Sometimes, all you need is clarity to know that peace is all that matters

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PRICE: $109 (PHP. 5,400.00)

PROS:

• Great unboxing and inclusions
• Solid build and fit
• Beautiful shell design (bias)
• Exceptionally neutral sound signature
• Clean, impactful subbass
• Neutral, reference like midrange
• Well presented, fatigue free treble
• Decent techs for the price

CONS:

• Unnecessarily difficult to open carrying box
• Earhooks are a little tight on first listen
• Occasionally boring tonality
• Lacks midbass texture
• Occasional metallic sounding mid-treble
• Lacks sparkle and air
• Somewhat cramped staging

WHO THIS UNIT IS FOR:

• People who want a very clean, reference like sound signature
• People who like a very aesthetically pleasing, unique design
• People who like to EQ
• People who like a non-fatiguing sound

WHO THIS UNIT ISN’T FOR:

• People who want a fun sound
• People who want a pocketable, intuitive case
• Trebleheads
• Bassheads

RECOMMENDED GENRES:

• Classical
• Live Recordings (in general)
• Vocal-centric genres (e.g. Adult Contemporary)
• Jazz

SHORT REVIEW:

The Letshuoer Galileo is Letshuoer’s latest collab and Gizaudio’s first and marks Timmy as one to have a great taste in tuning as the Galileo is one of the smoothest sounding IEMs you can get on a budget. However, that comes at the cost of a fun, engaging listen and that rolled off treble that might turn some people off. However, it’s so versatile that I think it’s a must-buy.

RECCOMENDED!

FULL REVIEW:

One of the things I love about the reviewer collab IEMs is their power to create something that they see is lacking in the market. Whether it’d something so outlandish and crazy or something that aligns closely to the person’s target. Regardless, reviewers often have a goal in the IEMs that they tune. The Letshuoer x Gizaudio Galileo is one such IEM that, I’d be brave to say captures its goal of being one of the smoothest sounding and graphing IEM to near perfection. For an extortionist price of $110.

DISCLAIMER:

^{This unit was tested as a tour unit provided by our good friends at HiFiGo and managed by Mr. Neil Clark of Practiphile. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. However, I was not paid to say anything and all my thoughts and opinions on this review are mine and mine alone. Audio is a very subjective hobby and as much as I try to objectively explain my thoughts and opinions, your mileage will vary. My preferences will also affect how I perceive the gear that I review. Sources and other accessories will also modify your experience. Lastly, my reviews should always be used only as a guide and not as the definitive bible. Trust your ears to know what’s good.}

SOURCES USED:

1. Zishan U1
2. VE Megatron
3. Not-by-VE Abigail
4. Huawei Nova 7 SE

TRACKS USED:

A mixture of lossy, lossless and Hi-Res files will be used to give a general overview of the different formats in which the gear will be used.

Docs file explaining each track and what to look for: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oMa7GPLaqtpnnoR9tixvWI4aK-7tXMyTEZCJAVkIZx0/edit

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3O9IoiZqDL0IMhfkfVUN82?si=aa357ce8856d4e79

PREFERENCES:

I currently prefer a lot of R&B, Indie, Funk and Adult Contemporary. However, I am very flexible with the music that I listen to and always try to look for the best genres for the gear.

ACCESSORIES USED:

Tips:

• Stock tips (in S&M)
• Final E (in S&M)
• Newbees (in S&M)
• TIN HiFi Blues

Cable:

• Stock Cable

NOTE ON ACCESSORIES:

I found that the stock tips were perfectly fine with the Galileo, however using foams tips alleviated a little bit of the pressure that was slowly building up in my ear and also thickened the tonality to my preference.

BEHIND THE BRAND:

Before we talk about the IEM, let’s talk about the masterminds behind it first. Starting with the manufacturer, Letshuoer is a brand many of us are familiar with due to their rise to prominence with the likes of the S12 and its many variants. Founding in 2016, they’re consistent of audiophiles in pursuit of the ultimate HiFi experience and their products are 100% designed and hand-assembled in house.

Gizaudio in the other hand is a prominent audio review channel and blog that has garnered over 27,000 subscribers and is one of the first few review channels I was exposed to coming into the hobby. Timmy Vangtan is the tuner behind the Galileo with the goal of creating the smoothest sounding and graphing IEM in the “budget” segment. And today, we’ll be taking a look at how well Timmy and Letshuoer were able to achieve that goal.

