Reviews by theflyingtoad
No cats nor transducers were harmed during this review
I want to thank @SoundJedi of Elise Audio for loaning me this demo unit for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Europa is a collaboration between Elise Audio and Symphonium Audio, based on the Crimson platform.
From the product page:
These measurements are from Elise Audio*
Europa is a slightly a more relaxed and natural take on Crimson’s sound, particularly in the treble and bass, while maintaining the core identity of Crimson. This variation is reminiscent of the Helios and their initial collaboration, Helios SE, but with a different approach. The reduced bass and treble bring out micro-details, especially in the upper mids and lower treble, resulting in a milder U-shape compared to Crimson’s more pronounced tuning. While Crimson sounds fuller, more dynamic, and has longer trailing notes, Europa’s milder U-shape allows for much better volume scaling and is less fatiguing which results in a more natural timbre. Overall, Europa is a very well-balanced transducer.
I found Europa’s tonality both pleasing and engaging. The bass is punchy and textured, without overshadowing the mids or treble. Vocals and mids are crisp and sweet, and the treble is well extended. Europa also maintains good texture throughout. Europa has an organic sound and may come across as slightly leaner, whereas Crimson offers more emphasis across the entire spectrum. The sound stage is adequate, neither small nor artificially wide. Both transducers excel in imaging and separation. Personally, I prefer the vocals and mids on Europa as the details are more prominent.
Europa is source-transparent, similar to the Subtonic STORM. By "source-transparent," I mean it reveals the character of whatever source you use, unlike source-picky models such as the ThieAudio V16 Divinity, which can be challenging to pair with the right source for tonality and volume.
I used Europa primarily with the HiBy R6 Pro II and iFi GO Pod, and also with the HiBy RS8. The HiBy R6 Pro II, being neutral with a hint of warmth, and the iFi GO Pod, which leans neutral-bright, both drove Europa well. However, the HiBy RS8, with its R2R tonality, introduced some wonky tonal issues, making the upper bass and lower mids slightly leaner which was more pronounced with some male vocals.
The current Europa comes with Sedna Earfit (Regular) and Divinus Velvet Tips. It pairs very well with the Sedna Earfit and also with Acoustune AET07, STORM, or Titan (alternate) tips. I found the Divinus Velvets to be a poor match, as they softened the transients and dynamics too much, resulting in a mushy sound. I’ve provided this feedback to Elise Audio, and they will include AET07s instead of Divinus Velvets in future shipments, which should better showcase Europa’s capabilities.
For those who enjoyed Crimson’s tuning but found it aggressive or the treble a bit grating, Europa offers a worthwhile alternative. The nozzle has been lengthened from 3.6mm (Crimson) to 5.25mm (Europa) and widened from 6mm (Crimson) to 6.25mm (Europa). This added length should help mitigate treble issues, and the wider nozzle ensures tips stay securely in place. Huzzah!
Lastly, the Dark Matter cable is aesthetically pleasing and has good ergonomics with no ear hooks as usual. The forged carbon with cold steel and glacial blue accents is absolutely stunning.
If I didn’t already own the Crimson, I would definitely consider purchasing the Europa. Elise Audio and Symphonium knocked it out of the park, again!
Thanks for reading!
domq422
Great review, thanks for sharing! I love the Crimson, I thought it was a phenomenal pair of IEMs. Very dynamic and just bright enough to be special, but I can see why some folks would find it a bit fatiguing after a while.
A little background on myself and my audio preferences. I listen to IEMs throughout my workday so I generally get to put a lot of hours into listening to IEMs. I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to listen to a number of IEMs. Generally speaking, I enjoy a well balanced sound overall and I appreciate bass quality over quantity with slight forward-mids and a touch of brightness (less warm). Like the seasons, I cycle through a number of genres though my current library is a bit more mid/vocal-centric including but not limited to electronic, pop, rock, acoustic, etc. The following are my impressions which I hope can convey my feelings and thoughts when listening to a set of IEMs. I leave the reviewing to professionals who are much better at doing reviews
I was able to get about 80-100 hours on Helios with the mixed listening on the HiBy RS6 and the Qudelix 5k using the stock medium red/black silicone tips.
