Symphonium Meteor

Symphonium Audio Meteor review and comparisons.




Fitting and comfort:

The Meteor is a compact mid-sized IEM with a light aluminum alloy shell that has a slender shape near the nozzle, which prevents it from resting hard on the outer part of the ear canal, avoiding discomfort in long listening sessions. In short, the Meteor is very comfortable to wear.

Sensitivity, drivability and power handling:

I had to adjust the volume to 75% to achieve the same level of loudness as my other IEMs on my dongle DAC/amps at 50% volume since the sensitivity is lower than typical. It is also a difficult load for my dongle DAC/amps. My Hidizs S9 Pro Plus Martha and Moondrop Moonriver 2 enter protective mode at 85 percent volume, and my Moondrop Dawn Pro begins to audibly distort. The power handling is acceptable; I can hear distortion when coupled with the Fiio M15s and Topping G5 at very loud settings, which is comparable to my other IEMs with decent power handling capabilities, such as my Moondrop Blessing 3. All I'm saying is that as long as you keep the volume reasonable to avoid distortion, the sound is really clean.

Source Pairing:

The Meteor requires a clean and powerful source in order to sound its best. It sounds superb paired with the Fiio M15s and Topping G5, but not as much when paired with my mid-sized dongle DAC/amps, such as the Moonriver 2, Dawn Pro, and S9 Pro Plus Martha due to lack of power; it will still sound good, but not its best.

Cables and Eartips:

For this review, I used the supplied eartips (medium) and the 4.4mm balanced cable because they sound good. I experimented using various eartips and discovered that the Meteor is not eartip fussy.



Sound signature:

Unashamedly U-shaped, it has a distinct upper midrange to lower treble recession, a clear treble, a highly extended and crisp top octave, and a noticeably boosted bass. The overall sound doesn't induce fatigue, but it does have the typical oddities of a U-shaped sounding IEM.

Sound staging and imaging:

The sound stage is big, cavernous and dark, which is perfect for evening listening for me. The images especially the vocals are always situated a good distance away, due to this, it somewhat lacks 3d holographic projection a little. If you want an intimate sounding vocals, this is not for you, but if you have claustrophobia, this is perfect.

Instrument separation and layering:

The instruments are sufficiently separated, and I can easily distinguish them from one another, but the front-to-back layering is not the best due to the laid-back sound presentation; all instruments appear to be coming from a distance away.

Dynamics:

It's remarkably dynamic sounding, with good energy bubbling across the whole audio frequency range. Most U-shaped sound signatures I've heard have some lethargy, but this one is an exception. The microdynamic performance is also great; I can clearly hear the intensity differences in each high hat stroke, cymbal strike, and other instrument on some recordings; they are not dynamically compressed, but this is something to be expected at this price point.




Bass:

Tastefully boosted and energetic, with good but not outstanding definition, it requires high quality and powerful sources to sound its best. It sounds tight and fairly well controlled; it never became boomy and muddy; the bass is almost always present; and it goes very deep. Even though it doesn't have the gravitas of some dynamic driver IEMs, it is still very satisfying, and I think bass heads with refined taste would love this IEM.

Midrange:

The lower midrange sounds neutral with good instrument note weight and does not shout nor cause fatigue, but the upper midrange is obviously recessed and sounds laid back, making the vocals appear from afar, and the electric guitars lack presence and realism, so take note.

Treble:

Very refined, clean, and non-fatiguing; there is a reduction in the lower treble and a rise in amplitude at the upper treble, adding some enthiusiasm to the sound. I'm not just reading the graph; this is actually based on what I'm hearing.










What I like:

+ energetic and engaging sound.
+ non-fatiguing sound.
+ excellent build quality.
+ very nice cable included.
+ very comfortable to wear.


What I don't like:

- average power-handing capabilty.
- difficult to drive.



The wrap up:

Although the Symphonium Audio Meteor's tuning is not to my taste, as I previously stated, I certainly recognize the energy, engagement, smoothness, and refinement in the sound quality, and the Meteor sounds excellent. So, whether or not I would recommend the Meteor to a friend depends solely on his or her tuning preference; this has to be clarified first before deciding, but if you know you like the sound signature that I described in this review, then there's no reason not to highly recommend the Meteor. Cheer!

4-19-2024

The Symphonium Meteor

This set is the very first pair of IEMs that have been sent to me by a brand as a loaner with seemingly no strings attached. Symphonium has not asked me to say anything in particular with this, they’ve been completely relaxed about everything. All these thoughts and opinions are my own.

With that out of the way, here we are. The Meteors - this is my 2nd go at this set. I feel like I need to preface this entire thing with this story because it’s important. About a year ago now, I and @gooberbm had the opportunity during one of our group’s tours to listen to the Meteor along with a few other sets like the UP, IE600, etc. I was incredibly excited to hear the Meteors, I 100% believed these would be killer for my library and preferences. I built up all this god damned excitement just to be torn with disappointment. I felt as though they were too laid back, there wasn’t enough bite in the guitar sections of the songs that were playing. Man, I was so upset - I didn’t understand how that could be. But, I just chalked it up to something not quite clicking with my ears, oh well I thought, it is what it is.

