SJY Audio Horizon HiFi Planar Headphones – Exceeding Audiophile Expectations
SJY Audio Horizon is a $999 USD pair of high-end handmade planar magnetic headphones designed for the best sonic performance at its price point, having a solid CNC construction and in-house made drivers, along with the option to customize the color of the earcups for just 50 USD. Today we will review the Horizon and compare them with other recently reviewed and relevant high-end headphones, including Erzetich Mania V2024 (1249 USD), HIFIMAN Arya Organic (1299 USD), Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced (995 USD).
Introduction
As this is my first review exploring a SJY pair of headphones, it is interesting to see how a handmade headphone feels and looks like, as Horizon comes with an all-homebrew design, but still manages to climb high in performance. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to SJY for providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
PROs – One of the most exceptional sonic performances and presentations in the whole world, excellent wearing comfort and good compatibility with aftermarket cables thanks to the 3.5mm standard connect on the earcup side. In-House made drivers that can match the performance of much pricier competitors.
Cons – Certain aspects give it a slight DIY look, incredibly hard to drive.
Product Link
Official Link – https://sjyaudio.com/products/horizon
Build Quality / Aesthetics
We start the dive in the world of the SJY Horizon quite happily, with a full CNC aluminum build, which feels sturdy and reliable, and in-house made drivers which are also Al made. Those are drivers made with the strongest available magnets, and full aluminium frame to offer the most precise sound. The top strap is made of leather and it should offer an excellent comfort for all heads. We have 3.5mm standard connectors at the headphone side, allowing the users to combine the Horizon with most aftermarket cables like those made for HIFIMAN Headphones.
The magnetic earpads are very easy to replace, convenient, but offer the headphones a bit of a DIY feel, as they come off rather easily, and the square shape is unusual relative to all the other headphones I have tested to date. There’s a tuning plate that should smooth out the treble for a more listening experience.
The default cable comes as a 4-Pin Balanced XLR Cable, and Horizon has a weight of 410 grams, which is on the lighter side for a planar magnetic headphone. The Impedance is on the low end, at 15 OHMs, but the SPL is also low at 88dB, a bit more sensitive than Susvara, which has an impedance of 83 dB. Every single dB matters once you dip below 90 dB. SJY recommends storing the Horizon in a dry area, and using a headphone stand while not using them.
Fit / Comfort
SJY Horizon fits nicely on my head, and although when I am not wearing them, the earcups move laterally too easily, while being worn, they offer a natural clamping force, a good seal, and there is no hotspot at the top of my head. In fact, for a headphone that has a DIY feel, Horizon is light and feels comfortable to use. Although the external earcup is square, there is rounding inside of the earpads which helps with the wearing comfort.
Horizon allows for a high degree of flexibility in every plane, and the earpad allows them to fit much larger and smaller heads as well. While the default cable is of a good quality and balanced, I personally have used the horizon mostly with LavriCable Grand Silver V2 instead of the original cable, because the DAC/AMP I have the most on my desk, Dethonray Listening M1 only has a 4.4mm balanced output, and no XLR output. You can expect a cable that is flexible with no handling noise from the original, but you must order the Horizon with the right connectors for your source. As they are incredibly hard to drive, balanced connectors will most likely be needed for most users.
The baffle earcup plates of the Horizon can come in multiple colors, including purple, Silver of Black, but you can also customize and ask the company to paint them in any other color if you want. The earcup baffles can be pushed slightly with your finger, similarly to Mirph-1, but this is not an issue while wearing the Horizon. I would suggest care while handling them though, but while all the components are precisely aligned, you can see a bit of glue between the earpads and their attachment magnetic plate. This does not influence the sonic performance at all, just is part of why I am saying that Horizon has a slightly DIY feel.
Although Horizon is open-back, the driver baffle in the back and the earpad plate is quite substantial physically, so they dampen both the sound that goes in the Horizon and how much they leak, you will get a bit of passive noise isolation and a somewhat low leakage for an open-back headphone. The sound of the Horizon is very consistent regardless of how you place them on your ears, so most users will get the same experience, with very little variation, even if you move the headphones further closer to your face, or to the back of your head, or if you like them to sit tighter or looser on your head. The very flexible design allows the Horizon to almost always fall perfectly on your ears, and most of the other comfort details will be comfort related and not affect the sound.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the Horizon I have paired them with a wide selection of sources, but truth is that they need quite a bit of power to be driven properly, being almost the hardest to drive pair of headphones I have in my entire collection, similar to HIFIMAN Susvara, Susvara Unveiled, and harder than T+A Solitaire P-SE. The drive factor is about the same as DCA Dan Clark Audio expanse, so you better prepare all your power for the Horizon. The list of sources includes Dethonray Listening M1, Singxer SA-1 V2 driven by HIFIMAN EF400, but also EF400 as a standalone AMP, iBasso PB5 and D16 as a combo, Topping A50III with Topping D50 III, and HIFIMAN Prelude combined with HIFIMAN Serenade. You can get away with a smaller but high-end unit like Listening M1, or an entry-level DAC/AMP combo, like Topping D50 A50, or even HIFIMAN’s EF400.