UNBOXING:

The box of the Galileo is a very stunning artwork of what seems to be the universe and befitting text sprawled around the front. Letshuoer and Galileo are prominently printed along with the phrase, “The Echo of the Deep” and “Letshuoer Sound Alive”. It’s a somewhat minimalist design queue that emphasizes the beautiful artwork that teases you with the beauty of what’s to come. Behind the box shows the Galileo’s specs and some contact details.

Removing the sleeve reveals Letshuoer’s typography placed vertically on the side in a nice blue color and their logo printed on the top left.

Satisfyingly removing this cover up then finally reveals a few paperwork that includes a nice Galileo manual and two cards before finally revealing the magnificent IEMs and the big beefy case. We’ll go further in-depth with each inclusions but I have to say that the manual was an added touch that I absolutely adored. It included the graphs and specs as well as the usual manual stuff on how to wear the IEM and warranty instructions.

Removing the IEMs and the case reveals an empty box. Let’s then move unto the inclusions itself.

Here is a list of all the inclusions:

• Galileo IEMs
• 4-core Cable
• 1 hard case
• 3 pairs of white silicone tips
• 3 pairs of black silicone tips
• 1 instruction manual
• 1 warranty card
• 1 extra card

The tips included with the Galileo’s case are similar to the KBEAR/AET07 tips that are found in surprisingly many IEMs today. They’re fantastic tips and I will always vouch for them. There are also standard black silicone tips that I honestly just find to be disposable, but YMMV as these tips do fit better on some people’s ears based on my experience.

The case is quite interesting considering not only the price but just the material of the case itself. It’s a hard case that you could probably throw and it wouldn’t even budge (although I’ve been seeing instances of the case breaking apart so maybe not so much). However, the material isn’t my favorite. If some of you know those rubber material that gets icky after a while, that’s what the exterior base of the Galileo’s case is made of. Big yikes, but it’s a very sturdy case and I would totally use it to hold an IEM that I care about.

Now many of you who know about the Galileo are surely aware of the case. And yes, it is just as hard as people say it is to open. Thankfully, Joseph of Letshuoer provided us with a guide on how to open up the case. Basically, you press down on the case like a sandwich and then pull the tab down and towards you and voila! The infamously hard to open case is now easy peasy.

The unboxing is quite satisfying and the inclusions are solid, barring the case due to how hard it is to open without a guide and the material being that rubber that goes yucky. But for $110, this is definitely more than enough for anyone looking for a solid unboxing with generous inclusions.

BUILD AND FIT

Cable:

The cable of the Galileo is an OFC Silver plated 4-core cable that is terminated in either 3.5 or 4.4mm, is of about 1.2m in length and has an interface of 0.78mm 2-pin.

The build is definitely on the beefier side with an interesting stiff but malleable material that allows it to behave while feeling durable. Each strand feels quite thick and durable but never felt too hefty or weighty in any way. It is, however, definitely on the stiffer side which would occasionally make it feel a little bit janky to pull around. Due to the thickness, it does not tangle easy and when it does, it’s quite easy to untangle

There are thankfully no microphonics despite the textured and beefier nature which I absolutely adored as I really liked the stock cable.

Starting with the jack, it’s your standard 3.5mm gold plated jack housed in a minimalist grey housing with Letshuoer’s typography printed near the jack itself. It then tapers off with a jack tail to the 4 core strands.

There 2 grey strands and 2 silver strands and they are both housed in a textured material that allows them to feel quite durable.

Moving up then reveals the y-split which uses the same material as the jack and a chin-cinch which, interestingly, is of a clear material and seems somewhat out of place. Thankfully, due to the combination of the cable material and the shape of the chin cinch, it is quite usable and I’d argue is one of the most sturdy chin cinches that I’ve tried.

Moving up, the cable then split to the two 2-core strands all the way to the preformed ear hooks and the 2-pin interface. The earhooks, for the first few hours of listening, is definitely on the more aggressive in terms of fitting as I found that it really dug into the back of my ears and gave me some discomfort not only behind the ear but also in the inner ear due to the fitting.. However, the earhooks would then form into your ear and it becomes more comfortable. Of course, if you choose to do it manually, you may use a hairgun or heatgun to form it to your desired shape. The interface itself are smooth and uses the same material as the jack and y-split and has a small engraved section for easier pulling. The right side is indicated with a red ring covering the interface while the left is covered with a plain opaque material.

Overall, a solid stock cable that rivals even more expensive IEMs. I seriously wouldn’t mind using this cable for my other IEMs and even more expensive IEMs. It feels durable but not beefy, although a little bit stiff for my liking. The chin cinch, as mentioned is one of the best that I’ve tried in stock cables. The texture definitely helps making it feel more premium than it is. But definitely keep the preformed earhooks in mind, especially if you’re buying a new unit.

