Yanyin Canon II: A cleaner, more refined version of the OG Canon. But is that necessarily a good thing?

Pros

• Good quality cable and carrying case
• Amazing aesthetics and lightweight build 
• Surprisingly easy to drive
• Well textured bass
• Midrange is quite clean with a touch of warmth
• Lush, bodied male vocals 
• Relaxing female vocals
• Smooth, inoffensive treble 
• Well extended and airy treble presentation
• Great technicalities

Cons

• Only barebone accessories for a product of this tier
• Switches don't do too much 
• Boomy bass (can be mitigated a bit with switch settings) 
• Female vocals lacking a bit of energy
• Upper midrange transition to lower treble is somewhat gritty 

Disclaimer

• Huge thanks to Yanyin for providing the opportunity for me to review the Yanyin Canon II via a tour. I really do appreciate it. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own, and are not influenced in any way. 

Price(MSRP)

• $379.00

Source(s)

• Jcally JM6 Pro
• Truthear Shio
• FiiO KA13

Ear tips

• Dunu S&S

Packaging

• IEM.
• Attached to 1 pair of generic silicone ear tips (M sized)
• Hard case. 
• Leather-ish texture.
• 3 pairs of genetic silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
• Switch toggle pin
• 4-strand graphene single crystal copper silver-plated Cable
• Very premium and comfortable cable
• Tangles a little bit from time to time.

Build Quality

• Resin shell, quite lightweight and solidly built

Fit

• Nozzle has average width but slightly shorter than average.
  
• Fit is quite comfortable for me, but it is quite large and bulky. 
• Had no issues with the ear hooks of the stock cable as well, really comfy.

Tonality

• Very mild V shaped, close to neutral with bass boost
• For the switches, the changes are very subtle, but they do still make a difference in my listening experience, more as a fine tuning option. 
• The changes are mainly in the bass region. (U = Up, D = Down)

• UU - Most amount of sub bass and mid bass, makes the bass sounds quite boomy and smeared the midrange a little bit. 

• UD/DU - Middle between the UU and DD configuration, perfect if you find UU configuration  a little boomy or thick but DD configuration too clean. 

• DD - Noticeably less boomy from UU configuration , but there is still a tiny bit of it. Midrange is also significantly cleaner and less smeared by the mid bass.

• The review below will be based on the DD configuration.

Bass

• Adequate amount of sub bass, but mid bass is somewhat more prominent than the sub bass.
• Sub bass rumble is present and goes sufficiently deep but nothing too impressive.
• Mid bass has good slam, impact, body, and really good texture. 
• Overall, it is very satisfying, and I really enjoy them. Really sounds different compared to a lot of other IEMs I have tried, credits to the biological dynamic driver.
• However, the bass can get a little boomy sometimes, and it is more noticeable especially in the UU config. I also hope that the bass can be a touch tighter and faster. 
• Quantity is sufficient to be fun and engaging enough but definitely not enough for bass heads.

Midrange

• Midrange has that touch of warmth to make it sound decently natural, while maintaining good clarity and cleanliness. Also slightly recessed. 
• Male vocals performs quite well, decently lush with good forwardness to it. Has enough body to not sound too thin but not overly hefty to the point where they sound muddy.
• Female vocals takes a more relaxing position, being pushed off a little more compared to male vocals. 
• While it sounds pleasing and smooth for the most part, I noticed some unevenness in the extension and the last notes of female vocals, which somewhat annoys me.
• This is especially noticeable for energetic female vocals with a higher pitch.
• Instruments and overall midrange is natural enough for a hybrid, no hints of metallic BA timbre throughout except the weird upper midrange and lower treble which sounds unnatural to me.
• Note weight and density is more on the neutral side which doesn't come off as overly thin or hefty, maybe a hint of thinness on the upper midrange but that's about it.

Treble

• Treble is on the relaxed side, barely enough sparkle to not sound dull but treble heads definitely wants more.
• Lower treble which extends from the upper midrange sounds somewhat gritty to my ears, but get smoother as it progresses to mid treble and upper treble.
• Other than the uneven lower treble, everything else sounds quite smooth.
• Extension is excellent, it is very well extended up to the upper treble and sounds very airy.
• Details are present and can be perceived easily, and they don't sound too forced in your face.

Technicalities

Resolution

• Resolution and detail retrieval is really good, considering that the details are not overly emphasized or highlighted.
• I'm not sure if it competes with the most detailed IEMs of this range like the Blessing 3 as I don't personally own something within this range, but from my previous short experience with Blessing 3, I think it does holds up fairly well.

Soundstage

• Soundstage is quite spacious and wide with decent depth and height, nothing overly impressive but not too bad either. 

Imaging

• Imaging and accuracy is average, I can track most positions roughly but can't pinpoint the most precise locations and placements of everything.
  

Separation

• Separation and layering is good. 
• Instruments and vocals have a really clean separation among each other, which is expected of a hybrid of this caliber. 

Conclusion

• As a conclusion, I think the Yanyin Canon II is a pretty safe and well balanced IEM with competent technical capabilities which competes fairly well against competitors in this price bracket. 
• However, the upper midrange to lower treble transition is just weird and uneven from my own personal listening experience, which makes energetic female vocals sound a little gritty.
• I prefer a slightly more energetic and smoother transition 
• It might not be a deal breaker for some, but it is for me.
• Personally, I still prefer the OG Canon, which sounds more natural, engaging and exciting to my ears. The female vocals on the Canon II is just not doing enough for me, but other fields such as technicalities and venting is definitely a step up from the original. 
• I did not write a detailed comparison as I don't personally own the OG Canon, but I have tried it multiple times from my friend.
• However, your preference may vary. I personally prefer a smother and slightly more energetic approach for female vocalist.

　

Thanks for reading!