Helios, named after the Greek god of the sun and sight, immerses you in the music with a breath of fresh air that caresses your skin on a beautiful sunny day while you’re enjoying a leisurely stroll through the rolling green hills.
Sound
The bass is very well executed with an elevated sub bass shelf that does not bleed into the mids. While the bass isn’t the most impactful/punchy, it is far from lacking and can slam when called upon. The bass instead focuses on immersing you with detail and texture which is quite addicting with satisfactory impact. I love how the bass is layered with rich texture and details. I prefer bass quality over bass quantity and this minimizes any fatigue with my long listening sessions. I am very impressed that all of this bass is handled by a single balanced armature.
The mids are also quite polished with both female and male vocals coming in clean and crisp. There is a touch of brightness that works incredibly well for female vocals for both Western and Eastern genres. Helios is perhaps one of my favourite sets for listening to Lauren Mayberry from CHVRCHES with the other set being the Shuoer EJ07M. The touch of brightness doesn’t detract from male vocals too much and allows complex male vocals like Andrea Bocelli to shine through. On the other hand, I can see the mids being a touch lean, in particular, male vocals for some listeners though I find that to be a personal preference for most.
I was a little worried about the treble region at first since Helios’ treble is best enjoyed with deep insertion. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a deep insertion but I was able to find a solid seal with a shallower fit using the stock tips. The treble region complements the bass and mids in a harmonic fashion. The treble region is presented with a sense of realism that comes across organic and feels like you’re in the room with the musicians. It sounds natural without any sense of being artificially boosted and that’s a winner in that region for me.
Engagement, Tonality, Source Pairing, Fit
The overall tonality is quite delightful and the balanced sound allows Helios to scale incredibly with various sources as well as cranking up the volume (for short durations). The symphonic tonality on Helios hits my preferences very well and can be enjoyed for long listening periods without fatigue. In some aspects, it reminds me of the MiM Dark Magician (OG) taken to the next level. The resolution in terms of detail retrieval, imaging, and separation are excellent and are among some of the best that I’ve heard to date.
In terms of source pairing with what I have on hand, Helios sounds great on both the Qudelix 5K (more neutral) and the HiBy RS6, which gives Helios a touch of warmth/colouration and is my favourite pairing between the two. Helios requires a bit more power and volume compared to other IEMs that I have tried in the past on both the Qudelix 5K and the RS6 though it can be easily driven on both.
Helios’ fit is the weakest point for me since I have smaller ear canals as the long and wide-ish nozzles prevent me from getting a deep insertion. It reminds me of my struggles with getting a good fit with the Sony IER-Z1R. This isn’t a problem for me though I can see some users preferring a warmer signature than Helios and I think Triton, the latest Symphonium IEM may be a better match for them.
Closing Thoughts
I went into listening to Helios without much background information or expectations since I tend to find it more fun and enjoyable that way. Had someone told me this was a tribrid, I would probably have believed them. Had someone told me only had 4 balanced armatures, I would have been quite skeptical having listened to the Dunu SA6, SoftEars RSV, and ThieAudio V16 among others; this isn’t a knock against any of those, it just shows how much thought and care went into the for tuning Helios. Helios sits among the top 3 of my neutral with a healthy sub bass boost IEMs and it would probably be my recommendation at the 1K+/- mark for those looking for this type of sound signature, the other being the Monarch MKII for it’s smooth and rich mids. If the fit was better for me, Helios would be an instant buy though it might have a chance of being added to my arsenal in the future. That being said, I enjoyed Helios thoroughly and I am looking forward to what Subtonic brings with their upcoming flagship IEM, Storm. I’m also excited to see what Subtonic and Symphonium will bring to us in the future. Helios is a prime example which illustrates what incredible tuning can do and embodies the phrase, quality over quantity.
