Disclaimer

*As always, with each review I try to improve and better convey my experience as a regular but avid and passionate user!

*I try to make my reviews understandable and enjoyable for anyone, whether you're a newbie or an experienced audiophile.

*If you're looking for a super technical, in-depth analysis, feel free to look for another review. There are plenty of people here who know far more than I do and have been doing this much longer.

*This time, the unit under review was kindly provided by Simgot through Ms. Betty Chen in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

*I'll try to keep it as brief as possible, “straight to the point!” And as unbiased as possible.

Gear Used

- FiiO K11R2R (NOS), TEMPOTEC MARCH III 2025, EPZ TP35, DUNU DTC800, TRN Black Pearl (local WAV, FLAC files and Tidal streaming)

- Motorola Edge 60 Pro (UAPP), (Tidal)

- Notebook (Windows), (MusicBee), (Tidal)

- 4.4 balanced cable, and High Gain as always!™

Price: $190.99~219.99 USD

Specs

- Drivers Config: 1BC+1DD+2BA+1MP (Electronic + Physical - four-way crossover with an independent filter duct for each driver)

- Sensitivity: 108

- Impedance: 19Ω

- Frequency Response Range: 8Hz-40KHz

Overall Build and Unboxing Experience

The unboxing is very straightforward, simple but still classy, and very similar to the SM4.

A medium-sized square box, with a somewhat shiny outer sleeve showing part of the SuperMix 5 shell in a transparent way, where you can see the entire interior of the shell with its drivers and ducts.

Inside the box we find three compartments. The first and main one is a foam section that holds and protects the shells. These shells are excellently built; the faceplate is metal, or at least looks very much like it, and the bottom is made of "translucent black" resin. It's possible to see the inside of the IEM with good lighting, and the nozzle is all metal. *The shell is medium to large, but the semi-custom shape offers a great fit, even for my really small ears.

Then there's another small box labeled "Storage Box" containing the case, which is of excellent quality, black, covered with a type of leather or something similar, and has a magnetic closure a little small for my taste, but it is what it is.

Inside is the cable, a good silver crystal copper-plated cable with an almost white color, modular termination, 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced. It has good construction both in terms of the cable and the hardware, but the color could match the shell better.

And another small box, "accessory," which contains the eartips. 6 pairs of eartips that look quite similar to each other except for the color of the stem, one black and the other red.

The red ones have a stiffer stem and flange than the black ones, and that's where the difference ends. They are Type 07 eartips but with a slightly more closed bore.

*The SM5, due to its BCD, is very dependent on eartips. I had a hard time with tip rolling and found three excellent options, all three with deep insertion into the ear canal.

They were: Zhu Rhyme "Bamboo tips", HE Sonic's, and RoseSelsa Soundcocoon's.

All are great options!

*And finally, I decided to change the cable, purely for aesthetic reasons, and it's really a great cable. NiceHifi Red Moon Frost Plume or -20

Sound Signature

Basically, the Simgot SuperMix 5, or just SM5, has a tuning very close to the Harman Target, BUT with a "twist" thanks to the excellent implementation of these drivers, especially the BC.

The words I choose to describe the SM5 signature/tuning are ENGAGING and IMMERSIVE!

But make no mistake, I know there are waves of analyses comparing the two sets, okay, that's totally acceptable and perhaps even necessary. However, with the SM5, it's all about immersion and musicality!

With a different tuning and driver implementation, it wasn't made to be an upgrade over the SM4; maybe it can't even be called a sidegrade. Damn, it's hard to describe, it's a different "category" of IEMs.

Bass

Don't expect the same type of bass you get from the SuperMix 4; keep in mind that the two sets belong to the same family but take completely different approaches.

While the SM4 has a V-shaped tuning with a more pronounced bass shelf and therefore also treble — after all, it's a V-shaped set and one side has to balance the other — yes, in a way it has more bass.

The SM5 is more of a mild U-shaped set, presenting a completely different type of bass. The Simgot SuperMix 5 has enough bass to please anyone; however, due to the BCD (perfectly implemented, btw) operating from 200Hz to 7kHz, it takes some time to understand this type of bass and the tuning in general.

The sub-bass is present, but without that super-extended rumble. The sub-bass is a foundation and support that shows up when the track calls for it.

The highlight in the bass region is the mid-bass; it's strong, has an excellent, almost tactile punch, yet still feels like it's a little farther away in the stage. This is the BCD at work, and that's where all the magic of immersion and sense of space from the SM5 begins.

Bass fast enough to keep up with Joey Jordison's perfect super-technical double pedals, Weinberg's extremely fast pedals, or Eloy's extreme leg power and timing.

Mids/ Vocals

The mids and vocals on the SM5 are prominent, but not in an "in your face" way. In the mids, we still have the help of the BCD, and together with the balanced armatures, the whole mix sounds very natural and realistic.

The instruments, as well as the male vocals, gain weight and body; the whole ensemble is very well articulated, separated, and without any kind of "gap." I can hear and distinguish each instrument as well as its positioning.

The same happens in the upper mids; all the naturalness and realism are there, and female vocals perform very well in the mix.

Treble

Smooth! Safe, no sibilance and no harshness at all.

That said, the treble is still quite detailed, with a certain amount of brightness and sparkle, but it's not the kind of treble that will appeal to trebleheads.

It's very well tuned and controlled!

These are highs and ultra-highs that won't cause fatigue even in long listening sessions, and there's nothing lacking in technicality in this area. The top end fits perfectly into the overall mix/tuning.

Technical Performance and Soundstage

I love it when I can, or have, something more to say about soundstage than just "OK".

Imaging, layers, everything is very cohesive and distinct.

The soundstage is the kind that I've personally only found in very few sets, and shown this way in only one set, which was the BGVP DMA (it's in another league!).

I still think it's because of the BCD implementation; it's so big, "holographic and immersive." No, I'm not talking about a soundstage the size of a "club," a small avenue, or a stadium; I'm not one of those who gets that from an in-ear monitor. IDK, probably my ears; I definitely need to work more on that area.

But it definitely gets out of your head, or at least a little farther from your head, and with that, along with the musicality of the SuperMix 5, you, I, maybe everyone ends up getting lost in the music, and that's the ending I expect from almost any set. After all, MUSIC is the foundation of the hobby, it's the beginning and, at the very least, it should be the end for everyone.

Overall Verdict

The Simgot SuperMix 5 was made for those who value engagement, musicality, tactile feel, and a different experience from other sub-$250-$300 USD sets.

In other words, yes, the price increase compared to the SM4 is worthwhile (remember that it's not just about tuning but also all the physical aspects involved in developing an IEM).

I highly recommend the SM5, and if I were to give it any kind of rating, it would certainly be 5 stars, 10/10, or something like that!

There's no such thing as a perfect IEM, but here with the SM5, it's a case where there's no competition with this type of presentation in this price range, period.