Overall Signature – The biggest surprise of today’s review comes when judging the sound quality of the SJY Audio Horizon, as this one pair of headphones can easily fit in the TOTL / Summit-Fi sonically, it has everything a high-end headphone needs to have, but also one of the most balanced, most naturally tuned signatures. Basically, it sounds natural, it doesn’t matter what headphones I come from, the sound is natural and pleasing, even if coming from headphones that are much more expensive. The resolution of the Horizon is excellent, they reveal almost every detail, even finer micro details, sounding rich, heavy in the sub bass and bass, and have a nicely extended, bright and sharp treble whenever called for. Basically, Horizon is a highly transparent sounding headphone, revealing and balanced, having a character that can still make music enjoyable even after hearing the world’s best headphones.
Bass – Starting with the depths of the low-end well, Horizon has a deep and powerful bass that fills in the entire sound, gives substance, groove and makes bass guitars audible, colorful, and stand out in a mix. This is pleasing, and generally gives a strong outline and groovy low-end for music, including a deep bass punch for EDM, Dubstep and even Pop. For Rock and Metal, you will hear the bass guitar, and it is pleasing, giving it a full, dark and bloomy presence, without darkening the entire sound and midrange, giving the depth and power just to the bass guitar. Most of the bass energy is right where it should be, between 40 Hz and 80 Hz, giving weight and substance without veil or too much bloom.
Midrange – Horizon handles voices and the midrange beautifully, and despite not being written off as a mid centric headphone, it is a voice-centric headphone with a revealing and musically enticing mid. Both male and female voices are rendered beautifully, with a smooth and lush texture for both, although the instrumental of each song is revealed well, with both macro and micro textures being revealed in an evident and detailed fashion. Guitars in Rock and Metal are crisp and sharp, while pianos are crystalline with zero grain. In fact, this is the beautiful part about the Horizon, it is one of the rare headphones that have zero grain. Female voices are emotional, extend nicely in the upper midrange, while male voices are natural, and Horizon renders nicely both deep male voices, and also sharper and brighter voices. Horizon has one of the most natural, clean and transparent midrange presentations you can have regardless of the price point.
Treble – We get an extended, bright and brilliant treble to counter and create contrast for the natural and detailed midrange, and the deep bass. Basically, there is no element that’s lacking in the sound of the Horizon, and it presents the upper end of music with exceptional air and resolution, yet in a smoother and silkier texture, with even the sharpest and harshest sounding albums like “Infant Annihilator – The Palpable Leprosy Of Pollution” being free of any kind of harshness or fatigue. This being said, you get the full extension and width of the treble, it just comes through as fun and listenable. While this leads to a more euphonic than studio / neutral experience, Horizon scores big marks for being a pair of headphones I never have to take off my head, regardless of the music style I am currently enjoying. This includes everything, technical death metal, pop, EDM, everything is a bit laid back, a bit relaxed, but silky, and with both a good low-end and high-end extension. The highest grade of smoothness I can give to any headphone is that SJY Horizon can make the Killitorous album “The Afterparty” enjoyable, and free of fatigue, despite this being the harshest, most fatiguing album I currently know of.
Dynamics – SJY Horizon has a dynamic, full and punchy sound with excellent impact. The trick to get the best performance is giving them a lot of power, and if you underdrive the Horizon, it can easily sound compressed and flat, but a small yet capable DAC/AMP like Dethonray Listening M1 is more than enough for them, while a HIFIMAN Prelude or even HIFIMAN Serenade alone will give the Horizon the power and punch they need.
PRaT / Textures – Horizon has silky, smooth and clean textures with zero fatigue, presenting music in a highly revealing fashion yet with zero grain. This kind of presentation is desirable and not easily achieved, but SJY Managed to give the Horizon a really pleasing tune, they are uber fun and easy to enjoy even with harsh instruments like trumpets, but will still reveal the texture of guitars in rock and metal. Overall, it is the best case scenario out of all the ways SJY could have tuned the texture response of the Horizon. Sonic character is slightly wet, enough to dampen the dry edges of more crude mastering and mixing, but not enough for the sound to become splashy.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Knowing that SJY Horizon is very hard to drive, I am happy to report that it has a very consistent sound across all volume levels, so it does not matter much if you’re enjoying a quiet or a loud track, a metal concert or a demure cabaret piece in solitude, they will always have exactly the same sonic character and the sound of the Horizon is also not sensitive to source changes that much, so you will almost always have the same sound. Although they are hard to drive, Horizon does not distort at loud volumes, being crisp and clean up to 120 dB, and even if you push them louder than a concert, there’s physically enough space for the driver to move around, and the driver is still under control even extremely loud, together with the texture rendering, Horizon has the best case scenario possible for the Loudness Saturation Gradient.
