[Triggernometry]

Never really been an IEM guy—I’ve mostly owned over-the-ear headphones in the past (currently enjoying the Sundaras). Recently, however, HiFiGo was nice enough to lend me some of their IEMs to try out, one of which is the SeeAudio x Crinacle Yume Midnight.

A reason why I’ve always gone with over-ears is because of their advantages when it comes to how audio is presented. IEMs interact less with your outer ear, so as I was expecting, the Yume Midnights had your typical IEM soundstage that is more of “inside your head”. I must say though that despite having a small stage, the way they image, layer, and separate instruments are impressive. I was also given a chance to test the Tin HiFi T3 Plus, and compared to those, instruments sound less “mushed together” and cleaner perhaps due to the triple driver configuration (Note the $130 price difference though!).

To my ears, the overall tuning of these sounds neutral with a good amount of treble extension. Just like my Sundaras, they have a lot of air which I find ideal for active listening and picking out details. What surprised me was the sub-bass and how it was very present—something open-back headphones don’t seem to do so well. The sub-bass was elevated which, coupled with good dynamics, made music sound fun, but the mid-bass never sounded muddy/overpowering and was just the perfect amount for me. Will surely miss listening to hipster/pop music with these once I have to return them.

Thanks again to HiFiGo for letting me have a great taste of the IEM space! My perspective on IEMs have changed, and I think I’m starting to see what the craze is all about. Make sure to check them out here.