If you’re like me, you’ve never heard the name Icelabs. They seem to be a relatively unknown brand with very little online presence. I looked for a website, a facebook page or even an instagram post, but really didn’t find much. I have been around the hobby for a long time so I figured I had heard of the more relevant players in the game, but IEM makers sprout like weeds. I walked down the Canjam aisle and saw a booth for Icelabs / Flash Acoustics. I figured I’d see what the brand was all about.

I sat down and was struck by each cable having a “waifu.” This is a marketing practice that I cannot stand. I like anime, I have watched some, but I don’t see the value added here. A lot of box arts, especially in the budget scene, are just cartoon women on boxes, but I digress. I asked to hear the Prismatica, which was the IEM I saw when I sat down and it had a faceplate design I wasn’t too fond of, but had a decent colorway. I used the stock tips and cable and was overall pretty impressed. The sound was warm, with a pinch of treble spice and some nice vocal timbre.

The price of $899 was pretty tempting as well! The hobby has become much more expensive and I have started to really lose my patience with it. There has been a real race to the bottom in true high quality, high value budget IEMs around $25-$150 and then a plethora of exorbitantly expensive and hyped IEMs from $2500 and up. From my experience, the diminishing returns in this hobby kick in really fast and at about $1500. The imaging, soundstage and separation are about 90% of the $5000 IEMs so the value proposition becomes a very personal decision.

The Icelabs Prismatica presented a unique value proposition in a market that has been catered to significantly less in the past year or so. The original Prismatica falls in under $1000 and offers great technical performance with good tuning to boot! The upgraded Prismatica Gold VIP adds a flashy cable and new faceplate design for a little extra money. I’ll be hyperbolic for a minute, but I think that this IEM is better than most IEMs over $2000 and I will also say its technical performance will get you closer to some top dog performers than some of the $3000+ options.



Let’s dive into it!

I would call the Prismatica Gold (from here on called PG) a warm neutral. It graphs as if it has a warm bass boosted signature with a bit of a dip in the mids and a boosted upper treble. I don’t think it really sounds like this. To me it sounds closer to one of my neutral favorites, in the Dunu Mirai. The midrange has a lot of clarity and the treble has some wonderful edginess with a slight bit of etch at the top end. I think its biggest downfall is the bass. The decay is quite fast and the overall impact of kickdrums is pretty limp while also lacking texture.


This is a compensated target to a 5128 delta of -1.0db tilt


This is the raw measurement

I decided to try and push the bass to its limits and really test it in a few ways. I wanted to see if I could find slam or impact because that’s where this IEM struggled the most. One of my favorite test tracks is Neon Medusa by the Midnight and How You Like That by BLACKPiNK. When I use my A12t or my Symphonium Meteor, these tracks erupt in my head and really hit hard. On my Singularity it’s honestly just too much. With the PG it was a bit disappointing. The bass was present, but didn’t have its whole heart in the attack. I was left wanting more. These 2 tracks are closer to electronic or hip hop than my typical listening so I tried some bass heavy jazz to get a feel for texture of bass guitars, standups basses, cellos, and low pitched woodwinds. Compared to the Symphonium Meteor, I think the texture in this area is lacking on the PG as well. Marcus Miller’s slap and finger styles don’t come through as thick as I like while Edgar Meyer’s bowed bass is also a bit flat. If you like bass and you like really thick texture in your mids bass / lower mids, I think something like the Symphonium Meteor, 64 Audio U4S, 64 Audio Nio or then IE900 (with EQ) would be better options. If you like absolutely slamming and impactful sub bass, my 2 favorite sets for that would be the Nightjar Singularity or the Symphonium Helios. All of these IEMs are in roughly the same price bracket but perform better in this area than the PG. I’ll give it a 5/10

Well if it’s all about that bass, we would probably not have much more else to review. The mids are where PG starts to shine. The mids on the PG are some of my favorite if not my favorite in recent years. I don’t know if I have a good ear for timbre, but I got goosebumps from the string timbre in the mids. I love acoustic music, especially bluegrass. There are amazing players like Bela Fleck, Billy Strings, David Grisman and Chris Thile to name a few. Their music is fast and technical, really melding traditional bluegrass and jazz together. The IEM before that really made this shine for me was the Symphonium Meteor, but I think that I like the PG presentation better.

Banjo plucking, as well as guitar and mandolin strumming are heavily affected by the player's strength and ability to push in and hold back and sometimes these nuances can get lost. My #1 track to test this with is either “Charm School” by Bela Fleck, Billy Strings and Chris Thile or Vertigo by Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan and Sam Bush. These songs are recorded and mastered, balancing the rhythm and the lead while panning each instrument to clearly define who plays what and where they are on stage. The PG is able to clearly define each player on the stage and balance the push and pull of lead and rhythm in busy passages. With the PG, you can almost picture Bela smiling across the studio at Billy and Chris as they progress through a bluegrass odyssey.

All of the tracks are all instrumental, so I really hoped the natural timbre would come across in vocals as well. IEMs like the Helios or Annihilator present instruments with natural albeit coloured timbre and wide stage, but then push vocals too far forward in the mix ruining the balance. PG didn’t fall for the trap and created such a good natural listening IEM. When I listen to songs I love like “Alive” by Pearl Jam “What Would you Say” by Dave Matthews Band or “Meet Me at the Creek” by Billy Strings, I want to try and evaluate where on the stage they are and how natural the vocals sound.

This is where I started to get really intrigued in PG and decided I wanted to own one. I don’t really own any IEMs that present vocals in a way that I like. Annihilator and Helios push vocals, especially female vocals, way too far forward in the mix. The Symphonium Meteor and A12t really relax that upper midrange relaxing vocals pushing them further back into the mix. The Dunu Mirai is a wonderful, clean reference, but PG vocals felt lush, they felt warm, but they still felt natural. PG was pushing a warm lucious vocal timbre that wasn’t too forward and I love that. For PG’s balance of the vocals and instrument timbre it would get a 10/10, but due to lacking texture in the lower mids I put it closer to an 8/10. There are trade-offs here that I think make it worthwhile to own, but not perfect. If you like male vocals and a natural presentation of jazz, acoustic music or rock and roll, this is an excellent set to choose.

Now that I decided I wanted to buy PG, I ran into a tough spot. How do I get it? I surfed the web and found nothing. As I mentioned earlier, I couldn’t find a website or facebook page. I was only able to visit CJ for one day so I really kicked myself for not getting one on the show floor. I bugged some friends that went Sunday if they could go to the Icelabs booth and they bought me one! The people in this hobby are so special and so kind. I really am just happy to be here.



I took a few days vacation after canjam and came back home to Icelabs Prismatica Gold VIP in my mailbox and a huge grin on my face. I fired up my coupler, measured it with a few different tip options and then just went to enjoy the music. I opened up the beautiful packaging and stuffed them in my ears for a few hours and really got down with what Icelabs made. I was nervous that PG was going to be different than I heard on the showfloor and whether the treble would be too bright. Luckily, I actually think that the version in my hands sounded better than the show floor unit.

I have said it about every IEM I have reviewed and I still think it’s true on every account. An IEM can have bad bass or wacky mids and still be fun. Bad treble will make or break it being listenable. If it comes off too bright it is painful and just unpleasant. If it’s too dark, the stage shrinks and it starts to feel claustrophobic. Treble is a knife’s edge and too much or too little can make an IEM unbearable. Most importantly, due to our ear anatomy, tip design and IEM design treble sounds different to everyone. The same IEM can be heard as dark or bright depending on listening conditions and the anatomy of the listener. With all of this said, please take the next section as true to what I hear, but possibly different from what you might hear.

I happen to love a well presented treble. I like it aggressive or I like it wispy and ethereal. I hate sibilance and I hate peaky percussion. Most commonly, the Annihilator 2021/3 are brought up as the best treble in an IEM. There are other players like the Subtonic STORM, but as I said everyone hears treble differently. I have owned the Annihilator 2021 and currently own the Anni 2023 version and I would say that it is amazing. The treble is clear, crisp and lively, but definitely bright. Some people find it too bright and I would say that it can be. Some songs and some albums are just not a good match for Annihilator’s insane treble.

The Dunu Mirai and the 64 Audio U4s play on two sides of a similar tuning. They are tuned less bright than the Annihilator, but have a much different presentation of treble. The U4s is wispy and a bit digital. It doesn’t have the same edge as Mirai and I think PG would come closer to Mirai. The biggest downside to PG treble is a slight bit of etch and a touch of sibilance on otherwise excellently executed treble. Cymbals and rides are crisp and clear. They have a natural tonality without any grain or haze. To test treble, I often use Dave Matthews Band because Carter utilizes a lot of high percussion that can be absolutely unbearable on bright sets. On songs like “Spoon” there is a tambourine hit in the intro that is a bit splashy, but maintains the edginess without hitting the point of being distracting. The crispiness of the cymbals for the rest of the track are really special. Most IEMs that I use either roll off, making these details much less apparent. On the flip side, some add too much peakiness and make the track unbearable. PG is really hitting the line just right.

Another sibilance track test is 5-5-7 by Pat Metheny. This is another track I love, but has some really really high pitched percussion in the intro that is distracting and unnecessary. On PG, it is present, but feels more like it adds some sparkle and some stage width and height without being too distracting. If you don’t love treble energy, this is not a good set for you, but the treble is well executed, clear, crispy and exciting. It has moments of brightness, but it is well balanced tonality with well executed treble. 8/10. The only IEMs I own that perform better in this region are Annihilator 2023 and Mirai.

So should you buy the Prismatica? I think that the Dunu Mirai and 64audio U4s present better value propositions at their price point. Dunu and 64audio are brands with a lot of reputation and a well known presence. Icelabs is unknown and I don’t know how to reach them if they break. With this said, if you want something technical, something that stages really wide and an IEM that none of your friends have, and most likely can’t get, Prismatica Gold is a fantastic option. It offers top tier resolution, lucious mid range timbre and edgy, detailed treble. If you can get your hands on one, I highly recommend this IEM.

I have had a few disasters buying CIEMs. I have bought some CIEMs that just sound awful, like the UERR which has 0 bass and 0 treble. The texture is bland and has never heard of dynamics. The Hidition Viento B was much better, but the only let down worse than the bass was the customer service.

I bought the Kiwi Ears CIEM as an experiment. In the world of CIEMs, it is absurdly cheap at $399. The build time is also insanely fast at about 20 days. This is where my positives of this IEM end.

I wanted to see if Kiwi Ears had good production quality on their CIEMs and if they sounded remotely passable. As someone who enjoys the custom fit, I was hoping I could recommend this as a starter custom for those who want to try it without dropping $2000 USD. I don’t want to compare this to my other customs. I wanted to gauge whether or not this CIEM is worth being the gateway to custom in ear monitors for new users. Moreover, my hopes were very conservative. I wanted good build, decent tuning and decent technical imaging chops.

Out of the box, I would say the build quality felt quite nice. The shells felt smooth and well polished. They seemed sturdy and didn’t have any sharp edges. The cable that it comes with is a passable cable. It is easy to use and pliable, but has a MAJOR issue with the IEM (I’ll get to this later). The hard pouch isn’t bad either. For $399, this is a bare bones package, but not something I’m upset about.