Fast forward to now, I have my hands on a brand new pair directly from Symphonium themselves. I approached them with a request for anything in their collection of IEMs and when they offered the Meteors I didn’t hesitate. I wanted a second go and I’m so happy I did.

TLDR version; The Meteors are a wonderful-sounding IEM. They have a full and rich sound signature that is both smooth and engaging. The mid-bass and lower mids are just at that sweet spot where it has enough energy to fill the sound profile out but never come across as bloated or muddy. The upper mids are an interesting sort, being both slightly forward and also laid back for guitars and female vocals harmonics, but in a good way. There is no harshness in the pinna region to be found. The treble is the most interesting part of the Meteors to me. It is lively and a touch more forward than neutral to my ears. Ride cymbal strikes and hi-hats drive the music forward in a very engaging way and I dig it. It isn’t all perfect though. As typical BA driver IEMs go, the bass is lacking to my ears, with a rounder presentation. It’s less about that initial kick impact, but more so about the thump behind it.

Fitment note; The shells are small with an upward angle on the nozzle. I can confirm I do experience pressure build-up and pressure when first seating them in my ears. It isn’t the worst I’ve experienced, but it’s there.

Test tracks

- Give Life Back to Music - daft punk - Overall clarity
- Infinity Repeating - daft punk - Lower mids control
- Voyager - daft punk - Bass line clarity/busy track layering
- Overnight - Parcels - mid bass punch
- Tieduprightnow - Parcels - bass line/sibilance test
- Everyroad -Parcels - Imaging/Sub bass @ 7 minute mark
- Daytime - Lunar Vacation - Staging/female vocals w/ heavy bass
- Days - No Vacation - Vibe test/treble energy
- Fruiting Body - Goon - Sub bass
- Wavy Maze - Goon - Mid bass
- Together - Maggie Rodgers - Female Vocals
- Slide Tackle - Japanese Breakfast - Sibilance test/consonants harshness
- Decode - Paramore - Vibe test/stage depth
- Vinta - Crumb - Stage depth/layering
- Kim’s Caravan - Courtney Barnett - Female Vocals/resolution test
- Small Poppies - Courtney Barnett - Distorted Guitar
- Lifelong Song - Men I Trust - Sub/mid bass texture
- One and Only - Adele - Female Vocals/consonants harshness test
- Waves - Wild Painting - Overall Enjoyment and stage depth/width/Bass guitar speed
- Not the One - Highnoon - Female Vocals
- Cowboy Killer - Varsity - Layering
- Alone in My Principles - Varsity - Distorted female vocals
- Summer Madness - Kool & The Gang - Treble Harshness
- They Are Growing - Renata Zeiguer - Mid bass impact

Sources
- Apple Music Streaming Hi-Res Lossless when available
- Topping D10s + Topping L30
- Moondrop Dawn 4.4
- Dunu DTC 500
- FiiO BTR7 BT

Disclaimer
I am not a reviewer, don’t take anything I say as an objective stance, of course, this is what I hear, y’all. This hobby should be fun! It’s purely my opinion. I personally value timbre over everything. If a set has a strange tonality or timbre, it’s an immediate turnoff.

I’m going to try and break down the Meteor using the individual parts of the FR, bass, mids, and treble using specific musical references to make things a little more cohesive. Still working out the kinks on this whole article thing.

Bass
Quick summary? It’s big and bold, with a rounder presentation that can sometimes come off as the literal perfect amount for my preferences. Songs like Give Life Back To Music, Wavy Maze & They Are Growing start with thunderous mid-bass thump that is so addictive, I’ll sometimes start the songs over just to hear those kicks again. Subbass can also be addicting as well - Songs like Fruiting Body and Lifelong Song have a reverberating quality to the lower end and it can be felt with authority on both songs. Bass lines like on Voyager are well done, you can both feel and hear the bass line clearly which is like, the first thing I look for in that song. If an IEM can’t play Voyager well, it’s on the chopping block right away. But the Meteors pass this test with flying colors. Bass is fast as well, the song Waves has a pretty damn quick bassist here driving the track, and rather than the bass line sounding like a cheap droning EDM blob of bass, I can hear each pluck of the strings fairly clearly. On the song Slide Tackle, there's a triplet-type kick drum towards the last half of the song and each kick is easily heard and felt. I've listened to some less expensive and more expensive IEMs that don't present that specific part as well as the Meteor. It isn’t quite planar fast but I think it’s a happy medium. The one downside to this type of bass is a lack of definition to my ears, I’m not getting as much texture as I’d expect. Surprisingly, probably because of the way the entire lower mids are tuned, I feel like the bass does have nice decay, reminiscent of a DD. Not quite apples to apples, but it’s more than passable.

