See Audio X Crinacle Yume: Midnight

Review Of The See Audio X Crinacle Yume: Midnight

Introduction​

See audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight is a collaboration project by See Audio with Crinacle. It is an upgrade or side grade( as See Audio is still selling the Yume) to the OG See Audio Yume. These IEM's are tuned by an IEM Reviewer and also a youtuber famously known as Crinacle. He is also known to have the largest database of frequency response graph of IEM's and headphones on his website www.crinacle.com. These are only available exclusively at HiFiGo website.

Link=>>https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-x-crinacle-yume-midnight-iems

Disclaimer​

*This is my own purchased unit, each and every thoughts below mentioned are my personal own thoughts and they are not fiddled with any outside influences.
*I do not own or have heard the OG Yume, so these are reviewed on their performance.
*I will be comparing these with my own personal favorite TRI Starsea and 7HZ Timeless.
*I will be referring to these IEMs to as 'Midnight' for the rest of the review.
*And at last I will only be reviewing the Midnight on the basis of their performance, I do not care what these are made of or packaged with when newly purchased unless it affects the sound in any sense what so ever.

Specifications​

Midnight are a three driver configuration driver setup. Two Knowles custom-tuned balanced armature drivers and one 9.2mm liquid-silicone diaphragm dynamic driver .The custom tuned BAs are producing and handling High and mid range frequencies where the dynamic driver producing low frequencies. These have an impendence of 32 ohms and sensitivity of 106db. The frequency response is from 20Hz to 20kHz.

Sound​

These sound more like Harminish-neutral, these have neutral with bass boost sound signature. The emphasis is on the sub bass rather than the mid bass. Both treble and bass extension is good, being the sub bass clean and deep and the treble although being soft, they are forward and their presence is well extended, especially the vocals. The dynamic range is really large while persisting dense notes.

Treble​

The treble is really well done on the midnight, they are crispy bright and lively. Vocals shines quite bright in these region, especially the layering and stage is much better if compared to the TRI Starsea. But Timeless have much better imaging and resolution. Although being more shouty and sibilant than the TRI Starsea, I found they sounded more leaner but cleaner. The female vocals are dense and are more intimate than the Timeless and better in all over performance than the TRI Starsea. Midnight do have tonal advantage over the Timeless. In instances where there is a lot of happening in the treble, the vocals are messed up by the cymbal crashes, here is where the timeless shines and out performs. Being the BA's producing the sound, while providing that air in the mix doesn't feel dry.

Mid Range​

The upper mid range is forward in the mix, bringing out more details , a defined stage presence than the TRI Starsea. On the other hand the technical aspects are much better on the timeless as the Timeless have much better stage and imaging. But coming back to the upper mid range the vocals of Midnight outperforms both in resolution and dynamics . Upper mid range could be a little bit hot on the midnight for some, But timeless is hotter if compared.
The lower mid range is eccentric and rich, notes are weighed dense and clear, the instruments shines with the vocals on the Midnight. The tonal pride, midnight takes on over the TRI Starsea and Timeless keeps it No.1. The vocals are a bit pulled back on the TRI Starsea than the midnight and keeping the instrument well defined although the Timeless is much better with overall aspects in this region. Timeless loses to midnight when it comes to the vocals but other than that they both feels the same.

Bass​

Like mentioned above these are tuned to a neutral with bass boost sound signature focusing more in the sub bass region, the mid bass is cleaner doesn't bleed into or bloat over the lower mids. keeping the lower mids clean. Although the warmth in this region is only felt in TRI Starsea. The bass pulls are more natural on the TRI Starsea, but on the other hand, the midnight have more spaces in between the instruments. The presentation is soft on the TRI Starsea. When compared to Timeless, the bass is poor. The lower vocal notes drowns in the mix whereas the midnights saves them especially female vocals. The presentation is fast and punchy but decay is better on the TRI Starsea and best on the Midnight. The sub bass on the Midnight s punchy, fast and controlled but doesn't feel fuller like the TRI Starsea produce, Yes the TRI Starsea is less resolving but feels more natural than the Midnight. Coming back to the Timeless although the bass is messy and bloated, the harmonic value doesn't get affected. In fact better than the Midnight.

Technical Performance​

Technically the Midnight outperforms every IEMs in it's price bracket except for the timeless if I had to exaggerate. To be honest the technical performance is just a level below the Timeless in my opinion. Obviously Midnight out resolves the TRI Starsea.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

The soundstage is average, the vocals are placed very nicely, the instruments have more of a 3D positioning and the sound is more left and right in presentation. The Midnight produce great separation in between instruments and the vocals and the imaging is quite good actually, easy to pin point where the sound of instruments and vocals are coming from. The layering doesn't affect the vocals or instruments, by which I meant that it doesn't sound any congested sound reproduction or any instrument tethering the sound of the other.