My first issues started with the fit. The first thing I do with CIEMs is inspect for any obvious damage and then put them in with no cable. My goal is to figure out how they fit and how to insert them properly. Even if you use the same impressions, different makers will use the impressions differently. Some nozzles are shorter or longer and the interaction with the concha and outer ear is different for all of them. My Biento was insanely deep while my UERR was shallower than most universals.

Each maker has a different implementation and Kiwi Ears was interesting. The depth of the nozzle wasn’t as deep as Hidition but shallower than 64audio. The shells are massive and seem to try and fill the entire outer ear. I noticed immediately that my left ear had not even a semblance of seal, but my right ear was perfect. I racked my brain for ideas and reached out to a friend who recommended a medical lacquer and a UV light and actually was able to fix the seal myself.

I put the cable in and immediately the seal disappeared. I was thinking of how this could happen and I realized that the angle the 2 pin connector was installed at caused the cable to push against my temple and push the IEM out of my ear. My goal was not to damage any cables I cared about so I bent the stock cable until I could get a seal.

For those keeping score, we now have 2 very big negatives on build quality out of the gate. The IEMs don’t seal and the 2 pin angle ruined any seal I was able to get without damaging my cable.

So for those who think it can’t get worse from here, time to remember that I haven’t critiqued the noise it makes. There is decent sub bass extension, but the impact is very pillowy. It has almost 0 presence from 180hz to about 400 hz and then begins to rise and then has some very strange channel imbalance around 1800hz-3000hz. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t having a stroke so I used a tone generator and confirmed that there are major imbalance issues.

The strangest part of the sound is that I think it has a phase or polarity issue. I am not an electrical engineer, but I have heard this stuff before. If you take an IEM and install the 2 pin connectors backwards, the IEM will be out of phase and sound super wonky. I did this a lot on the Moondrop Variations switching the 3.5mm and 4.4 mm terminations.

The way I think this affects the sound is it sounds like the bass is coming from underneath me and the stage has negative width. It sort of feels like I am in a railroad house at the end of a large hall and the band is at the other end shouting. The instruments are all crushed together and it’s really hard to pick out any one instrument from another.

It’s really difficult to critique a broken monitor, but this just sounds like garbage. If this is the intended sound, and if my monitors are not actually broken, then these are the worst monitors I have ever heard. If they are broken, I will take back all my comments about the sound and leave it up to very poor build quality.

I asked Kiwi Ears if I could return it for repair, but they said I would need to pay for shipping + I would need to send new impressions to repair the lack of seal. I’m struggling with sunk cost fallacy. I can send them back, get them repaired and have them sent all the way back to me for them to most likely still be bad and broken or I can throw them in the bin and just leave the saga behind.

I haven’t decided yet, but for the time being this is just 1/5 star IEM with really a 0/5 stars being the real rating. I wouldn’t recommend these to anyone and I hope no one else suffers the fate I suffered. While I doubt I’m the first person to get a broken unit, the build quality issues alone make this a very tough product for me to recommend even if they sound perfect.

The word neutral gets thrown around a lot in this hobby. Neutral has a lot of preconceived definitions,but the I don’t think many people agree on what neutral is. I would say that the Dunu Mirai is the best neutral IEM I have heard south of $5200.
People who first get into audiophilia started with super V shaped KZ, Skullcandy or supermarket IEMs / Buds. They decided to research a bit and end up looking for something called “neutral.” I definitely understand the idea of trying to find something “neutral”, but it often comes at the expense of fun. I don’t work in the music industry so my neutral IEMs were the UERR, FDX1 and Blessing 2. I still find the FDX1 fun, but I can live without the other 2. Overall, neutral doesn’t mean much to me. I don’t need something that gives me no dynamics and flat bass. I wanted something exciting. I want some bass slam and some sparkle. I want some color and saturation. The Dunu Mirai changed my perspective on what neutral can be.


My daily IEMs now are the A12t, which isn’t as fun as I’d like and the Elysian Annihilator, which is a U shaped detail monster. I bring this up in my review of the Mirai for a few reasons. The Annihilator is like a steakhouse dinner; It’s filled with salt, garlic and butter. The fries are crisped to perfection and the sear on the filet is perfect. The A12t is like a delicious burger, it has the toppings, the ketchup, the mustard and the veggies. For both of these, the music is colored and flavorful. It offers something extra and something special to the listener. Both present the music saturated and intense without overseasoning.
The Dunu Mirai is omakase sushi at its finest. Sushi has always been a celebration of quality ingredients and exquisite craftsmanship. The flavor comes from the chefs ability to combine very few, high quality ingredients into a bite sized piece of heaven. This is the Dunu Mirai, it is a neutral monitor with dynamics, with slam, with clarity and with fun. It doesn’t have an overly bodacious sub bass or super sparkly treble. It offers delightful mids with beautiful clarity. Each region is not overly strong in quantity, but the combination of all of it together is truly a celebration of what “neutral” should be.

With the flowery metaphor out of the way, let's get to the review!

The Dunu Mirai is a hybrid IEM with 1 DD and 5 BAs. I am not particularly keen on driver count or configuration, but I mention it for those who are. The green shells fit securely, although they are bulky. With this said, my giant ears have no issues with the fit and I find the green shells to be quite striking. The stock cable looks like the DUW02S modular cable that Dunu offers, but in white. It’s easy to listen to and sounds fine. I used the 3.5mm attachment for most of this review if that’s relevant to readers. Dunu offers USB C and Lightning adapters for their Q Lock system which is nifty for those without a DAP or Dongle.

Size comparison! From right to left Mirai, Annihilator 2023, Fearless S8 Pro, Noble K10 U Encore, Symphonium Meteor, Truthear Nova



Sources Used: The majority of this was done using my Hiby FC6 dongle from my iPhone 15 Pro. I also used my Hiby RS6 and an apple dongle, but most of the review was done with the FC6. I am using Apple Music Lossless streaming to ensure bit-perfect files, but I don’t really hear the difference between Lossless and Hi Quality on Apple music using the 256kbs AAC files. Tips used were the Divinus Velvets. For tonality these were the most tolerable and were also the most comfortable.

If anyone wants to follow the playlist I use, here it is! APPLE MUSIC LINK



See above frequency response of my personal unit! I measured using different tips as the Precog said in his video with Resolve that it would be tip dependent. I think this is true, but the differences are in the high treble. The 711 clone couplers are notoriously unreliable past 5000hz depending who you ask. Please take the treble results as broad strokes rather than fact.

Bass: I think the bass on this IEM is not my preference. If you have never read my reviews before, I like the bass to be a bit less boosted from 0-80 hz, but rather have a nice linear rise starting from about 300 hz. This gives the mids a bit more warmth and a bit more of a gooey texture. I love to hear the strong plucking or finger style of Marcus Miller, Brian Bromberg or Jaco Pastorius. However, the bass quality in this IEM is quite good. Kick drums hit like a freight train and the texture of the low reaching sub bass is top notch. Songs like “How you Like that” really wubwub same with “Neon Medusa” by The Midnight. However on tracks like “Cumberland Blues” or “What Would You Say” Phil Lesh and Stefan Lessard’s bass lines are less emphasized than I like.

I mentioned in my preface, this is a “neutral” IEM. It does not add a lot of warmth to the mids and I really hear it adding even less than the graph shows. My knocks on the bass are more because of the tuning, rather than the quality. I don’t need every IEM I own to have thick mids. It’s nice to know that if I want an IEM with a bit less warmth, Mirai can perform the task with clinical and vibrant mids. I would give this a solid 7/10 for bass impact and texture

Mids: So if you read the previous passage, you would see that my preference of more mid bass probably will affect my thoughts on the mids. That is a correct assumption. The lack of mid bass to lower mids is noticeable, but again something that makes it very unique in what I own. The mids are a bit dry and remind me a lot of the Symphonium Helios. Mirai has more warmth than Helios, but they both run into the same issues. However, I find the timbre of the Mirai much more enjoyable to listen to. Helios’ strength was in vocal clarity and treble linearity, but the Mirai has such a nice touch on guitar strumming, banjo plucking, and horns. The bouncing of the Stanley Brother's banjo or Doc Watson's guitar is visceral yet natural. I think the edges on strings in particular is not like much I have heard before, but I like it.
The real shining star though is males vocals. Typically, IEMs have a bit of a boost at around 1500-2000hz for ear gain and can overemphsize vocals pushing them front and way too far center compared to headphones. The Mirai seems to have a less emphasizes ear gain region creating a very unique sense of space for vocals. Dave Matthews, Bob Weird, Sturgill Simpson sound slightly recessed in the mix compared to a tpyical IEM, but it creates a beautiful sense of synergy within the bands they play in. The balancing act to not overemphasize the vocals or the guitars is quite a feat. I don’t listen to a lot of music with vocals, but if I want to, Mirai is going to be my go to set. 8/10

Treble: I think basically every IEM I have reviewed has personally tried to hurt me with treble responses. I have PTSD from the Final A5000, Elysian Gaea, Dunu Kima Classic, and the worst offender, the Moondrop SSR. These are all IEMs that boosted the treble with such little finesse that they were unlistenable. People are allowed to like these IEMs, but the treble on all of them is boosted in a way that I find actually causes me pain. I now own 3 IEMs that execute treble in a way that I really enjoy. The Annihilator leans bright, but it’s just so sparkly and ethereal. The A12t is dark with a few treble peaks, but I can accept it for what it is. There are other IEMs that are ok, but the Mirai treble stands out to me in a different way from the Helios or Annihilator. The Mirai treble is bright and very aggressive. If you don’t like treble, I would recommend staying away, but this treble is hi res treble. Cymbal strikes, rides and flutes all sound so crisp. The attack is just perfect and the decay on those notes brings on a quite striking realism that I don’t think I have quite heard before. The banjos in the upper treble have this bouncy energy that I haven’t heard from many IEMs in the past. High range guitars, with tons of distortion like on Country as *** by Shaman’s Harvest, come through clear and strong. The peaks and dips in the treble feel very intentional and seem to line up with what I like. I will again say that this IEM has some brightness to it, but it feels controlled and balanced. It is aggressive and in your face, but so delightful. I have no faults here. I really think this is a 10/10 treble IEM. Annihilator lives on the other edge of being wispy and ethereal without as much edge and this is on the other edge. This is 10/10 treble

Technical Ability and Resolution: This section is the hardest and it can be most difficult to put into words. It doesn’t align closely to a frequency response graph and it’s more about the perspective of the listener. Because there is such a disparity among listeners of what top notch technicals for an IEM is, I will just describe what I really am looking for.

I want a stage that can allow me to clearly identify instruments and locate them “on a stage.” I want the bass to be dynamic and tactile and last of all I want the treble to be crisp and edgy without shoutyness or sibilance. While the last section sounds like you can see it from frequency response graphs, treble quality and tonality is really hard to guage from most measurement rigs so I think it takes ears to really convey what it sounds like.