IEM:

Before I talk about the build quality of the Galileo, I think I should let you all know how beautiful the Galileo is. Seriously, my first few minutes of the Galileo was just me staring at how beautiful the galaxy-like patterns were. I fell in love with the Galileo’s design from the moment I saw the teasers and I kid you not, it looks so much better in real life.

Small fun facts about the Galileo, the design of the faceplate was done by Timmy’s wife and each design has unique features which makes each Galileo truly your own Galileo.

Let’s move on to the build of the Galileo starting with the specs. The Galileo uses 1 10MM LCP dynamic driver and 1 Sonion 2386 Balanced Armature housed in a 3D Printed synthetic resin that uses a new cavity design.

It has a nice dark blue inner shell color that is consistent throughout the entire build, minus the vibrant faceplate.

The overall shape is akin to the usual resin IEMs like the Kiwi Ears Cadenza and TRI Star River, but the nozzle is also made of the same resin and there is a more prominent wing that allows for a more snug (or painful) fit. It’s leaning on the larger side for my ears (like the previously mentioned IEMs), but I never found it to put unnecessary pressure around my ear. But again, the earhooks did affect the fitting of the Galileo quite drastically. Thankfully, cable rolling or letting the earhooks mold into your ear does fix the issue.

The faceplate, as I’ve already hyped, is absolutely beautiful. The design is placed under the resin faceplate so you can be sure that the design will stay the way it was from the moment you bought it. The design on each side are different with one side of the unit I was able to try having more brown compared to the other.

The 2-pin side of the Galileo is pretty plain and features the aforementioned 2-pin placed flat with the resin. Printed markings and the words “Gizaudio Galileo” on the right and “Letshuoer Galileo” on the left can also be seen when flipping it over.

Moving unto the inner shell and nozzle, there is a vent placed directly across the driver. This is, however, changed in the batch following the unit I received and has been addressed by Letshuoer to be improved without changing the sound quality. As I do not have the later batches, I can’t say for sure. But this is definitely something worth noting.

The nozzle is integrated with the shell itself and is on the larger side. Using a narrower bored eartip definitely proved to be quite difficult due to the size of the nozzle, but the included tips do complement the Galileo quite well in terms of fitting.

There are thankfully no driver flex with the Galileo, however I found myself experiencing a very slight pressure build up with the Galileo on first wearing. It’s bordering really close to being unusable due to the pressure and occlusion, but it doesn’t quite reach that thankfully.

The seal then in turn is very good and blocks off outside noise quite well. Not as well as proper ANC, but its passive isolation is definitely on the better side compared to other resin IEMs that I’ve tried.

Overall, the build of the Galileo is what you’d expect from a resin build. It’s sturdy, fits well for people with average sizes ears and offers probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing designs in any IEMs in the market right now. I’d even put it alongside the likes of the Elysian Gaea in aesthetics which is a very high bar to reach. However, it does border having air pressure build up and occlusion which got me using foams tips on some occasion. But little did I know, the foams tips were a game changer not only in fit but also in sound.

SOUND:

Overall Sound:

The Letshuoer x Gizaudio Galileo is probably one of the most neutral sounding sets that I’ve heard, let alone at $110. I found that the transition from bass to mids to treble and even that treble roll of sounded so neutral that I found myself questioning whether I’m listening to music as intended by the artist. However, the mids occasionally sounded quite thin and the emphasis in the midtreble definitely gave the Galileo an occasionally metallic timbre.

Driving Power:

The Galileo has an impedance of 14ohms and sensitivity of 104db which allows it to sound good out of a smartphone. As usual, using a dongle dac will improve your experience but not necessarily for you to enjoy the Galileo.

Sound notes:

As stated prior, I initially used foam tips purely for fitting. However, I found that it drastically thickened the midrange and somehow also made the upper midrange sound less metallic. So definitely consider tip rolling with the Galileo if you can.

Bass:

The bass of the Galileo is sub bass dominant with a cleaner, less emphasized midbass.

Starting with the sub bass, it has a very clean but rumbly presentation that gives a lot of heft and impact on the very low notes. The decay is just perfect, decaying fast enough to not make the bass sound boomy but lingers long enough that the very low frequencies are very satisfyingly felt. However, I do not think that this is elevated enough for bassheads, especially considering the midbass being as lean as it is.

