Craft Ears Aurum

Introduction

Craft Ears is a relatively young brand coming from Poland. Although young, the quality of their iems can't be underestimated. They may not be heard about much in the iem community, especially Chifi lovers, but they are actually quite well known within their local community. As a testament to their success, they’ve worked and collaborated with so many artists and band members in their homeland. And now, they’re looking to expand their market and the brand awareness to outside of Poland.

In an effort to do so, Craft Ears has sent the demo unit of the Aurum to me in exchange for an honest impression and review. The Aurum was released way back in 2019 and has been forgotten by the meta of newer iem. However, I believe good iem stay good, and it’s worth giving them the exposure they deserve. Is the Aurum a good iem? Let's find out.

I would like to give Mr Jedrzej Nowicki and his team a special thanks for making this possible.

Packaging
Since this is a demo unit, I did not receive the original packaging upon its arrival. Here are what it comes with:

The iem arrived in a very high quality case. It’s like a miniature version of a pelican case. The case also has a handle on the side of it for the ease of carrying.

Inside the case are: The iem itself, a cable, 2 changeable terminations. (3.5 + 4.4mm), a box carrying 3 pairs of medium bore tips and 3 pairs of double flare tips.

This is actually more than I can ask for from a demo unit, since the shipping fee will be less compared to a full original package.
Specs:

1*Dynamic Driver + 4*Balanced Armatures + 2*EST Drivers (5-way crossover design)

Design/Build quality/Comfort

The Aurum’s shells are made out of resin, with a blue-ish color way and some sort of gold flakes inside of it

Here are some closer pics

Overall, the iem feels very sturdy and high quality in the hands.
The shells are on a bigger side with quite a long nozzle. So on one hand, it gives me a really snug fit, it does make my ears hurt a little bit after 2 hours or so of wearing it. Personally, in order to get a great fit with this iem, I have to use the included double flares eartips and push the iem deep into my ears. The Aurum in exchange has a great isolation due to how snug it is.

The included cable feels really nice in the hand. It’s soft and supple, has no memory, not too thick and heavy, the hardware also feels nice. The modular connector is a screwing type to better secure the end termination.

The cable does remind me of some Hakugei cable

Sound impressions

*Test gear:
- Source: Poco F3, Dell laptop
- Dac/amp: Chord Mojo, Ibasso DC04 Pro, E1DA 9038D, Hiby FC6
- Source pairing:
As much as I'd like to use the Aurum with my dongle, since it would be more convenient for me, the Aurum does need the extra current and power for the EST to truly shine, which is why the Mojo is my favourite source to use with.
If you have a dedicated desk setup, or an additional portable amp, I'm sure the result will be even better.

Tonality: U-shaped

Bass:
Subbass extension is deeppppp. Like really deep. Using a tone generator, the subbass doesn’t seem to have a typical subbass roll off and it just gets deeper and deeper the lower the frequency. EDM songs that are subbass predominant are such a bliss to listen to.

The midbass, although has great texture and overall quality, does lack a bit in quantity. It’s not as detrimental as the graph would suggest. However, drums and bassy instrument does lack some depth and body to it. It’s easy to hear how the subbass stands out more compared to the midbass.

Upon critical listening, it's evident that the bass driver has really good transient response, although its attack can feel a bit soft and not as incisive at times. This is just a small nit pick, as I'm comparing it against planar and BA levels of transients.

Mids:
The Aurum doesn’t hit you with a lush, thick sounding midrange, but rather a very clean and well defined one. Vocal goes relatively neutral, both for male and female vocals. With how the bass was done, I'm surprised that the vocal does not sound too thin. Heck, I'd dare say they even have a bit of warmth to it. The small peak at 1.2kHz does give female vocals a little bit more “pop” compared to the usual smooth glide from 1khz to 2.5-3khz.

Instruments sound natural with “correct” positioning. Note weight is on the lighter side, which is easy to observe through snare drums and piano notes

Treble:
This is the star of this iem. About the lower treble, there’s a slight dip around 6-8khz which gives the Aurum very little sense of sibilant or treble harshness. But, as a tradeoff, cymbal strikes do sound a bit soft in its attack. Am i hating it? Absolutely not.

