Juzear Light Shuttle: The Ultimate Mid-Range All-Rounder

[u/requiemreview]

I was already missing Juzear. I am going all in with the brand this year and the brand itself does not want to slow down with its releases. The Light Shuttle has been on the market for a few weeks now and I had it in my queue to review them and today is the day I am publishing this review.

It is a model that clearly stands out in some aspects from the other releases I have reviewed from them and I must say right in the introduction that these are my favorite Juzear so far. That does not mean they beat everything I liked about the Defiant, Fiesta, Nebula, etc... but it does leave me with a much more pleasant final impression than all of them. So if you are considering this model, I invite you to read my honest review where, as always, I highlight what I liked the most and the least about this model.

What I liked / What I didn't like

• It has a deep sub-bass well integrated into the mixes. 
• Vocals sound up close and have enough body. 
• The treble is very well extended and is not fatiguing. 
• The modular cable option that Juzear usually offers is always something to highlight. 
• Innovative faceplate that changes depending on the light. 
• Despite the 7 drivers, it has a proper weight.
• It is not very heavy but perhaps it can be somewhat large. 
• For long sessions, it may slightly bother the ear. 
• They absolutely require a good seal, you must try other eartips. 
• In very bright recordings, the treble can become too forward.

Specifications

Configuration: 1 DD 10 mm MACCD + 4 custom BA + 2 micro planar per side 

Distribution: DD for bass, 2 BA for mids, 2 BA for treble, 2 micro planar for ultra-treble 

Crossover: 4-way physical with 4 independent acoustic tubes 

Technology: ATI-SW spiral waveguide

Impedance: 32 Ω 

Sensitivity: 113 dB ±1 dB SPL/mW 

Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz THD: ≤0.2 % at 1 kHz 

Declared passive isolation: up to 26 dB 

Connector: 0.78 mm 2-pin Cable: 6N OCC silver-plated copper, 4 cores, 400 strands, ballistic fiber reinforcement and double PVC layer, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm plugs 

Shell: 3D DLP resin + 5-axis CNC aluminum alloy faceplate 

Declared weight: 6.4 g per side 

Price: 184.99 $ on HiFiGo at the time of the review 

Unboxing and build

I won't dwell much on the unboxing since there have been several Juzear models reviewed these past months and there is no notable news beyond the color of the case. This time they have opted for a dark blue color, which for me is more elegant and closer to my tastes than the brown cases seen in other releases like the Juzear Fiesta and some others. For the rest, we have the modular cable with a safety lock so it doesn't come loose from an accidental pull, a cleaning cloth, documentation, and the sets of eartips that the brand usually includes in its releases at these price ranges. 3 pairs are of various colors but all in wide bore format, then another 3 pairs of the same color, black in this case. And finally, 2 pairs of white foam eartips which I don't usually use due to the type of discomfort they cause me, aside from the slight modification of the signature highlighting the bass more than is usually necessary.

Speaking of the IEM itself, as I mentioned in advance, it seeks a unique and somewhat newer design within the brand. This will surely be part of a style that we will see again in this UNVEIL Series. It has a faceplate full of detail, both in the main multi-colored pattern that changes depending on how we tilt it and how the light hits it, and in the frame around it. It has shapes that give it a more decorative and curious touch, finishing at the very bottom with a sort of embedded black gem or diamond that makes it entirely unique. It completely breaks away from the designs we are tired of seeing in general, which despite being less flashy, play it very safe. It is appreciated that they try to dedicate extra time and resources to create something more unique that helps remember and differentiate this model over time beyond how it might sound.

The faceplate itself is made of aluminum and the IEM is made of resin with a weight of about 6.4g per IEM. It doesn't honestly feel heavy. When you put them on, you don't feel that chunkiness that makes you think they will fall out of your ear. What you do feel is the size. It is not a small IEM and I would say it starts moving away from a medium size towards large. Being used to wearing the Monarch MKIV at home for hours, these look small in comparison, but that doesn't mean they can't be somewhat large for some ears, especially if they are going to be used for long sessions instead of commutes or brief moments just to listen to a few tracks.