Mid-range

If you go through my track list, female vocals are probably 80% of it, so obviously you’d expect them to be damn important. Well, you’d be right! Much to my wife’s annoyance, female vocals are all I listen to most of the time. After timbre, how female vocals are rendered is a close second in importance. I’m happy to say that the Meteors have an engaging mids presentation with plenty of details and lively energy without coming off as intense. Songs like Together, One and Only, Waves and Slide Tackle have some moments of serious intensity, with all of those artists hitting some strong notes that could come off as piercing in a lot of IEMs, but not on the Meteors. It’s like riding that line of being almost poisonous, but not quite there. It must be the cut right at 2.5k that keeps those harmonics at bay. I’d say that female vocals come off a touch thicker than neutral, but there are still plenty of details and clarity here. In a perfect world, there would be more texture, and guitars would have more bite to them during certain passages. I still think there’s a sensation of certain harmonics and guitar parts being muffled and yes, that can take me out of the music from time to time. These don’t have my favorite mids presentation, that still goes to my pair of Monarch MK2s, but I don’t think these will offend anyone, it’s almost leaning the other way. I can see this mid-presentation being underwhelming to some on initial listen like it was for me. I think the mids being on the relaxed side does have one benefit though, it highlights the treble…

Treble
The star of the show is the treble on the Meteors. They’ve gone ahead and taken a not-so-neutral approach here with the later treble and Jesus Christ does it pay off for me. This is probably one of my favorite presentations of treble I’ve ever heard. Full stop. It’s so lively and airy - hi-hats, claps, ride cymbals, and atmospheric-type noises are forward enough to create this sense of space and energy I haven’t experienced since the EA500. In songs like Voyager, Alone In My Principals, Days and Daytime I just get lost in the music every time those come on. The snare on the 2 beat and the ride cymbal that comes in right before the chorus on Alone in My Principles, Chef’s kiss - the airy synth on Voyager that plays throughout the entire song, uhhh to die for, and just the entire song Days by No Vacation is incredible. I’d go ahead and say that because of the treble here, this is my favorite rendition of the song Days I have heard to date. I cannot believe the amount of goosebumps I got during the last part of the song with those big crash cymbal hits… it’s an experience, that’s for sure. If we’re talking downsides here, it isn’t neutral, and it’s very airy bordering on unnatural so if you’re sensitive to that you should be aware. I have always loved later treble energy, the EA500 showed me how amazing it can be for certain songs, so I have no issues with the treble on the Meteor. It's my favorite part.

Technicalities
The timbre is spot on, I have 0 issues with the timbre of this set. The stage isn’t particularly wide, I’d say that it even comes across as a touch intimate for some songs. Layering is top-notch, everything is easily distinguishable in a song, and there’s no bunching up with busy passages but truthfully, none of my music is too busy anyways. Not sure how these would fair for metal.

Source Differences

My favorite playback came from my desktop stack using the D10s and the L30. I found it to be the most neutral with the best timbre. The Moondrop Dawn highlighted too much of the treble, throwing the balance completely off and closing the stage down to claustrophobic levels. The BTR7 was somewhere in the middle, playing back a bit warmer in comparison to the stack but weirdly, opening up the depth on the stage a bit more. The bass on the BTR7 came off a bit more impactful but a bit more blunted and even less detailed. These are pretty source picky it seems, probably due to the very low impedance. Not sure, but something to keep in mind.

In summary, The Symphonium Meteors have completely redeemed themselves for me. I am so happy I got another go at these because I would have kept writing them off as a big disappointment, probably my biggest of 2023. Now, I can classify them as my biggest surprise of 2024 (so far).

Thanks so much for reading, take care!

Symphonium Meteor

I have been having the Symphonium Meteor on loan the last few weeks, the little red Meteor.
This is a 4 BA (Balanced Armature) IEM, costing $599.

This will not be a review, more like a small impression. Also going to compare it to one of my faovorite IEMs, the AüR Audio Neon Pro am 10 BA set with a slight U shaped sound signature. I am not trying to offend anyone with this, this is a set I have been hyped to buy for myself. I have a feel that the ear pressure problems are ruining the sound of Meteor, and it for sure plays better loud than with low volume.

Disclaimer:

This is also a very subjective hobby where everything from experience, anatomy or age will affect what we hear. Also keep in mind that it is easy to use bold words when talking about differences, while it may be perceived as a small change for you. While I can perceive something as natural sounding, I do believe we can never get a perfect performance similar to what is achieved live.

Ranking System:
1 Very bad or unlistenable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

My rating system highly values what is musical, so my rating will always be a subjective opinion.

Specifications​

Driver Crossover - Custom Tuned True 3-Way Crossover with PHAT Technology
Frequency Response - 12Hz - 21kHz, ± 3 dB
Sensitivity - 111dB/Vrms @ 1 kHz
Impedance - 9.7 Ohms @ 1 kHz
Socket - Spring Loaded 0.78mm 2-Pin
Cable - 26 AWG OCC Copper
Cable Impedance - 0.18 Ohms (3.5mm). 0.17 Ohms (4.4mm)
Limited 1 - Year Warranty


https://www.symphoniumaudio.com/products/meteor




Meteor sound impression

Most of my listening has been done with the Cayin N7 DAP, I have also used my desktop setup with Topping E70 + A90 Discrete. Tips have been Kbear 07 and Spinfit.

Must admit I had a hard time with the shell and finding a good seal, they are really small in the body and the nozzle has a different angle than the rest of my IEMs. There is also no vent on the IEM, I have never had problems before this set with pressure buildup. With lots of tip rolling and some advice, I found the Spinfit model I have to provide the seal. Also cable rolled to a better cable, the stock is okay sounding. But it doesn't sit well and makes Meteor being pushed out of the ear.