However, the real magic is in the upper treble or air region.

Since I've been using mostly single DD and hybrids DD+BA for my audio journey, as well as only got to listen to the Monarch MK2-my first and only tribirds till date- for around 30 minutes a year ago, the high treble of the Aurum is quite stellaring. The EST drivers give the percussion instruments a really nice shimmering quality, great decay and tail notes, with a lot of microdetails to boot. But, if i have to nit pick, since the treble region doesn’t have a usual roll off, cymbals and hihats do have a bit of abrasive /sizzling characteristic to it.

So now with the Aurum, we’d have a dip at 6khz to minimize treble harshness, pairing with a lot of energy above 13khz to show the characteristic of the EST drivers. This is quite a weird and frankly quite unique combo to say the least.

As good as it is, with how the treble was done, the Aurum is very revealing, which means any artifacts or weird buzzing sounds coming from poorly mastered songs, will be quite easy to perceive. I consider this a pro, especially when i’m using this iem true to its purpose: A monitor.

Tech
The Aurum really has great technicality. It has great width and depth. On many songs, I perceive some elements that sound like it’s going behind my head. To my aural sense, the Aurum doesn’t have great height.

Layering is also very nice. Elements of complicated orchestra tracks are shown nicely. There are decent space between different instruments.

Detail retrieval is just as impressive, with the help of the EST drivers in the upper frequency. Coming from lower tier single DD iem to this, there are a LOT more details that I have not perceived before.

Test track:

1/ Caravan - John Wasson

The overall experience is quite good with this song. Although there’s not much weight, or not as full bodied/well rounded behind the kick drums, the plucking of the double bass as I normally want, other instruments actually sound fine. Horn instruments sound correct in tone and timbre but a bit light in noteweight. Cymbals and hi hats sound exactly like I described in the treble part.

2/ Castlevania OST - Lamento della Ninfa (Trailer Version)

The tenor’s voice is just simply divine. However, I do wish for a bit more bite from the violin. From 1:25 onwards, snares and horn instruments sound a bit rough.

3/ Hotel California

The plucking of the bass guitar strings are very evidently light/weak. Like there’s not much emphasis on it. Same for the drum instruments too. The bass distortion on the other hand is fine. Cymbals and hi hats sound more emphasized and crisper in comparison to other instruments.

4/ Wandering - Yosi Horikawa

Attack of the spatial cues. The sound of gravel being stepped on, the birds chirping, the hitting of many different wood instruments,... I just want to immerse myself in this song. The Aurum perfectly captured those things in great detail. The width and depth of the song are easily perceived with the Aurum.

5/ Swashers - Yosi Horikawa

The wavessss. How they keep gently hitting at you from behind on both sides. The Aurum perfectly captured their movements, down to their minute details.

6/ Trentemøller: Chameleon

The bass texture on these are surprisingly good, even without an abundance of midbass. Subbass rumble is really effortless, clean yet still deep, sort of like a subwoofer feeling.
The DD performs well under complex sections without the sign of clipping.

7/ Thunderstruck - AC/DC

Cymbal strikes are CRISP. It’s airy, detailed with really nice decay. The separation and layering between elements are well portrayed. The sound of bass guitar distortion and male vocals are more than fine, but like I said, the initial slam of drums and bass guitar that play notes at a lower octave, does lack a bit of weight and body.

Since the Aurum is the first kilobucks iem i’ve heard in a very long time, I unfortunately can’t compare it to any iem near its price point, so you’d have to make do with the sound impressions as well as my experience with some of the tracks I mentioned.

Conclusion
So yea, in and of itself, the Aurum is quite a nice iem. Although I'd have loved a bit more midbass quantity, it’s pretty easy for me to enjoy this iem for how well the rest of the frequency was done. Considering how long ago the Aurum was released, I do think the Aurum does hold itself quite well.
I may keep repeating myself too much regarding the bass, but since the Aurum is lacking a bit in midbass quantity, that does limit how many genres that the Aurum is suitable for and of course, how large the compatible audience pool is.