Mirai’s technical ability is just absolutely top tier, but has a few quirks to it. The stage on Mirai feels wide, but not tall. It doesn’t create a stadium like Annihilator or my A12t. Mest and Helios all had quite large stages and I think Mirai falls short in sheer size, but what it does amazingly well is layering. If you listen to a busy song like “Vertigo” by Bela Fleck you can hear the distinct location of each player. Bela Fleck is on the right, Sam Bush comes in hard on the left with Bryan Sutton keeping rhythm on the right. The bass playing of Edgar in the background drives this absolutely mad bluegrass odyssey. Nothing gets lost in the mix. You can hear each player and most importantly you can place them all on a stage. Each of these instruments are all very close in octave so they overlap a lot as they play so being able to pick out each one is quite special and something I really require for most IEMs I listen to nowadays. The layering is just perfect and for this price, nothing else competes with it. Frankly, most IEMs 3x the price don’t compete with it.

I mentioned earlier that the bass isn’t overly apparent and the mids might be a bit dry for some, but the bass absolutely slams. Kick drums hit very hard and EDM drops sound fantastic. This isn’t a bass head set, but this is good bass.

The treble is the star of the show being some of the most crisp and delightful I have ever heard. Cymbals sound edgy and crisp, rides sound textures and vibrant and even some of the grittiest highest female vocals come out sounding clean and without sibilance. I would say this is some of the best quality treble bar none.

TLDR: The Mirai is a beautiful Omakase meal. It is a celebration of guitars, bass, drums, trumpets, violas, and even didgeridoos. It’s not an oversaturation of what music sounds like. It presents a clean and concise image that reminds me of sushi artists all over the world.
Moreover, this set is just fantastic for the money. The treble is crisp and energetic, the bass is punchy and dynamic and the mids are delightful and clean. In this price bracket, I don’t think much else is better. I love the U4S, Helios and Supernova, but I think Mirai is the most versatile of those and is an absolute steal compared to how expensive the TOTL sets are in today’s market. My only downsides would be the lack of midbass warmth. It's not a deal breaker, but it's about 3db at 250hz from being close to perfect.

I was sent the Dunu Falcon Ultra directly from Dunu in exchange for an honest review of their new upgraded version of the Dunu Falcon, Falcon Pro, Falcon C etc. From here on out, the opinions expressed are my own and have not been forced from me using forms of duress or torture. I appreciate Dunu for sending me this unit and letting me experience this IEM and express my honest thoughts.

Now that I have been reviewing for a little while, and mostly review things that I am interested in, this is the first time I was being sent a product and listening without a goal or notions. I also had no real expectations for what it was supposed to sound like or even look like. This is a single DD offering from Dunu which is somewhat of a specialty from them. They have succeeded in the past with IEMs like the Zen, Zen Pro, Luna, Titan S and the original Falcon Pro. I have had very mixed experiences with single DD IEMs and I would summarize this Falcon Ultra as a similarly mixed experience. There are some major caveats to this IEM, but I think it has a place and is ultimately a good IEM to enter into the single DD space compared to many other offerings sub $300.

The Boring Stuff: This review was conducted using the Falcon Ultra on my Hiby RS6, Apple Dongle, Questyle M15 and Prism Sound Calia. My music sources range from Qobuz, Spotify, Local FLACs and youtube. I tried everything to get a good gauge of what this IEM would do with different sources of varying quality.

IEMs to compare this to: If you are in the market for a single DD IEM, the other IEMs I can compare this to out of personal experience is the timeless JVC FDX1, Sennheiser IE200 and IE900. For a closer budgetary comparison, I will be comparing it to the Audiosense DT200.

The reason I chose the DT200 is because I believe they excel in similar areas despite different driver configurations. If you are in the sub $300 market, both of these IEMs should be on your shortlist.

Features: This IEM features tuning nozzles that fundamentally change the tuning of the IEM. I will be focusing on the blue nozzle because the gold nozzle was unlistenable for me. It was shouty and then pulled back on treble extension. The blue nozzle is the more neutral option which fits my all rounder vibe much more closely.

The Falcon Ultra’s price will most likely be above $200 and there are reasons I think this may be a dealbreaker, but I bring this up in the features section because part of the price is built into the quality of the accessories. The Falcon Ultra is a fully loaded package. It comes with about a dozen tip options in varying sizes, materials and shapes. The cable is a modular 3.5mm with options for a 4.4mm balanced and it comes with a case for each shell, like the classic Campfire Audio nut pouch, and a hardshell zipper case for being on the go. I have bought much more expensive IEMs which have significantly worse accessory packages. If you are just starting in the hobby, this has all you need to really get going.

Tonality: I would classify the Falcon Ultra as a mid focused IEM with strengths in timbre for strings and male vocals. While the FR graph shows that it might be a bit bright, I think this is a bit misleading. I find this IEM to be on the darker side with a bit less extensions then I would like. Overall it is a relaxed tone with medium technical and imaging capability. I think Dunu might have played it a bit safe with this revamp. The Falcon Ultra feels a bit too well rounded without actually giving it something to stand out from cheaper options like the Moondrop Kato, Audiosense DT200 or even Truthear Project Red.



Bass: If you have read my reviews before, you would know that my bass preferences lie in the 80-300hz region. A slight boost to this region helps bring forward note thickness and weight behind lower frequency horns and string instruments like cellos, trombones, bass guitars, snares and kick drums. I don’t really love head rattling sub bass, but it can be fun. The DT200 has beautiful note weight in the upper bass and mids, but a pretty terrible impact. The main difference between these 2 IEMs is the driver config. 1 DD for the Falcon Ultra and 2 BA for the Dt200. Many would think the DD would win, but I think the impact on the Falcon Ultra is worse. It stumbles on slammy tracks like “How you Like that” by BLACKPiNK and “Sunset” by the Midnight. The DT200 wobbles, but sort of produces slam. While this doesn’t really matter to me, it is worth noting.
The mid bass to lower mids on the other hand are very similar. I would really call these IEMs a “timbre head’s dream”. As a fan of the FDX1, FD01, I have been hoping to find a single DD that can do what the FDX1 did while bringing a better fit and timbre. The FDX1 is extremely metallic and aggressive while the Falcon Ultra and DT200 are very inviting and natural. On tracks, “Cumberland Blues” by the Grateful Dead or “Vertigo” by Bela Fleck, Falcon Ultra and DT200 really excel at making the strings sound realistic. Jerry’s vocals sound tender and gravelly while Phil’s bass is quite punchy and heavy behind it. FDX1 makes all of this sound very aggressive and lacks the lusciousness of DT200 and Falcon Ultra. I think I would give the edge to the Falcon Ultra for mid bass texture and bringing it together with lower mid coherence. It’s not the best I have ever heard, but it’s no slouch and for the price I think it’s pretty darn good. TLDR 6/10. Falcon Ultra has nice note weight to the mid bass and lower mids, but lacks sub bass slam and extension.

Mids: I very rarely find that speed is an issue with IEMs. My idea of speed is the ability of an IEM or headphone to produce positionally accurate sound without smearing. Busy sections in music that are heavily focused in one region seem to really require an IEM with either good speed or spacious staging. The Falcon Ultra falls a bit short in this region for me. One of my speed tests is Bela Fleck’s “Tentacle Dragon (Revenge of the)”. This song is incredibly fast and all of the bluegrass instruments are located in varying frequencies of the mids. Most IEMs and Headphones I have can keep up with it *somewhat*, but the Falcon Ultra, IE200, DT200 and others fall short. Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin and violin all blend together and become very hard to pick out of this mix. “Charm School” is another similar example that pulls the same tricks out revealing the weakness in the Falcon Ultra.
This is a very specific example that might not affect many people, but could be an issue on metal, hard rock, bluegrass or other super busy tracks. However, while it may smear a bit and become hard to really pull out individual instruments, the timbre of the strings in the mids is impeccable and brings a nice thickness that I just love, especially on folk and 90s rock tunes.
Vocals from the likes of Jerry Garcia, Dallas Green, Dave Matthews and others really shine on the Falcon Ultra. I would say that the vocal timbre for male vocals is the biggest strength of this IEM. If you’re like me, and you love old classic rock like the Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, and Santana or more current stuff like Dave Matthews Band, City and Colour, or Sturgill Simpson, the Falcon Ultra may be a real winner. Not a lot of IEMs can make me really smile due to controlling male vocals, but Dunu nailed this one. TLDR I will give this another 6/10 due to the smearing on super busy tracks, but is ultimately a very pleasant listen.

Treble: Oh Dunu, I don’t really know what you were thinking or trying to do here. I have said this multiple times before and I will stick to it. IEMs live and die by treble response. Treble is harder to EQ, harder to understand and is overall much more unbearable when done wrong. I have wasted time using IEMs that do treble terribly IE200, A4000, IE600, IE900 and the worst of all, Effect Audio Gaea. I have huffed copium trying to enjoy IEMs that do treble with some sparkle that can be a bit grating like the UM Mest Mkii and 64audio A12t. All of these IEM’s share one specific problem. The treble was just way too aggressive in one place or another. Whether it’s in the 4-5k range sounding like a cheese grater or the 8-10k range with sibilance and peaks all of these IEMs have compromises.
The Falcon Ultra is on the other side of this spectrum. I believe Dunu was trying to avoid the typical downsides of an IEM with shouty treble, but making it a tad recessed in extension. The graph from my clone does not show the same problems so I think it’s either the accuracy of the rig, inaccuracy of my ears or something in between. The lack of extensions makes a lot of music sound very empty. The extra air in the upper regions seems to open up the stage and make the music sound more lively. When it’s dark like this it feels very claustrophobic.
I will note that the quality of the treble that’s present sounds very good. I don’t hear the grain, glaze or shimmer that I tend to hear often enough. The cymbal strikes are very recessed, but clean. Female vocals have nice air under them sometimes, but sound very recessed in the mixes. I don’t have a ton to add here, but for a nice all rounder it is nice to not have to worry about stabs of sibilance because the higher registers seem to be missing. TLDR: This IEM sounds very dark to my ears and could benefit from a bit of a boosted treble region. However, the quality of the treble is excellent and a bit of EQ can probably help fix the balance. I will give this a 5/10 because it’s at least listenable. TLDR: Dark so it’s at least tolerable, but I’d like more air

Imaging and Soundstage: I don’t have much to write here. I would call it average. It doesn’t really excel, but doesn’t fall flat on its face either. Sometimes the speed can hamper busy sections, but at this price, I don’t find it to egregious. TLDR: 5/10

For the price, I think I would rather spend less and get the Audiosense DT200 for better executed treble at the expense of male vocals or Project Red if cost is a big issue. The Falcon Ultra seems like at best a sidegrade to both of those and possibly a downgrade depending on what you listen to. However, if you want a premium products, wit premium accessories from the ground up, The Falcon Ultra is a great option.

I recently got my hands on the Elysian Annihilator 2023. I want to thank my friend for letting me test them, measure them and compare them tomy personal pair of Annihilator 2021s. Elysian needs no introduction. The Annihilator quickly jumped to the top of many reviewers charts for the best treble response in an IEM. It is incisive, natural and never piercing. Many reviewers have praised the Annihilator for impressive detail retrieval, treble response and clarity. Its biggest downside is bass, but I think this is mostly nitpicking a top 3 IEM in the entire world.

Notes: All reviewing is done using Questyle M15 dongle, Apple Music Lossless or Local FLAC files. Driving this IEM can be pretty tough. My Q5k and apple dongle weren’t really doing it justice. I threw it on my tube amp, but it really was not a good pairing. The M15 was the best so that is how I reviewed the unit.