The meteor is described like this:

PHYSICALLY SMALL, SONICALLY LARGE​

The Meteor, simply put - sounds MASSIVE. We created the Meteor to shock you the very first second the music starts playing - extracting the speed, detail and raw energy from your music and delivering it in a fun way that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Bass so physical that you feel air pushed into your ears and basslines vibrating from the thick bass strings. Treble so extended with its cymbals sounding ethereal and textured

The Meteor’s “U-shaped” sound signature puts its bass and high treble in the spotlight, yet maintaining a sophisticated balance to form a coherent and exciting experience so that you will spend hours listening in pure fun. All this in a compact form factor well suited for music listeners with smaller ears.


Give it a go - you will not want to miss this.




For me this description is not totally correct, the mids are very recessed. And make the sound more like an extreme V shape, bass is very present and also the upper treble. They say that the bass and upper treble is in focus and that is true, when listening to cymbals as they explain it has a good sparkle.

Overall the sound is soft and veiled, with full low end. As the bass is strong and full it is wrong saying it's thin, but the mids is thin and lacks presence.

Bass is big and soft, it's not the more visceral style that most DDs have and especially the fast DDs. It digs deep and can please most bass bass lovers, for me it sounds too soft and lacks impact. This is the same type of BA bass that many have complained of is not sounding like a dynamic driver, if you're not used to better BA bass this will probably sound good. Also using the set for a long time to get your ears adjusted makes it sound better and better, but then swapping over to a good DD makes it very obvious.

Mids is veiled for me, both instruments and vocals seem way too often like it's playing behind a carpet dampening the sound. While they sound okay, it's too distant and has not enough detail going on. I use Piano music very often to listen to how realistic it sounds, especially since I am used to hearing piano in my house from both my wife playing and myself. It is hollow on most ranges of the piano, and lacks a good realistic timbre.
Strings lack detail and fullness, going to brass instruments like Sax it is hollow and lacks detail. Good thing is that aggressive trumpet playing is tamed and less piercing, same for other instruments.
Male vocals are better than female, no doubt. Male vocals sound okay on most artists just a little thick, just a few that get more nasal sounding. Almost all females lack presence, and appear quite veiled.

Treble is better than the mids, and has some good detail and treble. Not on every song out there, depends how much of the detail is in the lower treble or upper treble. The cymbal hits on drums has a nice shimmer and has that extra making it sound more real, same for other percussion instruments. I also listen to much electronica where there are sometimes electronic sounds in the upper treble. I can then hear that Meteor has very good extension up top, almost too much where some tracks get very fatigued.

Soundstage is okay, more like a studio than an avenue in size. Would call it average in depth and width, it's also very circular. Imaging is very spot on.





Meteor vs Neon pro

First off this is not to trash Meteor, I wanted to try Meteor as I have heard so much praise. I love my Neon Pro and have it as a reference IEM, hoping for Meteor to be good as I love the design and wanted another all BA IEM. Using Neon Pro with switch ON as it makes the low end very similar in amount, the mids get then impacted slightly on some vocals.

Neon Pro is also not vented but the shell is larger so I never get any pressure build-up.

I will keep it short on this part, as it's in a different league and is not fair.

Bass is faster, more visceral. Not soft and actually sound close to a DD, resolution is high level above. Especially when listening to double bass playing with lots of resonances going on in the bass range. Drum kicks are as it should, not soft thuds like on Meteor.

Mids is leagues above, crystal clear sound on NP. Male vocals similar to Meteor is a little thicker sounding due to bass, but is more present and clear with more detail. Females have much more presence and are not veiled, even with the tuning switch on and gets even better with it off.
All instruments have more resolution, piano sounds real and true to life. Drums have a better impact and are actually present in the music. String and wind instruments, doesn't matter what instrument its clear and forward.

Treble is also super detailed with NP, even with the boosted upper air spike on Meteor the Neon Pro has more realistic air and shimmer. Super clear treble on acoustic and electronic music, and don't have that same fatiguing tendency.

Soundstage is very personal, Neon Pro has almost the largest stage and separation I have tried. Wider and deeper than Meteor, imaging also spot on perfect.










Conclusion

This is not the set for me, that is quite clear. I almost wish there was something wrong with the Meteor, I also got my wife with her petite ears to try it. She did say they were cute and small with nice ergonomics, but at first listen she also said the same, it was veiled and almost no detail in the music.

Had to ask a friend who also has many IEMs, and full BA sets. He demoed the Meteor at Zeppelin, first words this is totally not worth it. Unnatural, veiled and like listening from another room instead of in front of speakers

I am not sure what to say really, I have big problems understanding the $600 price. I have liked many BA sets before this (Bravery, SA6, RSV and Neon Pro).
Maybe it's good for intense music to relax it down, or this is just a tuning type some like.

Ranking System

1 Very bad or unlistanable
2 Listenable but not good
3 Average
4 Very good
5 Exceptional or having a special sauce

Going by this ranking system together with my deeper evaluation matrix, the Meteor get a 3. Personally I think its not worth it, even if this tuning is maybe what they did go for.

