Astrotec S80 Ginkgo Edition

Astrotec S80 Ginkgo Edition initial look and a smattering of fey impressions whilst corona climbs here in Japan and the American Capital seems a spark away from Civil War V2...

More information here:

https://astrotecglobal.com/products/s80-ginkgo

Wireless buds and wireless this and that. Before covid hit it was like ‘eat your vegetables’ ie wireless gear and i was all ‘nope damn your veges - pretty bling bling cables for me’.

Enter the dreaded 2020 and lockdowns etc where one could come out of it a hunk, a chunk, a drunk. I went for hunk and started running (with a mask) and some light weights.

Wired earphones though pretty quiet for the ones i was using in terms of microswitchedonphonics - it made sense to go wireless and i went to my cupboard which was bare as those samples had long gone to a Muay Thai coach, a community worker, another reviewer and all sorts of decent people. No use being a dragon and hoarding it.

So anyway i had just got the iBasso ones and i liked the mmcx and being able to decide on the sound sig and try to find the right mix/tonality for running.

The Astrotec S60 is used by my wife as i have mentioned before. Years of ‘do you want this earphone or that’ resulted in endless ‘no thanks’ for all manner of entry level and totl items. Go figure...guess its a window to the non audiophile. But for the smaller Astrotec S60 it was a yes. She has used them for a year or two quite satisfactorily, even though she put them in the wrong ears and upside down on her first commute :)

Its a good indictor of ease of use and durability from both my wife and the Muay Thai trainer (earlier S80) that both are used most days and still survive.

The Ginkgo SE is smaller than the original S80 and fits nicely in ones ear

I have spent a few hours lounging about my house during the last days of my New Years holidays listening to the Astrotec Ginkgo Ed S80. Feeling recharged and relaxed.

The Ginkgo Edition S80 is quite a pleasure to listen to paired with the Cayin N3pro. I should really try a few other connections with other devices also. I will update this article.

The sound is limited by available codecs but does not seem lacking in personal enjoyment and satisfaction. I suppose if i was to a/b with a totl dap and some totl wired iems i would tell a difference. But this is not the point of most of these bluetooth in ears.

Ease of use and a pleasurable smooth listening experience is the goal and the S80 SE delivers on this.

Distance: I could walk a reasonable distance around my house with minimal drop offs. The optimum distance could be in the manual?

- i stepped out straight around 8-10 meters.

- running outside my house and jumping they stayed in well.

Wireless buds are here to stay and it is what i see most used in the trains.

The last time i went to one of the main boutique audiophile shops here in Tokyo their main window was all wireless buds.

I for one will be using these for running and exercise alongside the iBasso.