Anni 2021 vs Anni 2023



Both of these IEMs are absolutely stellar. They are both easy 5 out of 5 IEMs. I like to think I am fairly picky, but this is an easy decision for me. There are differences to both, but one is not necessarily an upgrade to the other. The biggest difference between them is the bass response. The bass on 2023 is more midbass focused leaning to meatier mids and a nice weight behind drums, bass guitar, cello, trombone and other lower frequency instruments. For the most part, the rest of the FR remains unchanged.

On a technical point, the 2023 feels like it might be a hair more resolving and the treble might be a tough more reigned in on some of the best treble in the world. The difference may be .1%, but worth noting.

The build on 2023 definitely feels like an upgrade. The nozzle is a beautiful gold nozzle with a nice filter on the end. 2021 is more of the classic pseudo custom fit with a nozzle more like the Blessing 2. The lack of filter could be worrying to some, but it doesn’t really affect me. Shell size and comfort are identical to my ears, but the more refined look of the 2023 really stands out.


Sound:


Bass: I have mentioned this already, but the Annihilator 2023 is focused in the midbass regions to help give meat to the mids and bring forward a very natural timbre to the low end. Bass guitars, cellos, trombones, snares and toms all sound lucious and full. Songs like Spoon By Dave Matthews Band, Cumberland Blues by the Grateful Dead and The Chicken by Brian Brohmberg all absolutely shine. The textures are perfectly executed. This is what mid bass is and what it should sound like. I can feel the finger picking of Stefan Lessard and the plcuking of Phil Lesh so clearly it’s hard not to groove along. Bass players like Brian Brohmberg, Marcus MIller and Jaco Pastorius are heavily featured in my music and this is the best I have heard them sound since my Verite Closed. I never thought of myself as a timbre head, but I think this does it for me.

Sub bass is a bit of an issue though. Songs like How you Like That by BLACKPiNK or Neon Medusa by the Midnight don’t exactly slam, but are passable. If you like techno or heavy EDM, I don’t think this is a great fit for you. The bass is rumbly, but not exactly slammy. (The bass on the 2021 is even lighter). If you want to truly slam and rumble, the answer is still IE900 to my ears. I will give this a 7/10 only because the sub bass is a bit loose and not as slammy as other options I have tested despite the amazing midbass response leading to insane texturing.

Mids: I might break my arm jerking off the Annihilator, but Lee did something amazing here. I love the mids on this IEM. They feel heavy and powerful without ever leaving me wanting more. The textures are natural, the instrumentations are separated well and the vocal timbre is just perfect to my ears. Violins, guitar strumming, male vocals, banjos, trumpets you name it, are all quick with perfect decay. This section is short because there are no issues here. The mids here are perfect. Bar none, this is the best I have heard. My A12t comes close, but fails in the upper mids. IE900 comes close, but requires a ton of EQ to get there. Meteor has so much going for it, but in terms of detail retrieval from busy sections, it doesn’t keep up with something like Annihilator. This is 10/10 mids. I will give it no fault at all.

Treble: The scale has been broken because this is where every IEM fails. Tuning treble is very difficult because affordable measuring equipment does not accurately measure treble. The flaws within the commonly used 711c couplers compared to the new 5128, and its other variants, have shown that treble has been tuned basically by ear since inception. Only a very select few have done it right. The Helios is the most linear of an IEM I have owned. It is incisive, but never fatiguing. It has shine and sparkle, but the Annihilator would be the next step.

I would not call myself a treble enjoyer on a typical day. Flutes, harmonicas, rides and cymbals are usually things I avoid. I love bluegrass so Banjo twang and higher register guitar is something I do appreciate (Please check out Billy Strings for the best bluegrass since The Stanley Brothers). I would call the Annihilator the most aggressive treble I have ever heard, but there’s something magical about it. It’s forward, it’s in your face, but it never hits sibilant. It shines like the sun, but never gets those sibilant spikes that I got on IEMs like Mest Mkii, A12t / U12t and a ton of other TOTLs. The clarity, decay and speed of the treble makes all the cymbal hits crystal clear helping to add air to the presentation. The treble’s aggressive tendencies play into the hands of extra clarity and detail. Opening up the higher frequencies allows it to project out of head images. This is 10/10 treble and I would give it more if I could. Pure magic here.

Imaging: I have never really had the out of body experience that some people claim to have with Andromeda or other IEMs known for staging. IEM staging is mostly a meme. If it can project any sort of stage width or height it’s in the top percentile of IEMs. Annihilator presents the 2nd largest stage I have heard. A12t is still the largest, but lacks the clarity and detail that comes with the Annihilator. The stage width and depth is on par with the Mest Mkii but lacks the beautiful tuning of the Annihilator. The strength of the imaging and technical prowess of the Annihilator 2023 is in the detail retrieval. You can hear studio easter eggs, like birds cawing on Sturgill Simpson’s “Call to Arms.” On an industrial post rock track called Reitschule by Do Make Say Think, the sounds of people muttering, outside noises and tip top cymbals add more busyness to a track that I have heard thousands of times. I hear new things every day I listen to the Annihilator and I can’t wait to continue exploring even though I am a lowly Annihilator 2021 owner.

TLDR: This is probably the best IEM in the world. There are other options that are less flavored, but equally technically skilled, such as the Subtonic Storm, but for my listening, the Annihilator hits all my boxes. It has amazing mid bass to mid texturing and timbre. The treble adds so much air and clarity that it’s pretty scary to think this is in my head. I can find no flaw in this IEM and is worth every cent and more. I hope one day to try the Subtonic Storm for more than a small demo session as it will be a true battle of the gods.

I was sent this unit as a member of the audio46 A5000 tour! This was the first time I was included on a review tour and it’s exciting for me to try this IEM. I have not been paid, bribed, drugged or accosted for a good review. I was only given a product in exchange for an honest review.

Now that the boring stuff is out of the way we are going to get to the A5000. I did most of my listening tests price and configuration blind. I just wanted to see where it would go and how it would sound to me just out of the box.

I have updated some of my sources as I have been more involved. I am now using Apple Music Lossless with either an Apple Dongle or my RS6. I don’t think lossless makes a difference to my ears, but now I can’t be accused of my issues being lossy files.

Fit: I was very surprised by this IEM size and shape. It looks weird and has a shallow fit, but it works. I was able to wear it for the 2 hours I spent reviewing and a few hours getting used to it. These things are insanely light. The plastic shells feel like some good quality plastic with a nice texture to them. The cable is nice and light weight as well. Overall, if fit is an issue for you, this could be a winner. It’s not as good as the IEX00 series from Sennheisser, but it’s quite nice. 7/10

Sound: I am going to get into region performance, but I would say overall this IEM is pretty much just ok. If I had to put a number on the hobby, I would say that 90% of things are fine, but not outstanding and usually overpriced, 5% is outstanding and worth the price and the last 5% is stuff is just not good. When I checked the price of the A5000, I was pretty sad. It falls into a no man’s land. There are cheaper IEMs that sound significantly better. I would call the A5000 a mild V shape leaning bright (almost sibilant). The timbre for instruments is mostly fine until you get to the treble. The treble is harsh and hazy while also sounding very tinny. If you are still reading from here, I guess we’re going on an adventure.

Bass: The bass feels very coherent and textured. I would say the bass is one of the main strengths of the A5000. It has some punch and even some slam when required to do so. I looked up the driver configuration after blind listening and was surprised. I would have assumed a 4BA or hybrid setup, but it’s just one DD. The bass texture through to the mids is the strength of this IEM. It helps acoustic music and male vocals come through clean and easy. The bass is surely a positive of this IEM overall, but for a budget single DD the IE200 is still my go to option. The IE200 can better separate bass texture and amount from the mids while also doing the other regions more justice. 6/10

Mids: I would say that the mids on the A5000 are its main attraction. The bass is good. It’s tactile, separated and not muddy, but the mids are thick and natural. My biggest issue with the IE200 is that the mids can feel a bit thin and wispy without EQ. The A5000 is meatier with much more body. Male vocals remain front and center and guitar plucking is nice and easily distinguishable. It doesn’t compare to IEMs like the Blessing 2, Meteor IE600 or some of my favorite budget options like the FDX1. Overall the mids are fine, just like the bass. There are no glaring issues, but it falls within average for me. 6/10

Treble: This is where it all falls apart for me. Treble is a knife’s edge: too much and it’s a painful listen and too little sucks out detail and air. I would say the A5000 hits painful more often than it doesn’t. Listening to high percussion on jazz tracks by Pat Metheny Group or Art Blakey are hazy and sibilant. The rides, cymbals, hi hats and tambourines are very strident and lack the separation and clarity I would hope to find in an IEM at this price. If I had to describe it, the treble sounds like it’s a 128kbs MP3 that has been copied a few times. Compared to the bass and mids, the treble is a rough rough experience 4/10

Imaging and Separation: I would call this IEM average in both without much to say. It exists and can do both while not really excelling at either. 5/10

TLDR: I would say that this IEM, price no object, exists and is not a bad option. I can see it being an IEM that people might like due to its fit and really nice mid and bass presentation. If I had to make a purchase, I would save some cash and get the IE200. I think it has better imaging and separation while also being $100 cheaper. Both can come across strident in the treble, but IE200 is definitely more controlled and defined. The A5000 is a solid option that falls in no man’s land due to price and the increasingly powerful budget options in the lower budgets.

I’m not sure why, but I have been putting off this review for a really long time. I have had the Helios now for about 4 months. I would say without much hesitation that this is a feat of audio engineering. With that said, this is 100% not a 5 star IEM. It has faults that make it an IEM I avoid for a few reasons.



First thing first, I want to go on a fun side journey. For an IEM, Helios is pretty tough to drive. It sounds fine off most of the dongles I used but I had way more fun running it off of my tube amp or high gain on my RS6. I would call this scalability. The staging, the texture and the overall tone of the IEM changed with the sources I was able to use. The magic of using it on my RS6 or my tube amp really makes this feel like a desktop experience. Helios gets bonus points, because it’s not something I look for in IEMs, but was super fun to try.

I tested it with my Q5k, Hiby RS6, Questyle M15, Apple Dongle and Inspire IHA1 tube amp. The RS6 presents a very warm and tubey tonality, similar to my tube amp, while the M15 is more v shaped and punchy. I was able to pick up varying tonality with source switching. If this is appealing to you, Subtonic Storm and Symphonium Helios have to be the 2 IEMs on your list. It is something very unique and fun. Most importantly, Symphonium FLAT tech assures that other sources will not heavily alter the frequency response. I measured this and found it to be pretty much on point. 64audio also has LID, which is similar, but I had to alter the preamp to make sure I didn’t blow my ears out. Helios is legitimately hard to drive.