Speaking of the midbass, it’s on the leaner side. It’s very clean with instruments being presented linearly and cleanly. This assures that bass notes and low vocals are articulate and audible. Its attack is snappy and decays quickly which creates a very smooth and clean reproduction of sound in this region. However, it might come across as too clean as body and texture are lacking with male vocals often sounding dry, but thankfully never distant. I personally prefer a bit of warmth coming from my male vocals and instruments and the Galileo shys away from that by presenting them in a linear and clean manner. Due to this, it does not sound bloated or bleed into the midrange.

A track like Tabula Rasa by Globular at 3:12 with its lowend focused rumbles sound absolutely fantastic. The notes are clear while offering a strong rumble and reverb. A track like Wake Up by SOS is also presented very cleanly, however its cleaner nature is evident with the bass notes sounding somewhat dry cut and the male vocals lacking a little bit of that low end body.

Mids:

Moving unto the midrange, it follows the bass presentation of being very clean and smooth with not massive peaks or dips in clarity.

Lower mids, like stated prior, are clean and articulate. Instruments sound detailed while vocals sound very linear without any dips in clarity or bloat from the bass. However, it occasionally lacks body and texture that leaves them sounding somewhat boring and bland. Particularly male vocals sound quite boring as paired with the later pinna which we will be taking a look at the upper mids section. However, it is still a very linear and smooth presentation that does not sound offensive or wrong in any sense.

Upper mids is also very smoothly done with a natural rise into the pinna which gives female vocals a very natural sound and instruments a realistic presentation. The transition from the lower mids is nicely done with good cohesion between lower, more bodied notes to more energetic and bright sound. Female vocals sound satisfying without inducing any harshness or peakiness. String and air instruments in this region sound particularly nice with a nice forwardness that gives them a realistic but still appropriately energetic tonality. The timbre however I found somewhat metallic coming into higher upper mids that affect how some instruments and vocals are presented. This could definitely be due to the rolled off treble along with the cleaner lower mids giving upper mids extra emphasis that might not seem natural to some. Thankfully, it does not sound harsh or shouty in any tracks I tried it on and still presented female vocals and instruments quite satisfyingly. Details are also well presented here, albeit somewhat more blunted due to the rolled off treble extension.

I should note here however that the upper mids will occasionally sound somewhat dry due to the lower mids that may make some vocals and instruments sound a little bit too dry. I honestly found this causing the “metallic” timbre, albeit I don’t find it as metallic as some other IEMs that have a BA such as the AFUL Performer 5.

A track like I’m Still Standing by Taron Egerton has a very smooth and neutral production of Taron’s vocals while still providing an immersive and detailed instrument presentation without bloat coming from the upper mids to lower midrange that the song has prominence in. It passes my shout and sibilance test of “You Should Head North” by Necry Talkie while having the bonus of presenting Mossa’s vocals in such a smooth but clean spotlight that is probably the best under $120 that I’ve heard. However, both tracks sound somewhat dry due to the leaner midbass and lower mids that make it sound more “neutral” but also occasionally metallic.

Treble:

The treble region of the Galileo is smooth with an early roll of that emphasizes lower and midtreble.

Lower treble carries over from the upper mids with the smooth and neutral tonality but bumps that metallic timbre just a tad bit much that it would occasionally sound distracting and over emphasized. I personally really like that quality as being a treblehead. However, I take issue with it due to the treble extension not really being there to compliment it. There are no peaks nor dips in this region so instruments and vocals do not sound veiled or harsh. Detail and nuance in this region is quite decent as even with it’s smoother tonality, it still presents a good amount of nuance.

This would transition to the mid treble which I found to be the most problematic aspects of the Galileo as instruments and vocals in this region is prone to sounding quite unnatural and overly dry. This is most likely due to the leaner lower frequencies and rolled off treble that emphasizes this region more. I don’t think it sounds entirely unnatural and there are much worse sounding IEMs in this region. However, considering the price and the tonality that it’s trying to achieve, I personally find that the emphasis can be a bit too much at times.

The upper treble isn’t as bad it would look on the graph if we were to look at it as its own entity. The upper treble sounds naturally rolled off with the lingering notes of instruments and vocals still sounding quite natural and not dark. However, the combination of the leaner lower frequencies and this affects the region prior by overemphasizing it.

Transients in this region is respectable but definitely on the smoother side. Attack in the treble is quite snappy but not the most dynamic that I’ve heard. This could be attributed to the rolled off treble dulling a bit of the attack, but does not dull it to the point where it sounds lifeless.