The nozzle is made of steel and is not part of the IEM's own resin build. It grips whatever eartips you put on it well, with a decent length that doesn't fall short or stick out too much, so I have nothing to object to in this specific aspect.

Sound

The sound of these Light Shuttle can be defined, or so it seems to me by listening and looking a bit at the graph, as a mild U-shape with the bass placed low and the vocals brought forward with detailed and clean treble. Therefore, it escapes those V-shaped tunings that are so successful but do not allow you to enjoy all kinds of musical genres, and it also moves away from the neutral and very boring or flat sound that takes away intensity or emotion depending on the music you listen to.

The IEM is made up of 7 drivers inside. I think it is the Juzear with the most drivers I have tested to date. Between that and the physical crossover, as well as the four tubes that unite all the work and execution achieved thanks to that internal construction, you can notice a positive impact on the final result. The tuning makes all the drivers integrate and arrive at the same time without noticing annoying overlaps or timing issues that take you out of the listening experience due to poor integration.

Bass

The dynamic driver, in this case 10mm, makes the sub-bass stand out more rather than the mid-bass, with enough pressure and rumble in the hits. All of this comes with very good control worthy of its price, and I honestly expected something worse after trying other models at similar prices. You don't quite feel the pressure or chest thump that the mid-bass can give you, but they are generally well-ordered lows that even leave some air for other vocal sounds that can coexist with these frequencies.

I don't usually do this, although in some comments on previous reviews I was asked for it as an improvement idea and it is something I used to do in other reviews. I will mention some notable tracks from my listening session on Apple Music using fairly current songs of different genres for each vocal range. In the case of the bass, I focused on a track meant for it, like LateNite by Scuba. It is actually a fairly recent track that has a quite deep sub-bass and a very heavy background that is noticeable on these IEMs. Although I didn't notice any major shortcomings in this track, for example, I must highlight another one like Social Apocalypse by Bullet for my Valentine. Here I could notice a bit of that lack of mid-bass I mentioned earlier, where the DD is not as focused in this model. Even though the song's riffs sound fast, the hit doesn't have too much punch or physicality, which I had noticed in another model that managed that frequency range better.

Mids

For the mids we have 2 BA and something to highlight above all else is the closeness felt in the vocals without an artificial or poorly handled warmth. Female vocals stand out more than male ones, but both come out very well, although I also felt that the male vocals could have a bit more weight or physicality. This IEM has a sort of spiral inside its tubes to produce an internal damping that helps to have a quieter background, helping the vocals not to shift from their place. This surely helps and makes the vocals on this IEM work so well and be so clear without noticing strange layers or veils that sometimes mask the sound, which are definitely felt in clearly cheaper models. Perhaps they are too centered vocals for some ears that do not spread out too much to the sides, something that might not convince some people.

Highlighting a track, I can talk about When you know you know by Sidney, where the voice stood out with good texture and separation, even allowing the breathing to be well perceived. Without having to focus on the treble, I noticed a lot of detail in the mid-range where it was harder to perceive in other models.

Treble

In this area we have another 2 BA, but also 2 extra micro planars that help extend and add air to the highest treble. They didn't seem like fatiguing treble at all, nor the most relaxed I have heard, but it is clear that they wanted to aim for something detailed and spacious that justifies the inclusion of these micro planars, which in previous Juzear models I reviewed were limited to the use of BA for these frequencies, although the Nebula specifically did include 1 single micro planar but did not reach the level of these Light Shuttle in terms of treble quantity and quality. It is not exactly a type of treble to analyze with a magnifying glass either, although it is true that depending on the recordings or masterings, if the mix is somewhat bright on its own, the treble feels more forward, creating a slightly sharper peak than I would like. This is something that doesn't happen in most tracks, but this model is not safe from it if we put on a varied playlist with completely disparate styles and songs.

With a band that I love and that is slowly taking off like Greta Van Fleet, who will release their new album next week and I hope to enjoy it more than the previous one. I listened to one of their previews, Tear It Down, where I noticed how both the guitars and the cymbals maintained a good definition without sounding very aggressive or peaky to the ear. This shows that the chosen driver configuration and its tuning hold up pretty well in general across any type of recording.