Fit and Ergonomics- This is well documented, but the fit sucks. I bought the IE900 for the fit knowing full well the tuning wasn’t for me; Helios was the opposite. I was so intrigued by the presentation and technical prowess that I had to get my hands on it. The shell is big, the nozzles are super long and the treble presentation gets better with a deeper fit. Getting a deep fit here is not particularly enjoyable. I can listen for about 1-3 hours before having to take a break. It also happens to be heavy with the cable sticking up in an interesting position. I think this creates the biggest flaw. The shell weight is towards the outer half of the IEM, while the nozzle holding it in place is fitting deep. This means that the weight is like a see saw only being supported by the canal. This is just a terrible fitting IEM. To note, Symphonium worked really hard on this and the Meteor is a fantastic fit IEM. 3/10



Bass- I found the bass on this IEM a little disappointing. If you have read my other reviews, you would know that my favorite bass is more in the warmth regions which is 200-400hz. Sub bass is nice as it can add to kick drums, but the sub bass meta of IEMs just doesn’t do much for me.
With this said, BA bass be damned. This IEM is both textured and slammy. On songs like How You Like That, the sub bass rattles the head a little and can actually be boosted for more slam. The texture in the sub region is also excellent. Usually, I struggle with sub bass, but this is just too good. The dip starts too early though and leaves the bass to mid bass regions very limp if not dead. It almost makes the IEM feel disjointed. There’s sub bass and then mids, but it feels like something is missing in the middle. This can be fixed very easily with EQ, however, most people don’t wanna deal with that. Due to the quality of the bass present, I will go 7/10. A bit of EQ can bring it a long way, but ultimately isn’t enough bass for a bass head and doesn’t reach far enough for someone who likes lower frequency strings like cellos and bass guitars.

Mids- I don’t really know how else to describe it, but the mids feel very... dry? They seem lifeless and without any sort of lusciousness. This is a clinic on imaging and presentation, but seems to have lost something in the middle. Jerry’s vocals on Cumberland Blues feel sad in a way; Dave Matthews vocals also have the same presentation. For what I listen to, the mids on the Helios are not really a strength. Comparing that to something like my A12t, which feels vibrant and textured, I don’t think the Helios really can compare in that regard. 4/10

Treble- Now this is where things get interesting. Since I have been in this hobby, treble has been a failing point of IEMs. Treble is a double edged sword. It requires finesse to help reveal the air and details in high percussion, flutes and violins. Most IEMs just get too hot *cough IE900 and IE600*, while others forget that treble exists. It seems like most IEMs have given up on treble, but Symphonium nailed something here. The treble extends well along a knife’s edge to the very last octave. High percussion and rides on Marcus Miller’s “Trip Trap” are presented like a perfect accompaniment to his fat bass riffs. Carter Beaford’s opening riffs on #41 are crisp. 99% of the time I find it unlistenable (whoever mixed that album was a treble masochist), but this treble is effortless. It reminds me of my Genelec 8030cs. A perfect balance of detail without pain and air without soaring too high. This is a 10/10 treble IEM and it leads to the next section of what makes it a special piece I have held onto.

Imaging- The IEM world has stepped up its game in imaging over the past few years. My go to IEM for detail and imaging was the JVC FDX1 for so many years. While also having major fit issues, it was also a bit spicy. It was well balanced and brought out details that are often never heard. After a while, I upgraded to the UERR and finally the A12t. These all have stellar imaging, but I would personally put Helios at the top. On orchestral pieces, you can hear pages turning, breathing, things dropping or even the audience coughing. In jazz recordings, you can hear the mannerisms of the player. Keith Jarrett’s moaning on live records or Miles Davis leading on Live - Evil. This is on par with A12t, Gaea, U12t and many of the other high detailed IEMs that are TOTL right now. The big difference is price. Helios’ used price is roughly $800 and new only $1200 placing it right in line with the big boys or even cheaper. If you want detail, like ALL OF THE DETAIL, the Helios is the IEM you want. 10/10

Staging- I would call it above average in stage width and height, but not the most mind blowing thing I have ever heard. It has a very clear right and left image with a well balanced center that projects outwards only slightly more than Meteor. If I had to compare, the Meteor is like a campfire with your best friends, while Helios is more like a larger concert hall and the Mest Mkii is like an Arena. Through most of my listening the widest and largest stage goes to the Mest Mkii or the A12t and I think that still holds true. 8/10

TLDR- This IEM is detailed, it’s neutral, it’s a bit on the dry and clinical side with a touch of sub bass and most of all it’s doing something no one else is really doing. It’s walking that fine line of air and sibilance with knife point accuracy. If, staging, imaging and detail are the only thing that matter to you, Helios is bar none the IEM to buy sub $1500.

For some comparisons

If you like staging more than anything, A12t and Mest Mkii are probably better values
If you like bass, texture and a more natural timbre, Meteor, IE900 (EQed) and A12t are better
If you like a super neutral detail monster with perfect treble, Helios is the answer
If you have tons of sources and like to try them Helios is the answer
If I could only pick one it would be Symphonium Meteor

Sources - Hiby RS6, Questyle M15, Apple Dongle, IHA1 Tube Amp and Q5k. Spotify for listening.

The IE900 is one of the IEMs I have dreamed of trying almost all year. The big issue with almost all IEMs is fit. It’s the biggest deal breaker and can make or break an experience listening to music. Back when I got into this hobby, Shure was a brand that made well regarded IEMs, but the key to the success was the fit. The sounds really came second. As IEM technology moved forward, we went to humongous multi driver sets that threw comfort to the wind. The pseudo CIEM like the Blessing 2, Thieaudio stuff or Fearless was the new “meta” and tiny shells were gone. 64 Audio made some respectably small shells, but nothing really existed like the old Shure IEMs that have not aged well at all. I saw the IE900 and was immediately intrigued. It is one of the smallest IEMs I have tried, but it has a huge sound. Sadly, the quirks in the tuning make this a hard IEM to recommend unless the caveats are worth it to you.

Fit: I usually don’t talk about fit or accessories as a reason to like an IEM. I look at sonic performance first, fit and accessories second. The IE900 was the opposite in my case, the fit is why I bought it and the sound is why I am not going to stay. This is bar none, the best fitting IEM I have ever worn. The shells are inexplicably tiny, sporting an all aluminum housing and 1 single dynamic driver in each shell. The insertion depth is fairly shallow, but these are the most comfortable IEMs I have ever tried. I will note that I did have issues getting a seal until I found tips that fit my ears better. After this, I was able to do 3-4 hour listening sessions with no pain or pressure build up. This is a 10/10 comfort experience.

Bass: I would be remiss to call the bass of the IE900 anything but seductive. The decay is so natural, the sub bass rumble is tight and head rattling and the mid bass punch and string plucks are beautiful. If you are a bass head, this is an amazing IEM to use (with some caveats you will read later). Before writing this review, I had called the Meteor the best bass I have heard in an IEM, but the IE900 takes the crown. A12t, Helios, Meteor, IE600 and Moondrop Variations bass doesn’t come close to the IE900. I find the tuning of the meteor bass more fun, but the timbre and the slam from the IE900 feel more natural and so cohesive that I just have to give this a strong 10/10. I don’t subscribe to driver memes, but this single DD has really hit in the bass department.

Mids: I think the mids are a real strength of the IE900. The timbre of guitar plucks, bass picking, cellos strums and strings is just not notch. Horns and woodwinds like trumpets and saxophones really sound well done, but when they reach into the higher registers of the upper mids things can go awry really fast. Flutes are disastrous, as is the harmonica. While the mids as a whole, feel well done and controlled the further north on the frequency you get the worse it gets. The strength of the subbass to lower mids in timbre, speed and detail still make this an absolute winner for me. 7/10

Treble - Upper Mids: I am combining this section because this is where it all goes very very wrong on the IE900. From the FR graph, you can see that there is very little ear gain and then a huge jump in treble creating an unnaturally airy presentation that feels disjointed from the listening experience. It’s almost like a 2nd driver kicks into overdrive to deliver sibilanc. On songs like What Would you Say or #41 by Dave Matthews Band Carter’s high percussion is more unbearable than usual. I would say when I test these songs on IEMs they are usually pretty tough on the ears, but this was worse. This was an absolutely unbearable listen. On songs like How You Like that by BLACKPiNK the vocals sound correct and normal until they start using the letter S and then I start to cringe. It feels like the IE900 gave them a lisp that makes the S super sharp. From a tonality perspective, the treble jump and huge dip in ear gain make the upper mids and treble feel both disjointed, unnatural and mostly overly sibilant and aggressive. Comparing this to other IEMs that I would put in a similar genre, Helios treble is main selling point as it toes the line of speaker like extension without sibilance. The A12t is very dark, but extends well without sibilance as well. The Meteor extends very well despite what the graph looks like. Even the Mest, which I think has by far the worst treble of the bunch, manages to outshine the IE900 in this area. The treble makes this IEM very hard to listen to. 3/10

Imaging: I usually start off my listening with one of my all time favorites, Cumberland Blues by the Grateful Dead. It has a lot going on with multiple vocalists, tons of instrumentation and a very layered mix. Vocals are front and center while the back up vocals can lean either side. The banjo is on the left behind and the guitar is a bit more centered. The stage I think falls into the above average category, but not much further. The imaging was outstanding. Each instrument was easy to pick out and the speed helped keep the high percussion from smearing. On some jazz tracks I was able to hear super fine details like shakers, brushes and chimes in a new light. I found the imaging on the Helios, Gaea and A12t to be ahead in terms of raw detail retrieval separation, the IE900 is no slouch. I think the biggest difference is this IEM has a more natural timbre making the detail feel more organic. I very much like this presentation versus Gaea and Helios. This is a top of it’s class performer in resolution, separations and detail. 8/10

So now we get to the hard part. I have an IEM that meets almost all of the criteria. It has nice warmth throughout the mids, very textured and punchy bass with rumbling subbass and the timbre for instruments is very natural and enjoyable unlike a lot of the multi driver TOTLs. To top it all off, the fit is bar none the best after getting the tips I needed. The treble is so aggressive though that I would say without EQ this IEM is not worth the price tag.

I decided with so many of my boxes being checked that I would EQ this and see if it maintains its strong points with some minor EQ.

NOTE: Blue is Stock, Green is Measured with EQ. It has a very tight tolerance for EQ and great target adherence. I don’t really care about this, but I wanted to save the IE900 so I was curious how this would turn out.

My main goal was to fix the ear gain and do a slight reduction in the treble. While I was here, I added some warmth to the mids because it made me happy. I can safely say that with EQ this is probably a top of the chart IEM for me. It maintains its strong mid timbre while the treble and mids are more solidly glued into one cohesive listening experience. More importantly, the toned down treble and slightly boosted warmth helps balance out the tonality and reduce the sibilance while maintaining air and detail. If you are willing to EQ, and fit has been an issue for you, this is an IEM I would recommend to most. I find it much more detailed and resolving than the IE600 even though it is tuned worse. I find the detail and resolution less than that of A12t, Helios, Gaea and maybe even the Mest Mkii, but the natural timbre makes the overall experience less clinical and more musical. I would take this IEM with me anywhere I bring my DAP, but without it, I think I’d avoid this one.

While I would love to give this one a good grade, the stock tuning is bad enough that I can’t do it. It can be saved with EQ, but I am not grading my EQ. I really only even tried because all of the other aspects were so close to perfect, that I needed to know what could’ve been. I will give the IE900 a solid 3/5 review and an 6.5/10 for my own score basis. It’s bolstered by fit, bass and timbre and raw resolution, but it’s let down by the strident, hot treble and poor tuning in the upper mids.

Preface: I have had this IEM for a few weeks and I have really struggled to give it a rating. There are two main reasons I struggled with it; this is a technical champion with tuning that is just NOT for me. So this left me in the conundrum: how do I review something objectively and give it a rating that it deserves? I decided that I would give it a 3.5 because I would never listen to the Gaea by choice.

