Introduction

LETSHUOER has managed to impress consistently over my time here taking a look at in-ear monitors, which is a feat in itself given the relentless churning of new audio products out of China. The tribrid EJ07M, for example, was so nice that I did a second article covering the CIEM version too. Then there was the LETSHUOER S12 which was one of the earliest entries in the recent gen planar magnetic IEM hype train and was a commercial success to where there have been multiple versions of the S12, including collaboration variants called the Z12. That particular collab, if you will, was just one of many that LETSHUOER has partaken in a move that clearly works well for most brands who have gone this route. They get the extra marketing and have an influencer's name attached to the product, with varying degrees of involvement from the other party on the final product itself. Today we look at one such collaborative effort involving LETSHUOER in the form of the Galileo.


The Galileo, officially called the LETSHUOER x Gizaudio Galileo, differs from the norm of such collabs in being a new product altogether and not based upon an existing one. The other party involved is Timmy from Gizaudio so there will be no doubt fans of the person and the Gizaudio brand who have an interest in this set too. The Galileo is a hybrid set of IEMs using a 1 DD/1 BA driver setup that aims to be a competitive offering in the ~$100 market. It's certainly stunning to look at if the stock photo is anything to go by! Thanks to HiFiGo for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp, as we begin our coverage with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging for the LETSHUOER x Gizaudio Galileo is quite similar to what we saw with the LETSHUOER S12 before, although of course the outer sleeve is custom made for this set. It includes artwork reminding you what the Galileo name is for, with a space-theme employed here. There's also no doubt left that HiFiGo was involved in making this collab happen. On the back are product specs and contact information for LETSHUOER although I would have liked to see the empty space being used up for a factory frequency response graph. Slide out the inner box and now we are back in familiar territory with LETSHUOER branding as well as a sticker on the side confirming the exact cable termination you have. Inside is a pamphlet with a more complete version of that artwork on the box and this is also a user manual going over the use and maintenance of the IEMs. There's more paperwork in the form of a warranty card, registration form, and a QC check certificate itself. Below we find a thick foam sheet that has machined cutouts for the IEMs and the carry case for added protection during transit.


The carry case was a pleasant departure from the other LETSHUOER cases I've seen thus far as the Galileo goes for a more cuboidal plastic case with a formidable latch. There's LETSHUOER branding on the top which gets a brushed finish here to the black plastic used throughout and the bottom goes for a soft touch finish instead with more branding. Open the box to see silicone rubber trays in both cavities with one side holding the ear tips and a cleaning brush in dedicated sections—there's room for another set of ear tips too—and the cable found in the other compartment where there's clearly enough room to hold the IEMs. This makes for a highly functional case that has everything you might need to use with the IEMs and potentially also room for a small dongle or portable DAC/amp too.


Underneath the cable was a plastic zip-lock bag that contained another set of ear tips, and so you will have to decide which size works best for you since the case itself accommodates eight ear tips nicely as seen above. We get a total of six sets (12 total) of two types of silicone tips in sizes S/M/L. The white flange tips are slightly stiffer than the black flange ones and you can see what works best for you among these, or grab aftermarket tips if you prefer.

Closer Look

The cable that ships with the LETSHUOER x Gizaudio Galileo certainly looks similar to what we got with the LETSHUOER S12 before. There too you needed to choose between a 3.5 mm single-ended or 4.4 mm balanced connection headed to your source, and I have the latter here as evident from the larger TRRS plug used. The cable uses silver-plated copper conductors and differs from the S12 cable in using non-sleeved four conductor strands as opposed to sleeved two thick strands there. This has the benefit of reducing microphonics I had noticed on the S12's cable, although it can make for a slightly less wieldy cable that also takes up some more room throughout. The plug housings adopting this gunmetal gray finish work well with the silver/dark brown color scheme, with more branding on the source side. There is the expected splitter a little over halfway down, and it is accompanied by a clear plastic cable cinch that works well enough. The other end consists of pre-formed ear hooks with plastic sheathing over the cables. Each of the strands terminates a 0.78 mm 2-pin connector, with clear or red plastic inserts helping identify the left and right channels, respectively. The metal plugs are gold-plated for oxidation resistance and note the circular housing used for the flush 2-pin connectors here as opposed to the usual rectangular design.


The Galileo is a downright gorgeous set of IEMs, and no two shells are alike on the face plate design. These are made of 3D-printed blue resin which then have a a synthetic resin panel face plate. What that means is LETSHUOER and Gizaudio went to a factory that has various designs printed on a large resin sheet, chose the one that best resembles the "Starry Sky" theme in play here, and then cut out the face plate sections which are then molded over the shells fairly seamlessly to make for a set of IEMs that look pricier than they are. These are otherwise larger and thicker than average for IEMs, which may pose a fit and/or comfort challenge. There are front and back vents for the dynamic driver inside and markings on the side to help confirm the left and right sides. The other side hosts the flush 2-pin female cable connector itself and the translucent shell also provides a teaser look at the drivers inside. The nozzle is part of the resin shells and extends at a slight angle while also being relatively thick at 6.3 mm at the widest spot. There is a metal mesh at the end to help prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber.


Here is a look at the two size M silicone ear tips installed on the right shell of the LETSHUOER x Gizaudio Galileo. I mentioned before how they only seem to differ in the flange stiffness so you can see what works best for you. The built-in end point for the nozzle where it meets the shells also helps provide you a definite stop for the ear tips themselves. Note that you may also end up having different sizes for the two ears depending on the size of your ear canals, given these biological features won't necessarily be the same for everyone. Installing the cable is simple enough with the pre-molded ear hooks that go over the ears and L/R indicators helping identify what goes where. Push the 0.78 mm 2-pin plugs into the IEM connectors as seen above, and friction will do the rest in keeping them in place.


[Update: March 23, 2023] Soon after this article went live, I was informed by people who are members of the Gizaudio Discord server that there is a silent revision done to the Galileo. In particular, this pertains to the inner vent present on the first batch of samples. The photo on the left is my own and you can see how there is a vent touching the concha, or it would depending on how the Galileo fits in your ears. There is also the possibility of some samples having the dynamic driver blocking the vent entirely, although mine has it angled to where it was a non-issue. To address this, LETSHUOER seemingly did an unannounced revision using a neat inner printed acoustic tube leading the vent all the way from the acoustic chamber to the nozzle itself. This is quite ingenious and helps make for a more consistent product, although many reviews were done from the first batch of samples so that may result in some inconsistent findings if the person had the vent being blocked for any reason. Please keep that in mind as you look at other reviews of this product.