Soundstage – We get a natural soundstage with very good instrument separation and excellent layering. This means that sound will be able to extend quite a lot laterally and can present effects that sound as if they are coming from the back of the listener, but this happens only if the song really has it recorded and mastered for the effect. On the other hand, we have an excellent separation and definition of each instrument, which makes all music styles engaging and fun to listen to.
Comparisons
SJY Audio Horizon vs HIFIMAN Arya Organic (999 USD vs 1299 USD) – Starting with the build quality, Arya Organic feels more put together and there’s less visible glue and open gaps, but the cable of both headphones need an overdo and I mainly use both with aftermarket cables. Arya Organic is far easier to drive, and will leak more, and isolate less from the outside noise, so Horizon is a bit better if you need some isolation. As Horizon is far harder to drive, Arya Organic is almost perfect for all commercially available desktop DAC/AMPs released this year, while Horizon needs more than one watt of power, severely limiting how many DAC/AMPs you can use to power them. Sonically, Horizon and Arya Organic both have a very natural sound, both have excellent detail and resolution, but Arya Organic is more forward and more aggressive, while Horizon is more laid back and more relaxed, and can sound more natural in the voices. Horizon handles very high volumes a bit better, allowing for more raw SPL with lower THD, while Arya Organic sounds wider and more holographic, it extends the soundstage wider with most music. Horizon can reveal micro details a bit more, but Arya Organic sounds more engaging, while Horizon sounds more natural. You can’t really go wrong with either, but go for Arya Organic if you want a punchier sound, a more aggressive sound, and more midrange in the mix, while Horizon will be better if you want a more relaxed, laid back sound with a more natural mid. The sound of Arya Organic is quite a bit lighter, while the sound of the Horizon is heavier, with more bottom end quantity and presence. Arya Organic has a brighter treble.
SJY Audio Horizon vs Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced (999 USD vs 995 USD) – Both headphones are comfortable, but they use very different mechanisms, and CZ-10 Enhanced also comes with a limited default cable selection, and for them you need to purchase the cables directly from Crosszone as they are not compatible with most aftermarket cables. CZ-10 Enhanced leaks much less, and isolates much more than the Horizon, but they are also much easier to drive. This being said, once you get the power, Horizon is far less sensitive to the source quality and signature, while CZ-10 Enhanced is more sensitive and picky with the source. I love the sonics of both headphones, but Horizon is more natural, the midrange in particular is on a completely different level of being transparent and natural, while CZ-10 Enhanced can sound more cuppy, with more sub-bass, more bass and a smoother treble with lesser brightness and less quantity. The detail and resolution is higher on the Horizon, as it reveals both micro and macro details more, being more comparable with Crosszone’s Flagship, the CZ-8a enhanced. The soundstage of the CZ-8a Enhanced is wider, more holographic with a stronger instrument separation, while the stage of the Horizon is more natural, and can extend but will only do if the song really asks for it.
SJY Audio Horizon vs Erzetich Mania V2024 (999 USD vs 1249 USD) – Mania is a headphone I have reviewed recently, and while both headphones have a bit of a DIY feel, Horizon is more comfortable sits more naturally on my head, while Mania is much larger, wider on the shape, and also heavier. The cables of the Mania are a bit higher quality by default, but I replaced the cables of it too, as it does not come with a 4.4mm balanced cable from the factory. Both Mania and Horizon isolate about the same, and have a similar level of leakage. Mania is much easier to drive, while Horizon is much harder to drive. Sonically, Mania is more mid-centric, where they can achieve a slightly higher detail, but Horizon sounds more balanced, with a stronger instrument separation, a slightly wider soundstage, but Mania brings voices closer to the listener and gives you a special intimacy and a richer harmonic presence in the mids. Both are highly recommended headphones with a DIY Charm and feel to their design, and both are reliable and feel well-made.
Value and Conclusion
For a headphone with such a midrange / upper midrange pricing, SJY Horizon offers a truly flagship sound and comfort / wearing experience, being a truly amazing headphone to use and listen to. The only thing that limits me from adding it to the Audiophile-Heaven Hall Of Fame is the inclusion of just an XLR Cable instead of 4.4mm and the somewhat DIY look it has.
This being said, if you want the performance of the summit-fi flagships, but at an affordable price point, and to skip a few steps ahead in sonic quality / resolution, SJY Horizon is truly one of the headphones that impressed me the most this year for the kind of price / performance it can offer, and also for how fun it actually is to listen to. If you have the power to drive them, it is a brilliant choice for any music lover.
Product Link
Official Link – https://sjyaudio.com/products/horizon
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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