than most anything else besides how wide the nozzles are is whether the set I’m reviewing is actually even worth the asking price, or are there better sets for less, or comparable sets for less? The truth is, yes, there are some very good iems for less money. Are they comparable? Maybe. Also, by what metric? We pay hundreds of dollars for incremental changes in this hobby folks. Now, I don’t feel that you will find better than the 61T for that price. Not in a hybrid set. Providing that the 61T fits your listening preferences. Coincidentally, that is who this question is for. I’m not answering this for someone who hates this sound signature. Anyways, there are a ton of great iems around the $200 price point. Not just hybrids too. There is a slew of great single DD sets, planars, all balanced armature sets. However, I honestly don’t feel that you will find a straight-up “better” hybrid iem around this price. In fact, I feel you have to go a bit higher in price to find something comparable in the Dunu X-Gizaudio DaVinci (DaVinci Review), the Yanyin Canon II (Canon II Review) and many many more. Folks, I could not in good conscience report to any of you that this set isn’t worth the $212 asking price. Without question the 61T Butterfly is worth every penny and is a very good buy.
The Why…
Have you seen this set? Look at this masterclass in design and aesthetic. My word Juzear! Great work! Not only does it look absolutely DOPE! But it’s also built and accessorized to the nines. That cable looks like it should come with a $1k set. Shoot, I’d almost buy the 61T simply for the cable! Okay I went a bit too far with that one, but man it’s a nice cable. Looks awesome, built awesome, and accessorized well. However, it’s all about the sound folks. The bass digs very deep, hits hard, it’s impactful, authoritative and can flat out bang. Yet it’s also nimble, ductile, and relatively quick without lingering lag in its harmonics. The midrange is great too. Thicker note weight, authentic, realistic but yet separated very well. The mids are well detailed, not sluggish, not veiled and clean. Best of all the vocals on this set are way better than I would’ve thought. The treble is extended very well yet non fatiguing. It has some bite, some punch, some body and is detailed well enough. No forced resolution on this set. Technically the 61T surprised me. Again, separation is very nice for a set with actual body to its notes. Imaging is pretty much spot on across the board and the stage has a holographic and deep feel to it. To be honest, the 61T Butterfly hits in almost all areas very well. It’s a very nice iem folks and yes, it’s worth the asking price.
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 Juzear 61T Butterfly ratings below, that would be $150-$250 multi-driver hybrid iems. 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. $150-$250 US hybrid iems is a decent sized scope of iems, and it’s also pretty competitive, though it’s not out of the question to see a rating above a “9.0”. 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: 9.7 Built well, all resin, very nice.
–Look: 9.9 Stunning & pleasing to the eye.
–Fit/Comfort: 9.3 Fit and comfort is great for me.
–Accessories: 9.5 Best cable in the price point.
–Overall: 9.6🔥🔥
Sound Rating
–Timbre: 9.1 Organic, natural, robust.
–Bass: 9.6 Big, deep, authoritative, clean, defined.
–Midrange: 9.3 Musical and engaging.
–Treble: 9.1 Talented treble region, non-offensive.
–Technicalities: 8.9 Technically great, better than expected.
–Musicality: 9.5. Very musical sound.
–Overall: 9.3🔥🔥🔥
Ratings Summary:
To summarize the ratings above I’d start by saying that I’m rating these from the perspective of someone who enjoys this tuning. Just saying that gets a lot of the confusion out of the way. Also, I don’t think there is any rating that I would change on here. If you take a broad scope of the lot of iems that I rated this set against, it’s a good portion of iems. Every multi-driver hybrid set between $150 and $250 US. That’s a very competitive range. Thankfully I had many on hand to actually compare against. One of my favorite parts of any review is deciding which sets fit my criteria. I went with $150-$250 because it just felt right. Trying to think of a consumer as best I can. I suppose I could’ve gone with $200 to $300 but if someone can afford a $300 iem, they are not likely going to go with a much less expensive set. We want the best we can get. So, $150 to $250 seemed to make sense. Maybe not. Also, these are ridiculous ratings folks. I don’t agree with them and barely can get myself to do them every review. They don’t help, they generalize too much for something which takes a ton of nuance to explain, and people put way too much stock into them. Anyways, you all know how I feel… moving on.
Explain Yourself!
There are only a few ratings which I feel some folks may take issue with. For one I’d say that the treble rating would most certainly rub some people the wrong way. What gives? The 61T isn’t even that emphasized, it isn’t overly brilliant and doesn’t really elevate the tonal color of the overall sound? The reason I gave the 61T a 9.1 against the range is because this treble is nicely refined, it isn’t going to cause any headaches or earaches because of too much shrillness and glare. It is nicely rounded and has some bite, and even some crunch from time to time. The treble is nicely detailed and well extended. No, it isn’t emphasized to the moon but that doesn’t make it bad. In fact, I kinda think it’s what makes this set good. The only other rating worth explaining is my “Timbre” rating. I gave the 61T a rating of “9.1”. Now, there are some other hybrid sets which come across with better timbre, or more natural. Interestingly enough, those sets rate higher. I think a “9.1” is a legit score. Yes, I spoke on the fact that the 61T does have a slight, very slight, very very slight bit of metallic BA timbre in some tracks. Honestly, I don’t find it that annoying or even too apparent either. To my ears the timbre on this set is great. Every other rating is what it is, you may agree or disagree and that’s okay.
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the Juzear 61T Butterfly, I want to first say a huge thank you to the good folks over at HiFiGo. Their store has darn near everything, competitive prices and good customer service. However, what I love about them (as a reviewer) is that they have never even hinted at trying to tell me what to write in any review. They take constructive thoughts very well and they are always informative. The rep I deal with has never asked to pre-read any review and has never stopped dealing with me over a less than stellar review. Honestly, I cannot thank HiFiGo enough and the 61T is a great set to feature and so I thank you HiFiGo.
This has been a fun one to review. You have zero idea how many sets I get in that are not that great. You never hear about them from me because I don’t review what I don’t enjoy. Or at least a good portion of hobbyists would enjoy. I wanted to begin writing about this set after my first listen as it just sparked something in me. It has been a lot of fun, and I can say that the Juzear 61T Butterfly is an easy recommendation for me.
Other perspectives
Please check out other thoughts about this set friends. Read, watch, or listen-to other perspectives, because I’m only me. These words you see here are my personal opinions and we are all so very different in how we perceive our music. The guy next to me may hate the 61T. I don’t know how anyone could hate this set but I’m not the next guy. So please check out other thoughts. These sets are a ton of money and $212 is a boatload of cash for the great majority of our world. Not everyone can afford to be wrong about these iems and audio devices. So again, look into other opinions and I do hope that you find the perfect device to make for the best listening experience for your dollar. Okay, I think I’m done. Thank you to each and every one of you who chose to read my thoughts. It means more than you know, and I do hope it helps you. Take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!