Sources used: I listened mostly with either an Apple Dongle and Spotify or My Questyle M15 and Spotify. I listened with local flacs, but I personally can’t hear the difference.

Build: This IEM is built excellently. The shells are a very nice size and are beautifully designed. They have a nice blue swirling effect with a very nice logo on each ear. The cables feel sturdy and lightweight. I don't believe that cables alter sound enough for me to think about it, but it is a gorgeous cable with a nice weave and ergonomic fit that's not too loose or too stiff. A+ for build. I can wear this all day without pain. The cable is one of the selling points of this set so while it's a bit lame that it is a proprietary cable, the stock cables are gorgeous and should be considered a major selling point of the Gaea.



Tonality: As a general overview of the Gaea's tonality, I would call it Harman neutral specifically to 2017. My biggest problem with being "harman neutral" is that harman is ridiculously shouty. If you have read my other reviews, my ideal IEM is a reduced pinna with a bit of a U shape. I am a bass player at heart and losing bass guitar plucks and mid bass lower mid punch is just unacceptable. The treble is on the very bright side and is borderline sibilant. I don’t really like what Elysian was going for here, but it definitely fits for certain genres

Gaea Harman 2017


Gaea compared to my target

Bass: This is the biggest failure of the IEM to me. Bass is so masked behind the treble that I really struggle to find it. If I had to compare it to other IEMs in this price tier, I would say it's the bottom tier of kilobuck bass. Sub bass can rumble, but the decay feels unnaturally fast and hollow. Kick drums lack the slam that I expect, but can be heard. On Marcus Miller's Detroit, the bass fails to cut through the other instrumentation. This is especially odd because the instrument separation farther up the spectrum is incredible (spoiler alert). There's not much for me to say here other than the bass here is pretty bad and the timbre in the bass to lower mids isn't a strength here.


TLDR 3/10: no slam, no impact, no color


Mids: I would say the mids are actually a strength despite some of the things I said earlier about the tonality. The mids are dry as a bone. They seem to have not much going on and I actually think that's a strength for a few reasons. It allows for a very analytical listen. The details aren't lost in the color. Tom Petty's guitar work is clear and centered right in the middle. The vocal works of Eddie Vedder, Dave Matthews, Jerry Garcia all sound quite natural. There is an incisiveness to each string pluck, snare hit, trumpet blast and piano hit. Having a nice and flat mids region creates a very natural sense of spacing imaging. Too much warmth and things get lost, too much brightness and it can be distracting. If you want to analyze your music, if you want to hear every detail of what's being played, this is the IEM you want.


TLDR 7/10: It's dry, but very accurate


Treble: I wouldn't say I hate treble, but I definitely don't like it. I want it to extend and be heard, but I don't want it to be the only thing I hear. The Gaea is for people who love the top end. Female vocals absolutely shine. I don't really know why, but I have never listened to much music that heavily features female vocals. I really like BLACKPiNK, which is very fitting for an IEM like this. Each vocalist comes through crystal clear and the subbass bounce matches. On songs like Spoon by Dave Matthews Band, Alannis Moriesette sounds like an angel. Ariana Grande's vocal feats sound absolutely gorgeous all the way through. It's not all perfect though. High percussion sounds borderline like nails on a chalkboard. Violins and fiddles are the absolute death of me on this IEM. Bela Fleck's Vertigo is one of my favorite tracks to test speed and separation and I couldn't make it to the end. Bluegrass can really hit that high treble in ways that are absolutely unbearable.


TLDR: 5/10 Female vocals are stellar, higher end treble like rides, cymbals, violins are very abrasive and unenjoyable


Imaging: Alright, if nothing has scared you from this point, you have made it to the good part. The detail retrieval on this is absolutely insane. You can hear the breathing of the pianists such as Keith Jarret on Live in Kolin. On Traffic's Low Spark of a High Heeled Boy the head stage is incredible. You can hear the depth of the stage with claps and other noises that sound like they're coming from all different directions. on 7 rings, but Ariana Grande you can hear background vocals that are very hard to notice if you have never heard them. At 1:41 you can hear her say things like "closet" and "beaming". I have never caught these vocal phrases on anything, not HD800s, not Verite Closed, not A12t etc. I can keep going.


Imaging 10/10. You can hear anything that's in the mix. You might even start hearing things that weren't in the mix but maybe were in the artist’s dreams. I really have no idea what I'm saying, but just trust me it's amazing.


Conclusions: This IEM is certainly not for everyone. It is sharp, lacks bass and is hyper detailed to the point of fatigue. If you want something that is engaging, incisive and purposeful, this is your IEM. Each string pluck, note sung, drum hit and trumpet blast feel like they're going to attack you; It is visceral and engaging, but perhaps too aggressive. Elysian has made something special here that I personally don't want to hear again. I like an all natural timbre with a slight mid bass punch. I need more emotion in my music and the Gaea just doesn't deliver that. It's a machine made to deliver the most detail right into your ear holes.

My recommendation for a similar IEM in the same price bracket that might be a bit more enjoyable would be the Helios. Helios is a fantastic IEM that suffers from a terrible fit. It has a similar of tilt tuning leaning more bright, but is balanced much better than the Gaea. Sonically, the Helios is a more balanced well rounder.


Thanks for reading and please don't hesitate to ask any questions!


Also if you wanna mess with the graph a bit check out my squig at Squig Link!

I have had high hopes for the Mest Mkii for a long time for a few reasons. I love CIEMs. The fit is better, the isolation is better and usually I find the sound to be more consistent over listening sessions. For a CIEM, the price of the Mest Mkii (from here referred to as mkii) is honestly a pretty good deal. Sadly, I don't have the CIEM so I will be reviewing this unit as the universal I currently own. This was my audition to buy the CIEM and I will detail below why it will not be my next choice. (Please enjoy whoopie's face in the background as I was watching rat race when I photographed lol)




There is a lot of good to say about this IEM. It has a very natural timbre, with nice treble extension and bass quantity. Part of the reason I was so interested in this IEM was for the bone conduction driver. I will get this out of the way early. I have demoed a lot of IEMs and I have barely ever been able to pick out the driver style blind listening. The best bass I have heard in an IEM is an all BA set. Driver count or type does not mean much if not implemented correctly.


With this said, I have no idea what the bone conduction driver is supposed to be doing here. According to Unique Melody's website


"Finally, the freshly upgraded dBC-S Dual Sides Bone Conduction System carries out a full-range refinement. The frequency range of MEST MKII can reach as high as 70kHz."


They say the quality of bone conduction depends on the contact with skin, which makes sense, but overall it is hard to tell what it's doing or if it's actually doing anything. Whether or not the BC driver is doing anything, the Mest sounds good. It's an amazing all rounder with great control for all genres and is worthwhile for any collection.


It's a beautiful package with a very nice looking IEM inside. This IEMs looks and feels as premium as the price tag. The accessories feel well built and the case is a bit ostentatious, but feels nice.



















Inside the box you have the IEMs, the case, foam tips, xelastic tips and stock silicone tips. The tips for me had a very noticeable effect on the IEM and my experience with it. Personally, the Xelastics got the closest to a CIEM fit, but made the MKii unbearably sibilant. The foam tips damped the treble a bit and made them much more enjoyable. With the foam tips I couldn't get good contact with my skin so possibly the bone conduction driver was doing something to make them sibilant with the xelastics? The stock silicone tips were too stiff and I couldn't wear them for too long. I ultimately came down to use the CP100s that I have lying around. I can get good skin contact and very good all day comfort. The rest of the reviews and impressions will be done using CP100 as my tip of choice!


I graphed the Mest using all of the tips at my disposal. My Squig Link. For comparison, I will be using the Symphonium Meteor as it is my current daily driver and top dawg.



I think I am going to start first with the good!


Soundstage: I think this was the most noticeable first impression I had when I put this in. The stage is much wider than the Meteor, closer to how I felt with the A12t/ U12t and the Campfire Andromeda 2019. Soundstage is not something that I look for in an IEM. It is a bonus if achievable, but I am looking for a portable music experience with detail retrieval and isolation. Soundstage in an IEM is a very hard thing to achieve and 90% fail. The Mkii does an amazing job creating a wide open stage. On The Grateful Dead's Friend of the Devil, Jerry's voice is front and center while the mandolin is heard clearly on the left side of the stage and the guitar on the right. The percussion is layered behind on the left and the bass bounced along the whole stage. All of the instruments are clear, precise and natural. If soundstage is your top priority in your search for IEMs, this is an option to keep on the radar. 8/10

Treble: I never considered myself a treble head, but hearing the Helios and the Meteor changed my opinion pretty quickly. Extending well into the treble adds air and clarity and I think the Mkii is very sufficient in the treble. Banjos bounce along clearly on Billy Strings "Dust in a Baggie" or Bela Fleck's "Vertigo." I have noticed throughout my listening that Dave Matthews Band albums are typically super sibilant. Carter is really hitting the cymbals and high percussion. I find this mostly unbearable on IEMs that are too V shaped or follow the harman curve too closely. I would say the Boosted top end of the Mkii isn't as pronounced as the graph shows, but it is hitting spicy. I would give the treble a 6.5/10.


Mid timbre: The mids are where the music lives. The band lies somewhere between 300-2000hz and is what I would consider the most important frequencies in music. I would say the mids is a strength of the IEM, but it also loses me for a few reasons. To my ears, the Mkii feels disjointed. The vocal clarity is stunning as are string instruments in rhythm, but I can't help but feel like it's a bit disjointed. The rise from the mids to the bass starts too late making it feel like it's just mids and sub bass, but the mid bass lacks punch. Stefan Lessard's bass lines on Too Much or What Would You Say feel lost in the sub bass kick drums and high treble of Carter's drums. If you are a sub bass purist who doesn't care about mid bass, then this will be a good IEM for you. If you look at the Meteor graph you can see the much more aggressive midrange rise which creates a balanced, albeit bassy, mid range timbre. This feels much more enjoyable to me. The vocal clarity of the Mkii is better than most, but I think the Meteor and the A12t have the Mest beat while the Mest crushes Helios. We are splitting hairs in a TOTL IEM, but if I had to choose an IEM for mids and mid bass, the Meteor is the IEM for me. It feels more natural and presents the music the way I like. 6/10


Fit: The fit here is great, or terrible. I think this will be a polarizing one for many. The shell is massive and the nozzles are long. For me this creates a pretty good situation. I have a fairly large concha so the IEM sit's almost as snug as my CIEMs. I have pretty small canals so I can get a pretty deep fit with the CP100 small and I can wear them for hours on end. If large shells are uncomfortable for you, avoid them. If deep fit is problematic, also avoid. Overall, I like the fit a lot and would give it a strong rating for comfort. I enjoy a Deep fit and smoothed edges so 8/10. This is one of the most comfortable UIEMs I have tried.


Now I think I need to get to the negative.