Who is this iem made for?
- For treble heads
- For detail chaser
- For people who likes a clean bass shelf
- For people who’s searching for a U shaped iem
Who is this iem NOT made for?
- For bassheads, or for people who’s looking for a hard midbass slam
- Treble sensitive people
- For jazz, rock lovers.

That’s it for my review and thank you for reading.

Craft Ears 'Aurum'

• Driver Configuration: 1x DD, 4x BA, 2x EST
• RRP: €1,395 (available HERE)

Introductions & Caveats

Something abundantly clear in this hobby is how quickly things come and go - the hype train often charges into the station, and quickly the platform is filled with those seeking to jump aboard… we travel a few stops and not unusual then for a set to become forgotten due to a queue of other new sets seeking to grab our attention and more importantly, our money. This is simply the nature of the hobby, and a few IEMs achieve a cult status, remaining popular for much longer, and indeed overall respect in the community. But within all of this sets get overlooked - for whatever reason, just not hitting that hype phase in the community.

Craft Ears reached out to me and asked if I would like to try the Aurum - my initial reaction was a bit confused to be honest - why would a brand be seeking to try an ‘old’ IEM in such a competitive market with countless newer sets that have hit the market since Aurum was introduced in 2020? - I had a read of some reviews and impressions, and discovered mostly positive feedback, but was still a bit reluctant due to being now four years old. Writing reviews, even my amateur musings takes quite a few hours, and finding those hours in a busy working and family life can be tricky, as such I’ve tended to very much limit how many reviews I do per year (although they have ramped up more than I’m comfortable with so far in 2024!). I had a good gut feeling about these though, and thought I’d give them a try… fast forward about four weeks since they landed, and I’m glad I did - but perhaps still a bit unsure as to why Craft Ears wanted a review of this older set, maybe to have a bit of brand awareness in the market for their more recent flagship, the ‘Omnium’?

I would like to thank Craft Ears for the opportunity - Aurum was sent free of charge in exchange for my impressions. As always, all words are my own based on my ears/music/sources… your journey may be very different, but I do my best to convey my experience in a way that can hopefully enlighten the reader as to the broad capabilities of any set.



A bit about me… (if you’ve read my previous reviews, you might just skip this - not much here has changed )

I worked in the consumer electronics industry for a large part of my career, and have been passionate about music and technology from as far back as I remember - even as a small child asking my Mum to put records on the turntable (Abba, Supertramp and Planxty if anyone is curious )

My music preferences are very varied - anything from classical to techno, indie rock to jazz and all in between. In my early teens I was a big fan of bands like The Cure and The Smiths (still am all these years later), and I was bitten by the dance music bug that arrived in the early 90s where I became hugely passionate about genres like techno, house, trance and IDM - I amassed a huge collection of records and CDs, DJing with the former at various parties and occasional pirate radio station slots - a hobby at the time that I never took further, but still own 1000s of records and my trusty Technics 1210 turntables are still going strong 30 years later, a testament to the Japanese engineering!

I am not a professional reviewer or anything remotely like it. I love music, and I love the methods by which we can listen to music - over the last few years, that has become an obsession with IEMs and related gear. I've bought and sold many, and held on to a select few - these have been anything from a $20 set like the Moondrop Chu, all the way up to kilobuck sets such as Aroma Jewel, the infamous 'Traillii' from Oriolus, UM Mentor, and a whole selection of my beloved single DDs. As part of this exploration, I like to share my thoughts on the various sets in my journey with the Head-Fi community, in the hope it might be useful to others. The massive caveat, is of course that 'your mileage may vary' - this is a highly subjective hobby.



About Craft Ears

Craft Ears are a Polish company, founded by Jedrzej Nowicki. All of their products are handmade in Poland and come with a 2-year warranty. That certainly sets them apart from the crowd where most these days are made in the Far East - not a good or bad thing per-se, simply noting the fact!

Aurum Specifications

Drivers: 1x Dynamic Driver, 4x Balanced Armatures, 2x Electrostatic (5-way crossover design)

Frequency Response: 5Hz-40kHz
Impedance: 9,6ohms

Unboxing

A very simple and understated affair with an outer cardboard case that upon opening reveals a robust but somewhat large storage case - while it will certainly protect your investment, and has plenty of space for an additional cable and tips, the size will be prohibitive in terms of a case you can throw in a pocket, unless you’ve massive pockets that is…











Tips include a double-flange style in small, medium and large, and a fairly standard looking selection of S/M/L silicone tips. I can't comment on how good or bad they are as I always use 3rd party tips.