Speed & Resolution​

The midnight almost resolves the micro and macro details the best at this price point. The synergy between all three drivers outputs a great resolution with speed and sounding more realistic and more natural towards the attack and decay of the notes especially in the highs and the lows region.

Conclusion ​

The Midnight are magnificent in the vocals around $200, maybe even in $300 price category. The Bass is very well extended and controlled, being punchy rather than slamming in character. The treble sparkles and shines through out the mix, also complementing the vocals to the fullest. Overall a lively, energetic and beautiful sounding IEM.

Sources And Tracks Used​

Sources

Apple XS Max
LG G8X
Apple Dongle Dac
Shanling UA1 Pro
iFi HIPDAC
Apple Lossless
UAPP
Localy stored Flac and Wav Files

Tracks

Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
Boston - More Than A Feeling
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere(Remastered)
Toto - Africa
The Police - Every Breath You Take
George Benson - Affirmation
Daft Punk - Doin' It Right
Daft Punk - Derezzed
Daft Punk - Tron Legacy (End Titles)
GOJIRA - Amazonia
The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP
Fergie - Glamorous
50 Cent - In Da Club
Jay Z - Holy Grail
Erbes - Lies
Nitti Gritti - The Loud
Juelz - Inferno

This is a mini-review based on a brief test period of only a day, I explained more in the Timeless mini review here.

Intro…

The last mini review I posted was of the Fiio collaboration with Crinacle, the FHE: Eclipse (here). Today I am going to give my impressions on the other Crinacle collaboration that @antdroid has kindly loaned me, the SeeAudio Yume Midnight.

This is another set of 1x DD + 2x BA, as with the FHE, with a price that is a little higher than the Fiio option, but still not crazy expensive, coming in at under 200€

Presentation…

Once more, I can’t comment on the whole contents of the Midnight as they are on loan, but I will say that the box is huge, there is a rigid storage case included and what seems to be plenty of anime related stuff.

Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are a very generic and comfortable shape, at least for me, with shells that are finished in a carbon fibre type style.

I don’t think they are anything special in this regard but they are not offensive and do not stand out from so many other options, except for a logo on one side and the name “midnight” on the other.

The cable is the simplest I have tried so far this week but it is also the lightest, something that I find a plus for my tastes.

Sound…

Starting with subbass, there is quite an elevation, very similar to the FHE Eclipse, which provides plenty of rumble in the lower registers when the track calls for it. In my opinion, the quantity is not excessive and fits my tastes quite well in this regard. I feel that it is enough for most people to be happy unless they are all out bass heads.

As with the Eclipse, the midbass is a little more than I would choose but it is decent and gives a nice warmth to the low end without becoming overly bloated or muddy, keeping the transition into the lower mids fairly clean. It is not something I would consider amazing in the bass range but it is a sound signature that should please most people, however, I do find it to be a little simple in this respect. I don’t find that the bass provides all the details that could be presented.

This is not really a complaint as such, I mean, it does handle the bass well, but when listening to things like Miller, Clarke & Wooten, the three bass guitars do seem to blend together a little, losing some of the separation that I would expect to hear.

The mid range is also similar to the Eclipse, at least until we hit the upper mids. This means that there is a slight recession in the mids, due to the overall V shaped tuning, making some vocals not stand out as much as I am used to on other sets.

The upper mids and lower treble is smoother on the Midnight than on the Eclipse, with less presence around the 3kHz mark, adding to the sensation of the vocals taking a step back. This is not bad but is not my preference as far as the presentation of vocals and mid range instruments are concerned.

The treble has good extension, better than what I am used to with IEMs in these price ranges, and I feel that there is a good sensation of air, however, I again feel that it is a little lacking in the separation of layers, even in these high ranges. Don’t get me wrong, the sound is by no means bad, just not really exciting.

The details are present but as with the bass, they do seem to blend together a little, making it seem a little boring on occasions. This is good for general relaxing and listening to music but if you want to focus on details, then I feel that other sets do it better.

Conclusion…

I don’t really have any complaints about the Midnight, but I am not really thrilled by them either. They are a good set of IEMs, they don’t really do anything wrong. They could be a little more exciting and they could do a better job of separating details, which I feel are there, just that they are not spaced out between themselves, making it a little more difficult to enjoy the nuances of certain instruments.