Mid Bass: I have mentioned it before and I will mention it again. I am a bass player. This means I want bass to be both present and punchy between 20-250ishhz. I would honestly take more. The bass punch on this IEM is almost non-existent. I tried EQing, but that messed with the timbre of the whole unit. On songs like "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam or "Sabrosa" by the Beastie Boys, I just didn't get the mid bass punch I wanted. The vocals were so clear and so crisp at the cost of my mid bass and I think this is a deal breaker for me. When I switched to bass driven jazz. Like "Detroit" by Marcus Miller I found more of what I wanted, but once the mids came in the mid bass fell too far behind in the mix and I was left wanting more. 5/10


Aesthetic: While many may like the stylings of the Mkii, I think it's super tacky. The gold leaf looks a bit too gaudy for me and if the shells stick out (which the probably will) it looks like glitter in the sun. I really don't like the way it looks. 4/10


Cable and Tips: I'm not a cable guy. I think cables do nothing audible to change the sound of the music. I want a cable to be both comfortable and lightweight. This is not light weight. I have the 4.4mm termination and it's just a big mess. It's bulky and heavy. I switched it for my cable that came with Meteor and enjoyed it much more. The stock tips were just not great. Xelastics were sibilant and unbearable and the silicone was stuff and uncomoftable. The foams were ok, but I had to tip roll a lot to get the tip that fit right for me. I think this is something that should not be overlooked, but isn't a deal breaker. Most people buying the Mkii probably have a full box of tips somewhere.


Conclusion: The Mkii is a great IEM for many people. It performs well for genres with a lot of subbass or tons of vocals. The clarity and separation are way above what is typical in an IEM. In a busy song with 6-8 instruments you can hear all of them being conveyed clearly on a stage in space. The treble extension is very good as is the timbre and texture. The high spectrum instruments sound clear and natural without grain or sibilance (unless using Xelastics for me). The pass bunch was really lacking oomph. I was sad about this, but it is a deal breaker for me. I need my IEM to be punchy and dynamic so I can hear what the rhythm players are doing.


Overall, this is an amazing IEM, but at $1799 I find it hard to recommend when the Moondrop Variations, Symphonium Meteor or the Symphonium Helios exist. Each of those IEMs are cheaper and can do things the Mkii can do for cheaper. The Helios soundstage and treble extension match blow for blow and the subbass focus with controlled rise in the treble leads to astounding vocal clarity. The Meteor gives a much more natural timbre for 1/3 the price and for even less than the Meteor, the Variations come around as what I think is the best value in the IEM market next to the Meteor. Unless you get a great price used or on discount, I think there are better options for the money.

Simp for Symphonium



Reviews are pretty new for me. I have been enjoying my time in the audio scene now for a few years, but like many people my time spiked up during the pandemic. A lot of time alone means a lot of time with headphones, speakers or other forms or hobbies to keep yourself busy. My first good IEM was the JVC FDX1, but after a bout of channel imbalance I decided to move on. I moved on, a lot. I have tried about 40-60 IEMs since 2020 and now have had 3 pairs of CIEMs and have some cool other stuff!

Notes: My source is mostly Spotify with a Questyle M15 dongle. I also use my Q5k and apple dongle on the go. I have FLACs and hi res files, but I can't hear the difference anyway so I use what I consider to be convenient. That's the point of IEMs for the most part anyway.

I have had interactions with members of the Subtonic and Symphonium team here and there for about the past 2 years through discord. Their approach to audio and IEMs is both curious and extremely bold. It’s all about no compromise, but the Helios felt like a lot of compromise. The fit was bad, the sub bass rise was a bit too early creating dry and unnatural mids, but they were onto something with the treble. I have never heard better treble on an IEM than Helios, but I can only tolerate it for about an hour before I have to take it off.

I think this is well noted that the shell and fit of the Helios made it a hard sell, despite sonically being an absolute detail monster. If it fit better, it would have been my daily driver even while owning an A12t. When I first saw the Meteor, I was intrigued. It was being sold as a warmer and more laid back version of Symphonium vision. At $600ish dollars, it is by no means cheap, but it is more accessible than $1000 dollarydoos. I just had to jump in and get my own set. I talked to the guys at Symphonium and placed my order and I got it about a week after canjam socal and was BLOWN away and now I will get into the weeds of why.

Bass: Driver memes be damned, this IEM is both punchy, warm and just a delight. I grew up playing bass and I always struggled to find a bassy IEM that was also analytical. The focus on subbass that the market has seemed to hit is not helpful. Bass guitars hit the 100hz-400hz mark in most of the stuff I listen to so with all the popular bassy IEMs I get tons of kick drums and no bass guitars. My A12t was the perfect IEM for me because the bass rise starts early enough that the bass texture from guitar strings, cellos, upright basses and deeper woodwinds like bassoons really hit. The Meteor does the exact same thing for 1/4 the price. I would go as far to say that the Meteor bass texture is about as good as I have ever heard in an IEM. I think 100/100 people would guess the driver type of this IEM because the implementation is just outstanding.

Mids: I think this is the most important part of any IEM or headphone. Mids are where the music really live. The band is here, the vocals are here, the main riffs, the catchy melodies are all in the mids and the Meteor is one of the most natural IEMs I have listened to. If I was going to describe it to anyone. The Meteor is to HD600 as Helios is to HD800. They are both endgame depending on your goal. The Meteor vocals are smooth and buttery. Dallas Green of City and Colour is smooth and sultry. The Fleet Foxes make you feel like you’re next to the campfire, The Midnight makes you feel like you’re in Miami Vice and most importantly for me, Billy Strings makes me feel like I am sitting in a circle in Michigan jamming out to “Dust in a Baggie.” This is a perfect presentation of what IEM timbre should be and what mids should sound like.

Treble: The treble is where I was most worried. The selling point of the Helios was the outstanding treble extension which is unmatched up to the Annihilator. The U12t has good treble, but the A12t has a big dip that I had to fix with EQ, and most tribrids fail due to piss poor EST implementation (cough Monarch MKii cough cough). I would say the Meteor treble is a surefire selling point. It extends better than any under $1000 IEM I have heard. The treble is a bit spicy, but never sibilant and I actually think it has a pretty positive effect on sibilant tracks making them more subdued. My worries were misplaced, because this treble hits just right. It’s not otherworldly like Helios, but it’s damn good and at this price point, I think you would be hard pressed to find better.

Staging: Soundstage in an IEM is mostly a joke to me. I really only mention it if it stands out because most IEMs are just in that line of average, but the Meteor has a very interesting stage presentation. The stage feels quite wide. On a song like Helplessness blues, the guitar strumming almost sounded behind me, while the vocals remained front and center. I was very surprised. On Dave Matthews Band “What Would You Say”, John Popper’s Harmonica feels centered, but layered behind. Dave’s guitar is clearly on the sides while the vocals are front and center. I was shocked to hear staging like this. It reminded me of my A12t which again is $2000!

Imaging: Based on what I said about staging, it goes hand in hand with imaging. The reason I noticed the directional of the audio was due to the amount of detail I was hearing. Whether it was background vocals, strumming, cowbells, cymbals, rides or other oddities, I kept checking to see if it was from outside my apartment or in the song. I really got a whole new world with the Meteor.

I’m gonna say it. I am simp for Symphonium. I have no real flaws with this IEM, The shell is small and easy to fit for hours on end, the tonality from bass to treble is impeccable. The detail retrieval and positional placement of instruments on that stage is pretty shocking to hear. This is an easy 5/5 IEM. This has set the bar from what all IEMs need to do for me to even be considered buying. Support a small business and buy the best IEM value on the market bar none.

Playlist for testing new headphones
My brand new shiny Squig link!

I just pulled these out of my desk drawer. They in fact sound like crap.

I do find that the staging is pretty good. It has some gimmicks with directional, but it sounds like the music is being played in a sound proof room and I'm listening through the wall.

The U12t is considered to be at the pinnacle of IEMs. It has some of the best bass in an IEM I have ever heard, as well as some unique imaging abilities that are almost uncanny in its wide presentation. I had the U12t for about 6 months before buying my A12t. The A12t is advertised to be the custom version of the same IEM featuring the same driver count tuning and technical ability. I was not totally sure what to expect based on unit variation within the community, especially with CIEMs. Many say the tuning is darker while others say the build quality can be iffy at best. Personally, I think half of this is correct and I will delve into that now.

I have had my A12t for about a year now and I think it’s time for a review. I am by no means a professional, but I have learned a lot along the way and believe I can help someone on the edge of going to a CIEM, especially a 64audio.

I have now had 4 CIEMs: Ultimate Ears 4, Ultimate Ears 7, Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered and my trusty A12t. While Ultimate Ears is often recommended for their white glove service and excellent fit, the tone is dry, bleak and uninviting. I surmise this is because each is meant more for working than enjoying. My biggest issue with UE was surprisingly the fit. Using the same impressions, and the same 3d model, I got a different result from UE each time. I required each to be refit at least once and the UERR to be refit 4 times. This made me extremely nervous to dive into another CIEM, but using the same impressions and model 64audio nailed it on the first try!

64audio build quality is excellent. I cannot find any seams in the molding and the shells have no pressure points. I have worn these for over 8 hours with no pain or fatigue. If I had one complaint, the modules can be hard to remove, but I don't think many will module roll. So my first fear has been squashed as the build quality and fit are both stellar despite the rumors I had heard.

Unboxing: The unboxing experience is fairly bland, you get a box, a puck, your IEMs, 3 Apex modules and a rats nest of a cable. This is where the fun begins!


*You may notice my profile pic is all black (I had them reshelled for 2 pin, because IPX cables are both hard to find and mostly not great)*

I typically use the M20 module for a few reasons. The bass is the secret sauce of the IEM and the bass dips with each other module without affecting the treble. This can cause some gnarly sibilance, depending on your HTRF. I am not a cable person so all of my listening was done with a tripowin zonie 16, my Q5k, Quest style M15 or Inspire IHA1 tube amp (don’t recommend this, but I wanted to try out LID)

Let's get down to business. The first thing I noticed was this massive dip in the mid-upper treble region that drove me bonkers. I think it was done intentionally to make it a less fatiguing listen over time, but it wasn’t something I particularly enjoyed. Below are my measurements for the A12t using all Apex modules and one with no apex modules. Figured I’d get a measurement as long as I had the setup going. The setup is basically to wrap the nozzle in blue tack and shove it into a 711c Coupler! Not that the biggest deal in the world, but getting it consistent isn't the easiest. As you can see, the channel matching is excellent, but the dip I noticed is definitely right up front. Below are the images of how I measured them and below that is the results!




































Now we can talk to the nitty gritty. The best part of this IEM hands down is the bass and the imaging. When I wear IEMs, I want isolation and extreme detail retrieval. The A12t is the most detailed IEM I have ever heard, possibly to a fault. Live music can become distracting as the crowd becomes an instrument in the mix. I listen to mostly live music (Grateful Dead, Phish, Dave Matthews Band and old jazz) and this amount of detail can become infuriating on jazz tracks, where a pianist or player moans or does odd vocal cues or ticks while soloing (Keith Jarret, Brad Mehldau, Monty Alexander and Christian McBride all make odd noises while playing that can be picked up with A12t). This can be worse on classical tracks as clicking, bouncing, sheet turning or even emptying the valves can be heard. I think this level of detail is both unnecessary and harmful for my music. On studio tracks, it is a dream to hear a far off clap, chimes or even whistling come in at different volumes to create this wide stage unlike anything I have ever heard. Depending on your music of choice, this could be a real positive. I still haven't figured out how I feel here, but I would definitely believe it is polarizing.

