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Technical Performance
The Ceres has good resolution and detail retrieval. It lacks some cohesiveness though, all thanks to its huge mid-bass and recess mid-range. The sound-stage surprises a bit with a wide and deep performance for the price. It has good positioning and stereo image which gives a good atmosphere. However, the background performance is not the cleanest out there and sometimes it feels too busy and congested with fast tracks that have a lot of instruments. It doesn’t happen with slow to moderate paced songs though.
Also, the depth of the sound stage is particularly good. It also has good layering performance for this budget level, which provides a very good experience. Overall Ceres performs well when it comes to technicalities and the best part about it are stereo imaging and staging. If only it had a more cohesive presentation with a better mid-range response.
Comparisons
The Rouge has better balance, cleaner mid-range with better resolution. It has a rather bright and detail-oriented nature, but it has a more controlled bass. It has a very resolving nature with good transparency. The mid-range has good warmth and body. The Rouge also has a great balance and cohesiveness across the spectrum. Overall I find it better than Ceres.
Perhaps my favourite Shozy IEM in the sub-200$ range, Form 1.4 is a very coherent IEM. It’s full-bodied, warm, organic, and musical. Its mids have good resolution and transparency, instruments have good definition and body when needed. Therefore I find the 1.4 to be quite successful in the mid area. The Ceres however doesn’t have the same success in the mid-range, which makes it a limited IEM when it comes to genre variety. The 1.4 I think is the better all-around performer.
The L4 has a fantastic faceplate, a much better cable, better packaging and sound tuning switches. Sound-wise it is a fresh-sounding, clean, energetic, and a bit bright monitor with a spacious presentation. The Ceres sounds veiled in comparison, and although it also has a good bass texture and impact, the L4 has better control and pace in this area.
The Ceres has warmer mids but with less definition and clarity. I think its timbre is better than the L4, but you can’t quite enjoy it because the mids are distant. You might like the Ceres’ mid-range better since it has more body and better tonality, but the clarity in the L4 is better. So it’s a matter of personal preference.
The L4 has articulated and well-extended treble, but it’s also extremely detailed for the price. The Ceres is also good in the treble, and it’s actually more controlled and gives a smoother delivery, but the L4 detail level is very impressive.
Conclusion
The Shozy Ceres performs pretty much like Form 1.1. The mid-bass approach and the recessed mid-range are similar. The Ceres has better treble, staging, separation and imaging with a bit better resolution. However, it lacks clarity, mid-range definition and accentuation, and mid-bass control.
The IEM definitely has the potential to be a great bang for buck product with a more refined presentation with better coherency. The design, build quality and fit are all great, and if Shozyy can come with an improved version of this, I think it might be very successful. Yet, I would still recommend the Shozy Rouge, or better yet, Form 1.4. If you look for other brands, the Legacy 4 is the better option.
Page 1: About Shozy and Ceres
Page 2: Sound