I feel that this set could make a lot of people very happy but I also feel that the Eclipse is similar enough to suit just as many people and comes in at a lower price. The extension of the treble is better on the Midnight but I think the Eclipse presents details in a better way.

Both sets are good for their price but I don’t feel that the extra cost of the Midnight is worth it over the Eclipse.

Just to not lose the habit, this is available in Spanish both on my blog here and on YouTube here

INTRODUCTION:

Midnight is the latest installment from See Audio. A brand that I always anticipate on their releases. I loved their Bravery and when this was announced, I had high expectations. It is Yume's improved variant, tuned by Crinacle.

Let me tell you a short story.

This unit was supposed to be a tour unit. It is my co-reviewer's personal unit, namely Eiji Romero. As it was my turn to review Midnight, an unfortunate event happened. As I have it with me on stage while performing, I accidentally broke its shell. On the left unit. A lot happens on stage, and it was a pure accident that the cable got tangled on my arms and it hit somewhere really hard. My friend was furious of course, and didn't talk to me for almost a month. I took full responsibility for replacing it, and this unit became my own. With a broken Midnight, I saved up money and paid around 30$ for its repair. On this part, I would like to vouch for the excellent work of INM audio by Matthew Marcelo. If you're a Filipino resident, and in need of IEM repair or reshelling, INM audio is the way to go.

Fortunately the drivers are still intact and only the shell was damaged. I just felt it would be a shame for it to go to waste. For what it's worth, this is my first See Audio IEM, and I'm quite satisfied and happy to have it added to my collection. Moving on…


DISCLAIMER:

My opinions here are completely my own. I am NOT in any way influenced by any form of incentive. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this as a grain of salt for we have different perception to sound and what we hear. I always try my best to stick with the stock accessories that come with the gear by default. You are free to try other methods such as tip rolling or cable rolling. Below are worth noting before concluding on what I say here:

• DAP (digital audio player, be it phone, laptop, mobile, or stationary setup)
• DAC or dongle or any external amp
• Ear Tips
• Cables
• Source of audio file be it offline FLACS or streaming services like Deezer, Apple music, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the likes..
• Your playlist. It matters and is worth to be considered when reading from a reviewer's perspective. It is apparent that you get to know your favorite reviewer and what they are listening to leisurely and critically.

My reviews are more on how music sounds in my ears. The technical stuff like frequency graphs and the physics behind the tech and drivers used, I leave to other reviewers.


SPECIFICATIONS:

Configuration: 1DD + 2BA
Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: 106db
Freq response: 20hz - 20khz


PACKAGING:

This is my first IEM that has a "waifu" design. The box is rather large for the inclusions. Presentation is nice and good. Packaging includes the following.

• A pair of Midnight IEMs
• 3 pairs of ear tips for bass
• 2 pairs of rar tips for vocals
• Documents
• Cable
• Metallic case

Now let us dive into how Midnight sounds..

LOWS:

The lows here fall right in my alley. Mid bass is very humble yet offers a clean and quick sound. Sub bass is readily present if a track calls for it. Never felt bloated and overemphasized. Tracks from Stevie Wonder, Alan parsons, Doobie brothers sounded as neutral as it can. Kavinsky and Daft Punk tracks gave good sub-extension, and never lingered long to sound muddy. Based on the FR graph, I did expect a large amount of lows here but surprisingly, Midnight presented lows in a mature manner. I did test the original Yume and Midnight surpassed its predecessor here. Drum kicks sounded pretty punchy and bass guitars often are presented with grit and good attack.

Conclusively, the lows of Midnight appealed to me nicely. It didn't feel too much against my preference. It gave just the right amount of lows to me and quick enough to satisfy me on busy tracks.

MIDS:

Midrange, is very nicely done. It is not as forward as I want my mids to be, but it was not recessed to turn me off. Vocals, both male and female, are very natural and engaging. Eva Cassidy sounded very captivating and heartfelt in Fields of Gold. Just pure euphoria. Instruments such as rhodes, pianos, organs and especially synths sounded very lively, had good energy and were realistic. Same can be said to guitars, both acoustic and electric. Upper midrange never possessed any hint of sibilance or hotness. Drum snares are naturally presented and do not possess that unnatural BA timbre. Several tracks from Fleetwood Mac, especially guitars, sounded almost too perfect.

Conclusively, even though I prefer my mids a bit forward than the usual, Midnight did not leave me hanging in terms of midrange. Vocals, instruments, percussions were all presented naturally, realistically and with good density and weight. If you are a midcentric like me, Midnight's midrange is reason enough to grab this set.