Design & Fit

When I saw the shells, I had a bit of an ‘eek’ moment at first - they reminded me of some sets I’ve had in the past where this type of shell became very uncomfortable, but thankfully I quickly discovered these were fine - in fact I find them very comfortable. I’ve been using my new favourite tips, the Acoustune AEX07 - along with the shape and these tips, there is excellent isolation, pretty much blocking out any external noise. Strangely enough, I cannot for the life of me see a vent anywhere on these, but I do not get any pressure build so there must be one there, and an eyesight issue on my part but I must ask Craft Ears to confirm. There is a flat 2-pin connector and the supplied cable fits into place very securely.



Cable

The supplied cable is silver plated OCC copper and has a modular connector for both 3.5mm and 4.4mm jacks. It is a sturdy cable with reasonable weight and low microphonics. It feels like good quality and overall nicely made.



Listening Impressions

The Hiby RS8 was my chosen DAP for all listening impressions in this review. The R2R has excellent synergy with Aurum, taming the at times higher level of energy up top and smoothing out somewhat, but not always. I have used with other DAPs, but RS8 definitely my top choice. All test tracks are from local FLAC files.



One of the first things that struck me about Aurum was the high-performing technical capability, this honestly surprised me at the price point - an impressively large stage with crystal-clear imaging and layering - not to the detriment of coherency or musicality however, this is an emotive, engaging and somewhat energetic set. The tonality is overall quite nicely balanced, with excellent extension on both ends, clear but full-bodied mids and with a pleasing and accurate sounding timbre.

Bass

The dynamic driver is tuned very nicely, with a more typical sub-bass emphasis over mid-bass - the sub extension has good rumble and sufficiently visceral, while mid-bass has excellent impact and definition. I find the sub-bass in tracks with more of this emphasis highly engaging, and while not overemphasised, it really does grab my attention with the overall quality of presentation.

Mids

There are two BAs at work providing excellent clarity, detail, with enough body and warmth to ensure good musical engagement - I don’t find a bias towards either male or female vocals, both are nicely rendered and positioned in a central and slightly forward location which to my ears sounds true to the recordings. I haven’t heard any congestion with busy tracks, always sufficient speed and space to allow even the busiest of tracks to perform.

Treble

We have another two BAs here along with the addition of 2x ESTs for the highest reaches, a fairly common implementation with multi-driver sets, and for good reason, well implemented ESTs make a massive difference to the higher frequencies, delivering the upper level opposite to well-implemented sub-bass - the key here in my experience is that highly visceral experience, an ear-tickling sensation from the ESTs, in a similar way to the skull rumbling sensation of a great DD in the sub realms. I’m saying all of this as it is indeed applicable to Aurum, and I must say they at times remind me of the legendary Traillii in this regard, I think the treble for the most part is done exceptionally well, arguably a real standout attribute of Aurum. This upper energy also lends the overall tuning towards a slightly more energetic profile, allowing faster-paced genres sufficient energy to really shine.

Technical

The soundstage is large but I would say more in width and depth, the height isn’t massive. The resolution is very good with plenty of micro details evident, but stopping somewhat short of being a technical monster - the resolution and detail is there, but not in a microscopic way. I had a bit of a ‘eureka’ moment at the recent Watercooler European meet-up in Amsterdam, that being the realisation when auditioning an IEM / headphone as to how quickly the emotion hits, and the most obvious measure is my heart rate, a natural physiological response that in my opinion is a very authentic method to determine the musicality and emotive connection to a set - some impress immediately with their technical prowess, but don’t tug at the heart strings, or at least they all do one or the other to varying degrees and it is this balance that I tend to seek when trying any new set… so where does Aurum sit I hear you ask?! - well if something like Traillii sits at 10 on the emotive-scale, I’d probably position Aurum at around 6, and that’s a good score!