Paranoid Android by Radiohead is probably the best case scenario for the Galileo to emphasize this region satisfyingly as the percussive instruments and string instruments sound quite natural and energetic that makes the song sound more ethereal than it already is. But then on the other side of the spectrum, you have the song VIVID by ena mori with a prominent snare hit and female vocals that go quite high that would sound quite energetic and bright, but lacks body and will occasionally sound too dry or too unnatural sounding.

Technicalities:

The overall technicalities of the Galileo is respectable, however not necessarily groundbreaking especially for the price.

The stage is by far the weakest aspect of the Galileo as the rolled off treble affects the headstage of the Galileo to the point that instruments and vocals sound quite intimate. It doesn’t sound too choked or too closed in, however it is narrower than its contemporaries.

Where the Galileo shines however is on the imaging and separation. Due to the smooth and clean sound signature thanks in part to the leaner mid bass, instruments are very clean and crisp with their positioning and does quite admirably for more complex tracks which was quite impressive.

The song, “However the illusionist rolls the dice” by Lie and a Chameleon sounds clean and very well separated and positioned with the Galileo with the cymbals strikes complimenting the electric guitar and vocals without having one more dominant than the other in most instances.

COMPARISONS:

Simgot EA500 ($92)

• Metal build on EA500 feels more premium, but cable is better on Galileo
• Fit is initially better on the EA500, but breaking in the cable gives Galileo a more snug fit
• EA500 is more of a musical balanced sound signature compared to the more neutral Galileo
• Subbass isn’t as impactful on the EA500, but bass is much thicker and textured
• Mids are more forward and engaging on the EA500, but less fatiguing on the Galileo
• Treble is better extended but potentially harsher on the EA500
• Techs are overall better on the EA500 but separation is slightly cleaner

Truthear Hexa ($79)

• Both are made from resin, but the Galileo fits better for me
• Both have neutral slight u-shape sound signatures
• Bass sounds thicker but less clean on the Hexa
• Mids sound quite neutral on both, but Galileo has a smoother presentation
• Treble is better extended on the Hexa, but potentially more fatiguing
• Stage is better on the Hexa but separation and imaging is better on Hexa

Celest Pandamon ($59)

• Both are made from Resin, but the Pandamon has a metal faceplate and feels cheaper
• Galileo fits much better
• Pandamon has a warn-neutral sound signature
• Bass is more bodied and textured, but less controlled on the Pandamon
• Mids are more colored but more full on the Pandamon
• Treble is more elevated on the Galileo with slightly better extension
• Technicalities is better on the Galileo

AFUL Performer 5 ($219)

• Both are made from Resin but the P5 is a more comfortable and snug fit
• The P5 has a more u-shaped sound signature with more emphasis on the bass
• Bass on the Galileo sounds more detailed and clean but less fun and impactful
• Mids on the Galileo sounds more neutral with better body and coherency
• Treble sounds more metallic but better extended on the P5
• Technicalities are about similar with stage being wide and taller on the P5

CONCLUSION:

The Letshuoer x Gizaudio Galileo is by far one of the smoothest and most neutral sounding IEM that I’ve tried in a while. A combination of an elevated subbass that transitions into a clean midbass, uncompromised midrange and a smooth elevation into the treble with an organic roll off created one of the most neutral and borderline reference-like IEM that I’ve heard in the sub $200. However, this comes at the cost of sounding quite stale and arguably boring due to the smoothness in not only the tuning but also its dynamics. It wouldn’t be the first IEM I’d pick if I wanted to have a fun, listening session and would be reserved for more analytical or easy going sessions. It’s also a bonus that the Galileo is seriously one of the smoothest graphing IEM you can get today which means EQing will become a breeze.

But let’s take a step back and look at the market that surrounds the Galileo. Almost all of them feature a tuning akin to the likes of the Aria which, let’s be honest, has become quite the bore to see nowadays. Even with the likes of the EA500 or the Hexa which are quite unique in a sense that they are tuned differently from the market, the Galileo fills a segment that we have not seen anyone target in a while. The closest IEM that I can think of that reminds me of the Galileo are the Etymotic IEMs. They’re smooth, clean and reference-like IEMs that are adored for how clean they sound. And I personally believe that the Galileo is a progression of that sound but further improved for one simple fact: it’s so damn smooth. And for that, I absolutely respect the madlads at Letshuoer and Timmy of Gizaudio for giving us the smoothest and most neutral sounding IEM under $200.

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Have a nice day, and enjoy music!