Yours Truly: Music has been, and will continue to be, a huge part of my life. My escape from the frustrations and static of everyday life. An experience critical to my very sanity. I typically listen to progressive metal, deathcore, hardcore, alternative and classic rock. Music with meaning, emotion, shear freakin' talent and a drive to push the limits of what we thought was possible. I do not label myself as a 'divine' audiophile or use misrepresented/ misunderstood audiophile terminology. I am a simple man, on a journey through an endless sea of products and propaganda, searching for the long lost treasure that will bring me absolute happiness. Until it doesn't and were on to the next adventure.

Personal Taste: Bass.. I need to feel my music. There needs to be a distinct separation of instruments. I need to hear the bass guitar! This is the sonic link between the rhythmic and melodic elements in my music. Vocals are generally less important to me but need to sound natural. Prefer a tame(r), well executed treble FR. Give me presence, air, and detail. Keep the shout and sibilance. Ok, enough bs, lets get into it.

Product Overview: The Symphonium Meteor
Retail: $599
Shell: Small shell constructed of AL6061 aluminum alloy.
Driver Crossover: Custom tuned true 3-way crossover with PHAT technology
Cable: Nightjar Acoustics 26 awg Type 2 litz OCC Copper (purchased with 4.4mm)
Cable Impedance: 0.17 Ohms

Unboxing (5/5)
Exceptional small-form packaging
Items Included:

• Large leather flip style case for home use
• Small clear (orange) plastic case (foam lined)
• Cleaning tool
• Eartips: off brand (6-foam/ 12-silicone) with storage case
• Packaged with IEM's terminated to provided cable

I'm not to critical of the unboxing experience. I more so care that the packaging matches the price. If i'm paying the premiem, packaging should not be an after thought. The meteor was probably one of my favorite IEM's to recieve and open. Subtle black slip cover, no wasted space, well protected product.

Build Quality (5/5)
The IEM's and cable construction and presentation are fantastic. Small shell, attractive, low memory cable. Nozzle size is near perfect for the masses.


Sound (4/5)
Sound is subjective. I will do my best to provide an objective view based on Symphinium's tuning followed by my subjective impressions while listening to some of my favorite tracks to test the limitations and capabilioties of the Meteor.

Bass: Don't let the size of these puppies fool you. They provide an exciting experience that's both engaging and impactful. Based on the FR graph above, the bass boost extends slightly into the lower mids region providing both warmth and fullness.

Mids: The Meteors mids are full bodied. Vocals have a forward presentation and sound natural. Instrument seperation and overal clarity is slighly muddied by this region but it works with the tuning.

Highs: The highs are tastefully tuned with great extension. It's honestly suprising how well the upper frequencies perform with the elevated bass of this IEM. Compared to other IEM's in this price bracket, the overall detail and clarity are a little sub par but I also dont think that was the overall goal for Symphonium.

Impressions (Source: lossless FLAC I DAP: Astell&Kern Sr35 I AMP: Normal I DAC: Quad I DAC Filter: Low Latency Fast
Animals As Leaders_Conflict Cartography - Well meshed presentation of this instrumental track. Sub bass is a little overwhelming but the instruments are all present and clear. Guitars come through a bit warm/ slightly muddy for my taste but Tosin and Javier are also rocking 8-string guitars so the bass boost of this IEM is going to inadvertantly affect the playback. Drums sound great. Kick drums rumble, cymbal and snare hits are clear and natural. I mean anything that can keep up with the insane versitility and complexity of drummer Matt Garstka's play style gets an A in my book. There is definity a lack of detail and nuance but this is also one of the most technical bands to ever exist.

PhaseOne x Erra_World Unknown - I typically use this song to evaluate bass and oh my does the Meteor deliver. The bass guitar in this track is prominent (by design) and can be clearly isolated, though it lacks texture. Vocals have a forward presentation and sound natural. There are a lot of 'tracks' in this mix and the meteor does a good job of pulling it all together and presenting it in a big way. Overall pleasing experience, but if I were to compare the same song on, lets say, the UM Mest MKII, its just not comparable. I know, an IEM that's 3x the cost, but I'm just clarifying though its great, its not quite TOTL for ME.

Rings of Saturn_Natrual Selection - This is fun. Insanely fast/ alternating tempos, harmonized arpeggio sweeps on the guitars. Instrument panning is fantastic. I do find myself having to elevate the volume a bit to capture all that's going on. Slight negative but its worth it...? Today at least. I'm honestly impressed by the precision and ability of the Meteors drivers.

Lorna Shore_Cursed to Die - Thanks to a masterful mix of this track, the Meteor has once again stepped up to the plate. Will Ramos's vocals sound incredibly devestating. Sonic guitar riffs, incomprehensively fast percussions. There are a few bass drops throughout the track where you can clearly notice a distortion in the volume but this song is freaking demanding and puts some of my $1k plus IEM's in the dirt.

Periphery_Luck As A Constant - Instrumental separation and tones are good... Like real good. You can guarantee an album is produced how the band intended when the lead guitarist and bassists are the ones mastering the tracks. Hats off to Misha Monsoor and Adam Getgood, seriously. Periphery has very distinct style with recognizable instrumental tones. The Meteor's elevated bass has a slight impact on the presentation, but not necessarily in a bad way. You'd have to be a pretty devoted fan to notice, but this is an example of the little niche things I listen for. You can faintly hear some of the background tracks and effects but not enough for me to want to evaluate a new Periphery album.