Test Tracks

I’m going straight for the jugular here with a somewhat fast and complex track, an early opportunity to test how Aurum responds

Moy - Forest Dungeon

This is taken from the excellent ‘The Phenomenon of Memory’ album, released just this year but sounding quite like some early to mid 90s acid techno / IDM… if this type of genre is your thing, miss this at your peril. Given it’s recent and high quality production, we’ve no issues with upper energy, at least my late 40s ears don’t anyway. The many layers of complexity are rendered with ease, providing a highly engaging and captivating performance on Aurum, really showcasing the beautifully tuned drivers. Everything sounds crisp, pristine, detailed, emotive, and impactful.



Aukai - Agua Azul

I’m mostly looking for timbre here with the various instruments at play - this is the sort of genre I’ll typically choose a resolving DD such as Turii Ti for as I appreciate a ‘delicate’ and precise presentation for instruments like this. Aurum does an excellent job however, a nice airy presentation with a real pinpoint sense of imaging and excellent clarity. Perhaps I’d like a touch more ‘bite’ on the leading edge of strings, but a minor nitpick really.



Trashbat - Tibet

This is taken from the compilation ‘Subtextures’ on the Interchill label, and one of the tracks I used to test various IEMs during a recent ‘’Watercooler EU’ meet up in Amsterdam. I love the variety within the track, and found it really excellent for getting a sense of sub bass, and a measure of emotional engagement. Aurum certainly doesn’t disappoint - as previously noted, the quantity of sub bass on Aurum isn’t massive, but it is strikingly obvious in tracks such as this and has a real visceral sensation to it. Likewise up top with the ESTs, very crisp and captivating - I really do love well implemented ESTs, and Craft Ears have certainly done a fine job here. The mids have a beautifully intoxicating delivery, the occasional vocals sound lush and almost haunting as they flow in and out.



Men I Trust - Tailwhip (album v)

This is a track I’ve used to test many IEMs over the last few years, but not actually in more recent months so when I spotted the album while browsing albums on my DAP, I thought a good time to revisit. I find immediately that the stage size has a relatively intimate presentation, and vocals while central aren’t as forward or full-bodied as they are on a more mid-centric set - still very authentic however, and I like the overall rendering of the complete song - again there is excellent clarity, all instruments are nice and distinct, easy to pick out and indeed enjoy as a whole.



The African Dream - Makin’ a Living

A bit of a classic house track here from the 90s, a funky number and the closing track to the self-titled album ‘The African Dream’. It was reissued on vinyl a few years ago and I immediately snapped up a copy, especially for this track. The higher registers do sound a touch bright, and possibly on a more neutral or brighter source than the RS8 could be a bit of a problem - I would say this is mostly due to being a much older track, with production quality not being up to today’s standards, something I often find with older recordings. Bass and mids sound very nice, the melodies sufficiently lush and captivating, with again a nice visceral sub-bass delivery. Overall it sounds good, but Aurum possibly not my top choice for something like this.



The Cure - All Cats Are Grey

Taken from the excellent ‘Faith’ by The Cure, certainly one of their darker albums and from the earlier part of their career, up there with my favourite albums of theirs. This is going to be another tough test as again being faced with a recording that isn’t up to the level of modern standards. The results here are actually surprisingly good for the most part, as the track is quite slow and not particularly complex, I don’t hear anything harsh up top - the most obvious issue is in the mids where they sound a bit weak and lack body - quite a flat presentation and it does seem mids tend to suffer more in my experience with these older recordings, not a fault or criticism of Aurum. Overall, not a bad listen but I’d choose a warmer/less resolving set for an album like this.



Omni Trio - Silent Age

Drum & Bass (D&B) as always a genre I like to throw at an IEM in a test like this due to the speed and complexity that’s typically associated. While the bass and mids are very nicely represented, I do find energy up top is a bit excessive and find myself turning down the volume to a point where it becomes to the detriment of other frequencies. D&B is often a tough test and usually my measure of upper energy thresholds - to be fair, just tipping into an area of discomfort but enough not to want to listen - which is fine, while Aurum has pretty decent overall balance, it is not a set I would consider to be an all-rounder either, D&B not a genre I will associate with this IEM.