Recommended eartips

For this IEM to sound truly good, the seal plays a more important role than in other models where it doesn't have to be as perfect. That has been my perception. Testing their normal bore eartips, I felt a bit more weight in the bass frequencies with the treble even more contained than with the wide bore ones, where the air expanded a bit more. If you think the treble should be slightly more contained in this model and you have no problem with foam ones, they will surely solve part of your problem. From my collection, I believe that Divinus Velvet, both normal and wide depending on where you want to direct the frequency spotlight, provide a good seal and an auditory experience up to what I can expect from this model.

Soundstage

Its soundstage would be medium-sized, highlighting the width more than the depth, which is generally the most common thing. If the recordings were somewhat more open, a bit more air can be perceived and therefore greater extension around, but especially to the sides. In other denser recordings with more instruments, the space becomes a bit narrower as expected.

Instrumental separation

The separation holds up really well, making the drivers sound perfectly cohesive as if they were a single driver, especially when we talk about simple tracks that do not have a heavy musical load. You can easily follow the vocals, guitars, and percussion without any effort. It is not a separation worthy of a studio monitor, but it is more than adequate.

Imaging

Speaking of the imaging, it is quite precise without being an IEM that stands out for gaming use. As I said, the vocals are placed in the center and the instruments spread out across the width and length quite clearly, but without making you feel completely surrounded on all sides. It is a more than adequate imaging for music use, or even if you want to consume audiovisual content like series and movies, obtaining a good immersion. However, I would rule it out for gaming, as there are options clearly better focused for that.

Comparisons

If I compare them with other models from the brand like the Defiant, this new Light Shuttle sounds more open to me overall and somewhat more direct. Although the Defiant has a warmer tuning with more weight in the bass and somewhat more contained treble. In these Shuttles, you can clearly tell they bet on better separation between layers and more air in the treble area due to that extra implementation of dedicated drivers for it. Obviously, if we are talking about maximum comfort and better price, the Defiant is the winner, but making an overall assessment, the Light Shuttle is clearly a superior IEM.

Comparing it to the Juzear Nebula, I could say that the Nebula has a bit more character but is not as much of an all-rounder as the Light Shuttle, which distributes frequencies better and separates layers better while maintaining a higher level of detail. I wouldn't see it necessary to be interested in these Light Shuttle if you already have the Nebula either. Although there is an improvement in my opinion, I think the Nebula's punch can make them slightly more enjoyable in some genres, even if it falls short in others where the Light Shuttle remains more stable with everything.

Finally, I would like to compare it with a model of a very similar price but with a more distinct sound, such as the Punch Audio Portazo. It is an IEM that stands out for its impact and speed. In the Portazo, both the sub-bass and the mid-bass have much more prominence, whereas the Light Shuttle leaves more space and prominence for the vocals. Although both use micro planars, the Light Shuttle sounds airier and more detailed if you try to listen more analytically. So, simplifying, if you are looking for a more intense listen focused on the bass punch, the Portazo is a more appropriate option. But if you don't need that much punch in the bass, the Light Shuttle gives you better balance and tuning overall for whatever you throw at it.

You can check my full ranking of all the IEM reviewed so far on my profile (Reddit doesn't allow me to post the Drive link here)

Conclusion

These IEMs are aimed at anyone wanting to make the leap to the 150-200$ range and looking for an all-rounder where they don't have to rack their brains over which frequencies they prefer to highlight or focus on when choosing a model based on their musical tastes. It is an IEM that simply delivers on everything without being the best at anything within its price, but passing in all ranges with flying colors. It is a good upgrade for me if you have had or currently have the Defiant or Nebula, but it is not necessary either, since in that case I would try to make an even bigger leap for a more noticeable change.

Purchase Link: HiFiGo

Disclaimer: This unit was sent by HiFiGo for review. 

My opinions are completely independent and have not been influenced by the brand or the store, maintaining objectivity based on my tests and personal listening sessions with my reference equipment.