Conclusion
If your looking for a fun, U-shaped IEM, these are top-tier at this price bracket. I would recommend these to anyone looking to enjoy a more laidback, inoffensive listening experience. They are gorgeous, comfortable, can be worn for hours and have a warmer sound that is far from fatiguing. For me, they'll have a place in my collection for years. Will they be my daily driver? No. These miss the mark on a number of factors I crave during most of my critical listening sessions. BUT sometimes I just want to chill.. I want to listen to an album I know front to back and relax in the garage while I bust my knuckles on the engine case of my Harley because a seized bolt decided to let loose unexpectedly. Your experience with any piece of audio equipment should be important to YOU. Find what makes your experience fulfilling and forget about all the fat wallet, pretentious audiophiles telling you they know better. Take care and good luck friends \m/ (>.<) \m/

Being a reformed Gamer, I'm new to the hobby and haven't heard as many iems as others have heard. I've heard enough to get bored quickly with so many boring weirdly tuned iems that have massive base bloat, no resolution, and poor micro details. I heard good things about this iem, but it shocked me in the best way possible.
A friend told me one time you don't need to listen to an item for 100 hours with burn-in and patience. I have found that to be true with some iems as they get better over time and can sometimes disappoint. The Meteor is not that IEM. The meteor hits hard quickly right out of the box, with nothing to adjust to, get used to, or wait on mental or electric burn-in. Like a little rocket from space that comes in out of the blue, it's a fantastic IEM.


I bought this iem with my own money. My opinions are my own.
You can buy this at symphoniumaudio.com or on headphones.com. These are listed here for convenience only.

Product Features
Driver Crossover - Custom Tuned True 3-Way Crossover with PHAT Technology
Frequency Response - 12Hz - 21kHz, ± 3 dB
Sensitivity - 111dB/Vrms @ 1 kHz
Impedance - 9.7 Ohms @ 1 kHz
Socket - Spring Loaded 0.78mm 2-Pin
Cable - 26 AWG OCC Copper
Cable Impedance - 0.18 Ohms (3.5mm), 0.17 Ohms (4.4mm)
Song Choice: Tidal list here:
All of my music sounds good on this. Not lean but rich and full, natural and lifelike.
I listen to a wide variety of music. I pick the songs because of various reasons. But I picture myself locked away like Andy Dufresne from Shawshank blasting music and shut off from the world. It’s a blissful image.
The Marriage of Figaro -The opera song from Shawshank Redemption, terrible recording but fun and gets me in the mood to listen to music.
O mio Babino caro -This is a modern less operatic version but a song with great female vocals.
Video Rigoletto - “La donna e mobile” Sung by one of the three Tenors, great song for high-performing male vocals. Pavarotti is the greatest classic singer maybe ever. Fight me!
Iron man - The sound at the beginning is hard to make sound great, great drums, and cymbals, and if done right it feels like an old-school band.
I Will Survive (1981 recording, I like her voice, and the old vocals, the drums, and various natural instruments really make this a favorite for me.
There is a light That never goes out - Smiths ( A classic, I just love it. It’s mellow, and I can tell a lot of the tuning if this song is done right.)
Jump (I like how the sound effects are in this!)
Star Child Someone recommended this song to me, and I like how funky it sounds and has nice vocals and a mix of music and things going on.
Dicke Titten Ramstein The beginning is amazing and the bass hits hard. Great song. I love rock and metal. The German language fascinates me
Master of Puppets: Very fast song. Helps me determine if the driver can keep up.

Shell: The shell is very small and fits great in my ear. I want to take a moment and share with you a few of the nozzles of my iems. You can see that the Meteor is seemingly small and unique looking compared to the Dioko to the left and the Dusk to the Right. I find it beautiful and easy to fit in my ears. While not a small man, I don't find myself enjoying large iems as they add additional pressure to my ears. It's like my kid sitting on my lap, I can handle it for a while, but it's not enjoyable. The shell adds value to the iem for me and I really like the way it fits and feels on long listening sessions.


Case: The case for this iem is very unique, it has two parts. The outer box is made of leather with a red interior. It's funny, the box of the iem is small, like extremely small and inside it has this beautiful black box with red felt and the orange case as well with grey foam on the inside. I like the touch, it doesn't feel cheap but feels right and rich. It feels like a premium experience but unique and different, just like the sound.




Cable- I really like this cable. It's better than a Truthear Hola Cable, and one of the nicer cables that I've ever dealt with. If I had to give it a value I'd value it at nearly 80 dollars. It has a slight shimmer and feels nice on the skin.
The ear hooks are clearly labeled L or R.

Slight note, there was an awesome black cable with red and blue markings for left and right pictured in some views of the meteor. That cable doesn’t come with the meteor and was a launch special. It can be bought from Symposium directly and does look amazing.


Tip Selection: The tip selections are fair and strong for an iem of this price. But where even the Truthear Hola at 19 dollars gives you multiple sets of tips this does feel slightly underwhelming for 600 dollars.