Lastly, I want to give a shoutout to Leneo from Subtonic, and Felix from Symphonium for including me in the tour for Helios.
Background
A little background on myself and my audio preferences. I listen to IEMs throughout my workday so I generally get to put a lot of hours into listening to IEMs. I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to listen to a number of IEMs. Generally speaking, I enjoy a well balanced sound overall and I appreciate bass quality over quantity with slight forward-mids and a touch of brightness (less warm). Like the seasons, I cycle through a number of genres though my current library is a bit more mid/vocal-centric including but not limited to electronic, pop, rock, acoustic, etc. The following are my impressions which I hope can convey my feelings and thoughts when listening to a set of IEMs. I leave the reviewing to professionals who are much better at doing reviews
I was able to get about 60-80 hours on Triton with the mixed listening on the HiBy RS6 and the Qudelix 5k using the stock medium red/black silicone tips.
Triton, named after a Greek god of the sea, ebbs and flows like the ocean. Triton can be smooth like a calm sea and it’ll slap like a huge wave when called upon.
Sound
Triton’s bass gently slopes into the mids while not bleeding into the mids nor affecting the overall balance. Triton has quite a bit more punch/impact than Helios, however, the tradeoff is some reduced texture and detail. I wouldn’t call it a bass-head IEM either even though it has quite a bit of impact/punch since the bass is still fairly well balanced and complements the overall tonality.
The mids are lush and warm with good weight and detail. It isn’t overly thick nor warm which is to my liking. The detail and texture isn’t quite where I want it to be as it’s a more relaxed set, at least compared to Helios and what I usually listen to. The mids aren’t pushed forward which allows for a relaxed yet engaging listen. Female vocals sound natural and male vocals are quite luscious and have satisfying trailing notes.
Similar to Helios, I was a tad worried about the treble region/extension but the treble is well extended, at least for its particular tuning. It doesn’t quite reach the level of Helios especially with the trailing notes ending a little sooner than I’d like. It does, however, sound perhaps a bit more natural to a live/intimate performance than the over-the-air quality that Helios has.
Engagement, Tonality, Source Pairing, Fit
The overall tonality is quite fun and engaging (upper mids + treble) and the balanced sound allows Triton to scale incredibly with various sources as well as cranking up the volume (for short durations). The symphonic tonality on Triton should in theory be a great match for a lot of the music that I listen to, however, it falls a little short in the detail region and occasionally, I find myself wanting more out of it. For this particular preference, I find myself reaching for Helios, the first Symphonium IEM more often than not.
In terms of source pairing with what I have on hand, Triton sounded good on both the HiBy RS6 and the Qudelix 5K though I prefer pairing Triton with Qudelix 5K as it’s a touch more neutral. Triton, like Helios, requires a bit more power and volume compared to other IEMs that I have tried in the past on both the Qudelix 5K and the RS6 though it can be easily driven on both.
Triton’s fit, like Helios, is the weakest point for me since I have smaller ear canals as the long and wide-ish nozzles prevent me from getting a deep insertion. It reminds me of my struggles with getting a good fit with the Sony IER-Z1R.
Closing Thoughts
Triton is a fun and engaging IEM that I suspect will satisfy many listeners especially with its slightly relaxed and warmer tonality with its punchy bass. While Triton’s tuning is well executed, it doesn’t quite align with my preferences to be a primary IEM as I find myself wanting a little more detail and perhaps, brightness for my preferences. That being said, I do think it is a great complement with its slightly laid back tonality and punchy bass compared to its older sibling, Helios. I want to reiterate that while Triton didn’t quite impress me the same way that Helios did, it is a very well-tuned IEM in its own right. I am looking forward to what Subtonic and Symphonium bring in the future.
Lastly, I want to give a shoutout to Leneo from Subtonic, and Felix from Symphonium for including me in the tour for Triton.