Bluetech - Ringside At The Parthenon

Jumping forward a number of years to a producer I very much associate with high quality production, Bluetech’s albums tend to sound incredibly hi-res with impeccable mastering. While slower paced than the previous D&B track, there is more overall complexity, with intricate drum programming and many layers of synths and accompanying melodies. Again though, touching a bit too close into upper energy levels of discomfort - not quite, but again enough to distract from the overall presentation. I expect to immerse myself in music like this, be captivated by the overall experience and with Aurum is just doesn’t quite cut it.



Carbon Based Lifeforms - Somewhere in Russia

I am a huge fan of ambient music, and have 100s of albums in this genre. This album is up there with some of the best, and a true classic of the genre in my book - especially this utterly beautiful track. Having had a couple of tracks where I was bit less satisfied I guess, I’m back to being completely captivated and totally immersed in this masterpiece - Aurum delivers here with wonderful elegance; a spacious and highly engaging listen from start to finish, putting shivers through me as this track builds. I could happily reach for Aurum anytime in the future when I want to choose ambient music, which means I will likely reach for them a lot.



Comparisons

I don’t have many sets in a competing price segment, so have to choose a few at both lower and higher prices, so arguably unfair in either direction, but it is what it is…

Orivetti OH700VB ($699)

The OH700VB is a very smooth, inoffensive yet highly engaging listen - a noticeable step down in terms of technical performance vs Aurum however, with far less obvious imaging or layering for example. With the right recordings, the Aurum ESTs really do shine too and a big step up compared to the BAs at work in the OH700VB - that said, the OH700VB is an incredibly engaging listen and I’ve yet to find any genre that doesn’t just ‘work’... more thoughts to come on this IEM as it's my next review.

Nostalgia Audio Camelot ($2,699)

Aurum sounds more energetic and definitely extends a touch further on both ends, especially up top. Camelot has a more refined and ‘safe’ sound overall, and steps a bit forward from a technical perspective where detail retrieval, stage size have a noticeable edge. I prefer the bass execution on Camelot also, but I would expect that with the 2x DDs at work here, one for both sub and mid-bass.



Conclusion

The old adage ‘age is only a number’ does indeed ring true in the case of Aurum - a four-year-old set in this hobby almost feels like something that should have retired at least a year ago, but that would be a mistake, and for me Aurum represents good evidence that we can easily dismiss sets that aren’t the latest and greatest from the most cherished brands. Aurum has been a bit of a lesson for me to really underline the fast-paced, at times fleeting nature of this hobby, always rushing to find the next best set, while many get passed over and forgotten. The asking price of around €1,400 gets you a lot of IEM, and arguably a bit of a ‘bargain’ in terms of the performance on offer quite a few hundred euro south of €2k. As noted however, the upper energy can be at times excessive and caution definitely advised for some genres where there already more energy and ‘activity’ this zone - this for me slots Aurum more into a somewhat specialist bracket rather than an all-rounder, and I’ve found for the most part I prefer more modern, slower paced recordings where they really excel and compete well still in 2024.

I noted at the start of this review how I was a bit curious as to why Craft Ears wanted me to try a four year old set, well I guess the answer is to potentially demonstrate how it still stands up today, albeit with specific genres, but that indeed is the case with many ‘new’ and more expensive sets on the market in 2024.

For starters I would like to thank @Jedrula1 for sending me a demo unit, which was returned after writing this review.



The Heart and the Soul

The Craft Ears Aurum is arguably the hottest release among Polish IEM boutiques. Partially because of being a tribrid (1 DD, 4 BAs, 2 Estats). But also because after premiering with its Two, Four and Six line of IEMs, Craft Ears earned plenty of awards and set the bar pretty high for their next release.
The first thing they score an A for is the design. It’s been stellar since their previous numbered releases, but this time around the Genesis series signature designs really hit it out the park. Aurum’s own just oozes elegance. White universal shells are a rare sight, moreso adorned with golden flakes. Oh, and just to make a statement, the logo was moved to the top so as not to disturb the elegance of the faceplate. Truly worthy of being a bespoke, premium option in a custom design.
Craft Ears followed latest cable trends as well and bundled a premium CM Cable Bright ended in a single ended jack. Its quality is on par with other bundle cables like the PW no.8 which comes with the Lime Ears Pneuma. One thing missing is a chin slider. I’ve come to accept nonbasic cables being added to IEMs - as long as they are not of bankbreaking cost.