Comparisons:
In this section, I'll quickly compare the Symponium Meteor IEMs and a headphone in its price bracket.

Symponium Meteor VS. Blessing 2 Dusk
Overall Tuning: Tied
Details: Symponium Meteor

Symponium Meteor VS. Thieaudio Oracle MK II
Overall Tuning: Symponium Meteor
Details: Tied

Symponium Meteor VS. Hifiman Edition XS
Overall Tuning: Symposium Meteor
Details: Symponium Meteor

I don't have much at the exact price bracket to compare it to, but I'll do my best here. The Meteor is tuned as well as the Dusk for me and hits me in the feels, but the Meteor has great details that I really enjoy. Theaudio Oracle MKII has just the same details for me, but the tuning on the Meteor is just amazing.

Value: I feel it justifies its value at $600 dollars, but it is a challenging market with many iems coming into it. I would definitely look into the tuning before you blind buy this iem. I am a fan of a strong base with my music and I feel it sounds better for me. Classical voices sound rich and supported, instead of airy and light.
Graph: This graph is brought to you by Super Reviews. I highly recommend his channel for those who have not seen him, it's fun, silly, and a good time.



Bass
The Meteor slaps, it's strong and fun in the base. It's weird, it's a little bit lower than the Legato, it's able to be more resolving and sounds more full than the Legato. The Legato does suffer from some light mud in the midbase, but the Meteor seems to avoid that. The midrange is clear and nothing takes adjustment to get used to, but it sounds right and vibrant. (Brought to you by HBB)

Midrange
The midrange of the Meteor is full and sounds really full and dynamic and has details that make it feel crisp in movies and podcasts. It's full and has a good implementation that makes this iem really nice.

Treble
The treble is tame in this set, and everything sounds good in the sparkle region being extremely natural.
Recommended EQ: I think the iem is a little less harsh with EQ and sounds a bit smooth. I recommend a -2 DB in the 32 Hz region, -2 HZ in the 64 Hz region, and -2 in the 125 Hz and -2 in the 250 Hz region. I don't think this iem requires EQ but it is nice.

Gifting/who is it for: This is a great iem for a spouse that needs a smaller ear iem, and something red and cool. It's beautiful and has an enjoyable presentation. It's base done right, and is overall a more fun experience.

The place in your Collection: This is a good daily driver, it does great with gaming, and movies, and is comfortable. I would recommend it for daily use. It’s unique and recognizable. I could see it as an end game iem for many, a fun punchy set for others. Strong piece, fun, and a high recommendation. (This is the meteor in a new device the Ifi Go Pod)



Pairing: I used a Quidelix 5k and a Topping DX1 dac through a SMSL SH-8s AMP. I don’t find the pairing to matter too much, but it certainly can. This iem is very easy to drive.

Summary
Thanks for reading. Any feedback is welcome. Today is a big day. I'm posting my list of preferred iems. I’ll post my preference list of amps/dacs, and headphones soon. It’s in process.

I'm planning on doing a Video review of Aful performer 5 and the Audeze MM-100 when they come in.

Overview:

Up for review today is the Symphonium Meteor. Symphonium is a relatively new player to the IEM game, and this is only their second IEM – the cheaper option at only $600 instead of $1k. That doesn’t mean it’s any less impressive than its bigger brother, just different. The Meteor uses a 4 BA driver setup. I personally think the Meteor is one of the best IEMs under $1k, especially for bass – but ymmv. On with the review!

Accessories/Earpads/Eartips (10/10):

The Meteor is an example of exactly what I want to see an IEM come with – at a bare minimum. Not only are there multiple ear tips, but there’s also a bag I’ll never use, but it looks cool, a box to hold everything, a foam-lined case inside the box for the IEMs and cable, a sticker, and a nice little note from the company. The stock ear tips are good, and so are the Spinfit W1s for this IEM. Everything matches the Meteor theme and is really nice. As always, I'm using my Spinfit W1 tips since they're the best I've found (You can buy them here if you want a set: https://amzn.to/3WDrNIk.)



Cable (8/10):

The cable that comes with this is OK. It’s clearly a decent 3.5mm copper cable, but it can get tangly and does have some memory retention. Those are the only downsides – it’s not the best stock cable and it’s nowhere near the worst, and definitely above average. That said, I preferred the Kinera Leyding’s balanced 4.4mm preferable to the stock cable. You can also get the cable now in 4.4mm, so that’s cool.

Build Quality/Comfort (10/10):

I really don’t like the color Red. However, I absolutely love the Meteor’s aesthetics. The tiny meteors on the faceplate just look amazing, though I wish they’d release a white version with tiny red meteors, or a black version with red meteors – that’d be even better. Nonetheless, the Meteor looks great and feels really durable.

Not only does it look cool, but the Meteor is also tiny, especially compared to its bigger brother. They fit quite easily in my ears and are very comfortable.

Sound:

Take a look at the squig.link below. You can clearly see how much bass these have compared to their mids. That’s one of the main claims of the Meteor – BASS. It does a good job of delivering on that promise, almost too much at times. Compared to the EJ07, the Meteor has more bass, and more recessed high-mids/low-highs. I am powering these from my Shanling M6 Ultra with the balanced jack at 45-50/100 volume – these are TOUGH to power compared to quite a few other IEMs.