Most IEMs fall within the category of in your head imaging: creating a strong center image with one on the left and one on the right. The A12t seems to work differently. It feels like the main goal is to keep the center image rather weak and then have equally strong left and right images. This creates the very large stage that many talk about. I think soundstage for an IEM is cool, it is not a deal breaker. Soundstage, the projection of a huge wide open area, is really reserved for speakers. The way the stage is presented saved some albums, but also ruined just as many. Some albums are mixed with the vocals leaning one channel. This creates a very odd experience based on the stage the A12t creates. I was so unnerved when I first got them I mistook it for channel imbalance. I did some channel flipping and then used DSP to institute the Jan Meyer crossfeed. This made them feel much more natural. Without the crossfeed, albums like City and Colour's "Little Hell" is unlistenable to me (one of my favorite albums of all time)

Bass: This is the best bass I have heard in an IEM. I played bass throughout high shool and college so I consider myself a bass head. I like it to punch and feel gritty. BA bass memes need not apply as this is the best bass I have heard in an IEM. I am not enough of an expert to tell you what driver type is being used by ear. My ears and listening abilities are average at best, but I do have a lot of experience hearing IEMs and this one is just so special. Stand up bass with bows in classical and jazz creates an emotion. The texture comes through so smooth without interrupting the mix. The strings vibration can be felt where most IEMs turn this into mud. The A12t has such a natural timbre, I almost though I was listening to my HD600s. Something like this is typically reserved for headphones, but 64audio figured it out

Mids: I struggled with the upper mids lower treble, but it’s mostly good. Male vocals come through (mostly) and guitars and most instruments are presented naturally. The ear gain is turned down a bit, but I found myself happy, but I think fixing the dip should be a point that 64audio should aim for as this is just an odd tuning that is very difficult to fix with EQ as it is a large peak and requires multiple filters. Despite the odd tuning, the more relaxed tuning means a less fatiguing session so this can be a pro or a con. Personally, I would rather them be a bit more aggressive, but with EQ they can be made a tad more energetic without destroying other amazing features of the IEM.

Treble: The TIA driver sits right on the tube and creates a very forward treble experience. To my ears I like the mid and upper treble with a big if. I struggle with high treble like cymbals, rides, high hats, flutes or anything sibilant. This creates some oddball situations where one song can be dark and the next song is unbearably sibilant. It’s probably the way the upper treble peaks and dips are hit by my HTRF, but I think the treble is the biggest weak point here. When the song works with the tuning, the texture and air are very natural. Over time it can become fatiguing, especially with cymbals and woodwinds. Female vocals in Kpop or soprano vocalists in Opera are also a struggle as well. I would avoid this IEM if either of these genres are important to you.

If I had to define the tuning I think I would call it U- Shaped? It has beautiful bass recessed mids, but the high treble adds a ton of air. I do not like the amount of air presented, but some people may enjoy it. I EQed this with my graph, measured the IEMs with the applied EQ rinse and repeat until I found a decent target for this IEMs. This leads to my last test

Could I fix the tuning reasonably? My goal: 10 filters, with no more than 8db of gain on any filter. The use of high quality drivers would prevent most distortion, but I need to be able to use this with my Q5k or other gear on the go. I think that it succeeds on a high level to become the best all rounder IEM with a bit of work.

I decided to measure my EQ results to see if it was being applied correctly. For the most part, it is!



I am still working on my target as I love bass extending a bit further into the mids at around 250 hz, but the main dip has been fixed. That dip at 10k is also real after running sine sweeps, but I still need to figure out if I care to fix it.

As I have now tried all of 64audios UIEM lineup and the A12t, I would recommend the A12t if you are ok using DSP and EQ. However, my issues with it may not be an issue for you. The 64audio Nio with the MX module creates my ideal sense of stage, detail and bass, while also clocking in a tad cheaper. The N8 appears to be a Nio in disguise for CIEMs, but I didn't want to risk it. Personally, the pros out weight the cons and I would highly recommend the A12t as the CIEM market under $2000 is slim pickings. The fit is outstanding, the bass is top notch, the customer service impeccable and the quirkiness of this IEM makes it an exciting piece to own that I reach for many time over my other headphones.

So I have been around these parts for a bit and may be a bit older than most of the people here, but I remember being wowed by the idea of a planar IEM and still am. We are seeing new ones popup that finally fix the major issue with every planar IEM before it: tuning.

So if new planar IEMs like Timeless, S12, Rapthook Go, and I'm sure 10 more have come out since I wrote this, have good tuning and image well, why iSine?

The iSine is an interesting IEM. It uses Audeze's planar diaphragm packed into a smaller chassis and then they put an IEM nozzle on it. Now this is a very basic description of the engineering that went into this series, but the end result is something that none of the new planar IEMs have. They created an in ear monitor that closely, and in my honest opinion, successfully mimics the technical ability of a full size headphone for a fraction of the cost.

I love EQ. It's like a game within a game. Trying to nail down tuning and being able to create essentially infinite IEMs within one transducer is fun and also exciting. Anyone who has seen the graph for the iSine knows that if you can't EQ then you shouldn't buy it, but with EQ becoming easier to implement (crinacle's web tool, Equalizer APO, Q5k and more) there is no excuse to not use the best tool in any audiophile's back pocket.

The stock tuning is an abomination. It has no pinna gain and all of the instruments sound far away. It's lacks of ear gain and flat bass response for lack of a better word, cucks the whole unit. However, this is where it gets good, this IEM takes EQ better than any I have ever used. It requires some large DB swings and interesting peak sculpting, but the end results is what I call an HD800 in a KSC75 style chasis.

A portable HD800 is an interesting proposition. The open nature of the diaphragm lets sound in, but also helps create that sense of openness that comes with traditional open back headphones. On the flip side the sound leakage is barely noticeable.

With a bit of EQ and a touch of love, the iSine can become whatever you want it to be. I use mine tuned to harman 2017 for pop and rock. I use IEF neutral with 5Db gain for bluegrass and jazz and it is simply the most interesting IEM on the market. It will also take any EQ you throw at it. I have measured multiple times EQed and the driver can take almost +-20DB gain swings, this is unheard of. You can then pair it with a Q5k to bring these EQ presets with you on the go!

Now if all of this sounds like it's up your alley these are the benefits of iSine. 1. It has arguably the largest soundstage in an IEM. 2. One of the best imaging IEMs on the planet. 3. It has amazing texture for strings. It's visceral and emotional. 4. The bass quality is on another level. Despite the fast decay, the quality and the texture are smooth and buttery. It doesn't slam, but it has some punch that can really work well with rock, metal, jazz, classical and I'm sure your niche genre of choice.

Now this is the best part. This IEM has a cult following due to it being a fascinating specimen, but on b Stock an iSine10 can go for $399 and an i3 b stock for $500 last I checked. Not only is this the best planar IEM, with some huge caveats I hope I clearly stated, this may be the best value IEM on the planet. iSine is a quarter of the price of an HD800. It's $1800 less than a U12t, It's 70% less than an Odin and I would argue, this is a better IEM than both with some tender love and care.

EQ of choice if interested
EQ Text

Preamp: -14.3 dB

Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 100 Hz Gain 6.9 dB Q 0.800

Filter 2: ON PK Fc 150 Hz Gain 2.0 dB Q 1.100

Filter 3: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain 0.2 dB Q 2.000

Filter 4: ON PK Fc 810 Hz Gain -2.3 dB Q 1.500

Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1400 Hz Gain -5.1 dB Q 1.400

Filter 6: ON PK Fc 2500 Hz Gain 3.8 dB Q 2.000

Filter 7: ON PK Fc 3600 Hz Gain 10.6 dB Q 0.800

Filter 8: ON PK Fc 5400 Hz Gain 10.5 dB Q 4.300

Filter 9: ON PK Fc 7400 Hz Gain -7.0 dB Q 1.500

These headphones are extremely expensive! I bought these before I really understood the most important part of headphones, comfort. If I can't wear my headphones, why should I have ever bought them? I thought that the active noise cancelling module and the sound quality would make up for the comfort in the long run. I was wrong, I find these headphones extremely uncomfortable. I have very perky ears and on ear headphones just crush them. After about an hour I need a break to try and let my ears stop hurting.
 
I hate that I hate these headphones. I have lent these headphones to friends and they say the sound quality is the best they have ever heard (they compared them to bose QC, Beats Solos and Audio Technica M50) Granted they were not aficionados, they could hear the difference and that meant a lot to me. i can hear the difference as well. For a pair of on ear headphones, they block an astonishing amount of noise. 
 
One huge problem is build quality. I should note that I am currently writing a review wearing my third pair. The band in the top of the headphone is extremely fragile and it has snapped from normal wear and tear now twice. Their customer service has been great in getting me new pairs, but it is was annoying to lose my daily driver headphones. When wearing these headphones it would be hard to say that build quality is truly an issue. They use a nice leather for the pads and the band. The pieces feel more metallic than plastic, and are super light and promote a strong sense of mobility while wearing them.
 
Round up: These headphones have been through thick and thin with me. I hate that i hate them. They sound great, have wonderful noise cancelling abilities, and are lightweight and mobile. I just can not get over my personal opinion of discomfort. Many of my friends say i am crazy for calling them uncomfortable. In short, if you think you have perky ears, try to avoid these. Although the materials feel to be of high quality, I do think they are overly fragile. I am not tough on my headphone by any means. I always have the case, and I always package them up when I take them somewhere. I still find it hard to believe that I have broken these headphones twice, let alone once. I have since moved on to IEMs, because they better fit my ear shape. For the price, I suggest lookign elsewhere, but I do think these headphones should not be overlooked entirely if they fit the qualification that you want. If noise cancellation is a must, as well as sound quality, these are a strong option that are much more mobile and lightweight than the competitors. 

Pros:
 
Comfortable: Coming from a few different buds and a few different IEMs these felt like a dream to wear for more than 4 hours at a time. That's my biggest complaint with headphones and IEMs is the fatigue that comes with wearing them for long periods of time. The around the ear shape shifts the weight from the canal to the back of the ear, making them infinitely more comfortable. Because I have two different sized canals, I had to use to different tips on each side. It does help in recognizing which way to put them in . 
 
Clean Sound Stage: Nothing sounds bloated to me in one way. They're not as clean as my ER4PT, but I like these better due to the comfort. (I thought the ER4PT were the most uncomfortable headphones I had ever used). Because I am no longer in pain while listening, I can really grasp the strong lows and mids that were absent from previous headphones.They can be a little bassy, but I just compensate with the EQ.
 
Cons:
 
The Tips: I thought I actually broke the headphones trying to heman the tips off. I also thought ripped every pair of tips that I tried to get off. Neither of which are true, but man did they make it hard. I ended up using the glide style tips because I could never get the foam ones in before they had already reformed -_-.
 
Putting them On: This is my first time with IEMs that go over the ear, and I spent about 2 hours trying to get them on right. Lots of youtube videos and fiddling. I found the right way and got the isolation that I needed to make these headphones shine.
 
Overview: They don't sound nearly as good as the ER4PT for the price, but for the comfort, the tradeoff worth it for me. If I had the money I would have jumped to the 525, which I recommend, but se la vie. Hope this helps someone a little bit.