TREBLES:

Trebles exhibit good clarity, transparency, and openness. A trait that can be considered a strength of Midnight. Cymbal strikes have grit and bite. Yet sibilance free nature. Never felt fatiguing to listen as well. Brass sections have that desirable shoutiness and impact from the likes of Earth wind and fire and Tower of power. I started in this hobby as treble sensitive but I go along, I have started a desire for a certain clarity in the trebles. Midnight nailed it. The extension is really commendable. A lot of micro details are audible due to this extension. Bells from orchestral tracks give an airy character which is really really a joy to listen to. Shouty tracks like Believe by Cher, Code Cool by Patricia Barber are tracks that are mixed brightly. Trebles were presented very nicely here and not even a hint of sibilance or even borderline is present. New new Orleans by Christian Scott, has a hot and shouty trumpet, but never did it feel piercing to my ears. Live albums also passed sibilance with flying colors as live albums tend to be more shouty and hot than studio tracks.

Conclusively the trebles here is one of the best treble reproduction I have experienced in an IEM. I must say the best among my drivers. The control here is superb and very impressive.

FIT & ISOLATION

Comfortability of wear is exceptional here. This was proven as I take Midnight with me all the time on my gigs. And for 3 hours every night, on my ears, did not give any discomfort and pain. Isolation is also very decent as it shuts off outside noise effectively. I did not find the need to tip roll, as the stock tips provided good fitting and I have no qualms on nozzle angle. It hugged my ears perfectly and I did not need to find right angles for optimum sound. In terms of comfortability, my T3plus is on par with Midnight, followed by the Idun Golden by Kinera.

TECHNICALITIES:

Okay now, I have my own hierarchy when it comes to technicalities. Below is how I have it according to my liking.

• Separation & layering
• Imaging
• Speed
• Resolution
• Sound stage

Separation here is decent but I think my Bqeyz Autumn offers a better job here than Midnight. Separation is very constructive for me as a musician hence, it is the first thing I look for in a gear I'm reviewing. Still, Midnight exhibits very decent separation and layering of instruments is quite good and nice. Instruments have a sense of individual space nonetheless. Change the World by Eric Clapton was presented rather well and the layering of instruments is very audible and noticeable.

Imaging is also very capable. Following instruments on their panning are very easy to follow and it is safe to say it's accurate and pinpoint most of the time.

Speed is somewhat quick and snappy but I have heard faster transients than this. Nonetheless, Midnight can cope up with some of my busy tracks from Dirty Loops. Didn't feel sluggish and slow thus kept me satisfied at all times.

Resolution is average. My Idun Golden reveals more elements by a small margin compared to Midnight. This is one more aspect that is constructive for me. Midnight performed well still but it could have been better.

Soundstage is somewhat, hmmmm similar to Bravery. If not a bit wider. We are talking IEMs here so to start with, the soundstage is not spectacular here. Midnight still gives an average head space, but did not take me to a WOW factor kind of level.


COMPARISONS:

To my ears, Midnight has a neutral character and for the sake of comparison, I would like to share my thoughts on how Midnight compares to Idun Golden.

• Midnight has more pronounced lows.
• Idun has thicker and weighty mids.
• Midnight has better treble extension.
• Idun has an edge on agility and speed.
• Imaging is a tad better with Idun.
• Separation is better with Idun.
• Midnight has better wear and comfortability.
• Idun is closer to a neutral signature.
• Midnight wins in versatility.
• Both scales well with more drive power.
• Idun is more resolving.

In a nutshell, this is what I can say between the two. I don't do many comparisons, as for me, IEMs have their own character and nature. Both leaning to mature listening, with a price difference of 30$. Idun retails at 170$ while Midnight at 200$.

SOURCES AND GEARS:

• LG V30 hifi dac (high impedance mode)
• Hiby Music player
• UAPP app (USB Audio Player Pro)
• Tidal Masters subscription
• offline FLACS
• Hidizs AP80 pro
• Deezer Hifi subscription
• Qobuz subscription service

Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:

That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks


And many more… I always listen to High resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS be it offline or online.

VERDICT:

Everything was done right here. Period. With Crin's input and See Audio's R&D, there is nothing to complain here. Leaning towards mature listeners rather than the consumer market, Midnight is a very versatile set. Everything sounded right, has adequate speed, natural tonality and timbre, capable technicalities and comfortability at its best. I love Midnight as I loved Bravery. Both have different approach in sound, Bravery is richer and lush, while Midnight is mature and humble.

I will keep this short and straight forward. You have 200$? Get Midnight. You won't regret it.

Catch you on the next one!!!