Lows (15/20):

I’m starting off with the Mid-bass/Sub-bass test I’m using David Guetta’s “I’m Good (Blue).” To no one’s surprise, these are super bassy IEMs. The impact in the intro kicks REALLY hard with a tiny bit of bloat, but not a ton. The sub-bass roars in the background and almost blots out the sun mids. If you love bass/sub-bass, these are going to make you very happy at half the price of the MEST Mk2. They are bassy AF and it’s good quality bass too, not just quantity (but definitely quantity.) This is a 9/10 on the bass quality/quantity points (I’m trying to be more transparent on my scoring.)

Up next is Demon Hunter’s “I Am A Stone,” which I use to test whether the bass is too strong and overwhelms the mids as that is just as important as how strong/good the bass is. Yeah, unsurprisingly, the bass overwhelms the strings and vocals here. You can still hear them, but the bass is so strong that it is actually more to the forefront than the mids are, which is not my preference, but it may be yours. It’s not the worst I’ve heard (Kennerton), so about 5/10 points here.

Mids (14/20):

Weaving The Fate’s “The Fall” is my test song for clean/dirty guitars and vocals with background instruments to see how clearly the vocals can be heard. The intro guitars sound good - if a tad muddy. The distorted guitars sound pretty good, though quite muddy/distorted. The vocals sound really good here with a somewhat forward presentation, but the words are clear and don’t sound too far away in the soundstage. Overall, this is a solid presentation of this song, if not the best, and I appreciate the full-body feeling of the song on the Meteor. 4/6 points here.

Staind’s “Something to Remind You” has clean electric guitars and wonderful vocals – this song tests vocal quality and background noise. The song sounds really good - if a bit blurry/distorted. The Meteor is not the clearest IEM on the market, nor is it the most detailed. It is a nice warm-sounding IEM though and the bass guitar in the background can, of course, be clearly heard. I still really like how this sounds, though it won’t give me chills like the EJ07 did here. 6/7 points here.

To test classical instruments in the mids, I’m using The Piano Guys' “Code Name Vivaldi.” Of course, the bass-string instruments come in strongly in the intro. A little too strong, as they overwhelm the piano that ends up feeling very distant. There is some definite muddiness here with the lower instruments blurring together into a single sound instead of being separate. When the bass gets out of the way, the mids shine through quite nicely, though still with that fuzzy veil. Also, the piano can be quite good when given the chance to shine. 4/7 points here

Highs (16/20):

To test sibilance on headphones I use Panic! At The Disco’s “High Hopes. The Meteor somehow avoids most of the sibilance on this song – there is still some, but it’s surprisingly muted. The song itself also sounds more full than it does on the EJ07. Due to the amount of sibilance here, the Meteor earns 4/6 points here.

Dream Theater’s “The Alien,” is the highs test song I use to see if the cymbals/high-hats/snare drum can be clearly heard and distinguished from the rest of the music (also good for instrument separation.) The Meteor does surprisingly well here considering how bassy it is. While not top-tier, you get a lot more cymbals and high-hat on these than you will on a lot of other headphones, including full-size headphones. 6/7 points here.

Michelle McLaughlin’s “Across The Burren” is another of my favorite highs/sharpness test songs as it can easily sound painful on some headphones. I’m expecting a little sharpness here, but really don’t get any until 0:38. Then, there is a little bit, but the overall presentation here is extremely well done and better than a lot of top-tier IEMs I’ve heard. 6/7 points here. An overall surprising rendition from the Meteor.

Soundstage/Instrument Separation/Imaging (6/10):

I use MGMT’s “Time to Pretend” to test soundstage, instrument separation, and imaging. The soundstage is pretty decent, but not mind-blowing. Instrument separation is somewhat mid-tier with more blending of instruments than I’d like, and imaging is just alright – you’re not getting a full 3D with these. 6/10 points here.

Comparisons:

I already wrote a comparison between this and the more expensive EJ07. The Meteor is solid competition for the EJ07 for $300 less (that said, I know people who have gotten the Meteor and hated it, so as usual, everyone has different tastes.) If you want more bass, more treble presence, and a bigger soundstage with more instrument separation and imaging than the EJ07, at the expense of clarity and detail, the Meteor is a better fit for you. You will get more bass bloat and lower bass quality with increased bass quantity and it will overwhelm the mids sometimes. The Meteor just comes across as more distorted than the EJ07, which is very clear. Also, the fit might not be for everyone since the nozzles are pretty small and it’s harder to get a good seal with the Meteor. You could also just get the Final A5000 if you want to pay half as much as the Meteor and don’t need the bass, or even the Truthear HEXA for only $80.



Conclusion:

This is my second pair of these and I recommended them to someone on Head-Fi as a good cheap-ish bass IEM. They hated it and preferred their Raptgo Hook X, so really, get them or don’t get them – I couldn’t care less (I don’t work for you, and I’ve made $0 reviewing stuff.) I like how they sound and I love how they look, and I don’t even like red. They have some fantastic bass if you love bass, just understand that they aren’t detail monsters and they have some fuzziness to them you won’t get on colder, more analytical, less fun IEMs. Know your preference and go with what you like!

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!