Aurum’s sound signature is a very pleasant and masterfully executed W. The bass hits the right spot in authority and quality, but doesn’t overshadow the rest. I might say it takes a little bit of a backseat. I guess this is the byproduct of the tuning requirements when estats are deployed. And boy, is this implementation good - the highs are free of being wispy. Cymbal notes have punch and the decay is above average. Apart from being a drumhead’s delight, this also adds to the air and instrument separation. The mids do not fall behind, either. Female voices are a little closer than male, both are textured and emotional. However, when compared to bass and highs, mids are definitely the weakest link in terms of execution, with guitars sounding a little less refined and missing that final touch of spiciness. All of this sums up to a versatile monitor suitable for plenty of genres like rock, d’n’b, soundtracks and classical in my case.

Being as young as Craft Ears is, how does the Aurum fare against some of the GOATs or heavy - hitters? Let’s start with Campfire Audio’s Andromeda. While playing Red Hot’s “Snow (Hey Oh)”, Aurum’s bass rendition is warmer, fuller, with very satisfying decay. Andromeda 2020 tries its best but bass lines like in this track are just not its forte. Also, cymbals are easier to spot in the left channel after 1:47 mark with Craft Ears’ creation. Thus, my current champion of details is showing cracks in its emerald facade, being beat in engagement factor as well. The Aurum is also hiss-free, but requires current which could power several Andromedas concurrently. But soundstage comparison is no contest with the Andromeda being noticeably more holographic.



Another one is versus the ThieAudio Monarch (green and blue custom color) - arguably one of the most anticipated comparisons, since the Monarch and the other 3 ThieAudio tribrids launched this particular driver configuration into the stratosphere . Compared to it, the Aurum is less bassy in quantity, but makes it up in its details. This blends nicely with tracks like “Money for Nothing” by the Dire Straits, where I like to keep an eye on the bassist's performance rather than be embraced by Monarch’s sheer amount of bass. The reverse happens with D’n’B or pop tracks, where the former’s bass boost goes hand in hand with the party. Hans Zimmer’s Time allows Aurum’s air and separation shine, whereas the Monarch shows signs of congestion and feels quite claustrophobic in comparison. I can’t shake the feeling the Aurum has all it takes to be the Monarch 2.0, with less dryness in vocals, more defined cymbal hits and mature bass favouring texture over Monarch’s flat but plentiful approach. Overall both are very detailed but if soundstage and airiness are of importance the Aurum is the go-to. The Monarch still is one of the IEMs to beat in its price range, and the Aurum upgrade comes at almost double the price. But if I were looking for a “bigger, better, more badass” Monarch, Craft Ears’ newest flagship would be the one to audition.



The Bad

The stock cable, while of premium quality, has a 3,5mm single ended termination. As such, not every source will be able to drive the Aurum properly as it requires a little more current than usual due to electrostats inside. My iBasso DX300 managed just fine (even if pushed a lot more than while driving my HifiMan Sundara), but the Lotoo Paw S1 was reaching max volume dangerously quick. My Samsung S8+ at top volume was passable but nowhere near being driven properly. Dongle users beware. They are also very chonky (again, the downside of its internals) and universal fit may not suit every ear, partially because the part that goes directly into the ear canal is quite elongated.


The Weird

Soundstage quirks deserve a mention in this section. While shallower than expected at flagship level, something else bothers me. On some tracks, higher notes seem to have a weird inverse rotation to them, distorting their overall placement. As a result, there are times when sounds seem to have a concave shape when positioned behind you, like a part of them was missing. Not a dealbreaker, but I can’t shake off the feeling of this “negative depth” as I’d like to call it.



The End

Following your own success is never easy, moreso for the new kid on the block. After my time with the Aurum, I think the record has been set. With a fun, universal tuning topped with great details, this IEM has what it takes to be at the top. If you have a source powerful enough to make its cogs turn, it’s worth taking the Aurum for a spin - you might be in for a surprise.