See Audio X Crinacle Yume: Midnight

Review Of The See Audio X Crinacle Yume: Midnight

Introduction​

See audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight is a collaboration project by See Audio with Crinacle. It is an upgrade or side grade( as See Audio is still selling the Yume) to the OG See Audio Yume. These IEM's are tuned by an IEM Reviewer and also a youtuber famously known as Crinacle. He is also known to have the largest database of frequency response graph of IEM's and headphones on his website www.crinacle.com. These are only available exclusively at HiFiGo website.

Link=>>https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-x-crinacle-yume-midnight-iems

Disclaimer​

*This is my own purchased unit, each and every thoughts below mentioned are my personal own thoughts and they are not fiddled with any outside influences.
*I do not own or have heard the OG Yume, so these are reviewed on their performance.
*I will be comparing these with my own personal favorite TRI Starsea and 7HZ Timeless.
*I will be referring to these IEMs to as 'Midnight' for the rest of the review.
*And at last I will only be reviewing the Midnight on the basis of their performance, I do not care what these are made of or packaged with when newly purchased unless it affects the sound in any sense what so ever.

Specifications​

Midnight are a three driver configuration driver setup. Two Knowles custom-tuned balanced armature drivers and one 9.2mm liquid-silicone diaphragm dynamic driver .The custom tuned BAs are producing and handling High and mid range frequencies where the dynamic driver producing low frequencies. These have an impendence of 32 ohms and sensitivity of 106db. The frequency response is from 20Hz to 20kHz.

Sound​

These sound more like Harminish-neutral, these have neutral with bass boost sound signature. The emphasis is on the sub bass rather than the mid bass. Both treble and bass extension is good, being the sub bass clean and deep and the treble although being soft, they are forward and their presence is well extended, especially the vocals. The dynamic range is really large while persisting dense notes.

Treble​

The treble is really well done on the midnight, they are crispy bright and lively. Vocals shines quite bright in these region, especially the layering and stage is much better if compared to the TRI Starsea. But Timeless have much better imaging and resolution. Although being more shouty and sibilant than the TRI Starsea, I found they sounded more leaner but cleaner. The female vocals are dense and are more intimate than the Timeless and better in all over performance than the TRI Starsea. Midnight do have tonal advantage over the Timeless. In instances where there is a lot of happening in the treble, the vocals are messed up by the cymbal crashes, here is where the timeless shines and out performs. Being the BA's producing the sound, while providing that air in the mix doesn't feel dry.

Mid Range​

The upper mid range is forward in the mix, bringing out more details , a defined stage presence than the TRI Starsea. On the other hand the technical aspects are much better on the timeless as the Timeless have much better stage and imaging. But coming back to the upper mid range the vocals of Midnight outperforms both in resolution and dynamics . Upper mid range could be a little bit hot on the midnight for some, But timeless is hotter if compared.
The lower mid range is eccentric and rich, notes are weighed dense and clear, the instruments shines with the vocals on the Midnight. The tonal pride, midnight takes on over the TRI Starsea and Timeless keeps it No.1. The vocals are a bit pulled back on the TRI Starsea than the midnight and keeping the instrument well defined although the Timeless is much better with overall aspects in this region. Timeless loses to midnight when it comes to the vocals but other than that they both feels the same.

Bass​

Like mentioned above these are tuned to a neutral with bass boost sound signature focusing more in the sub bass region, the mid bass is cleaner doesn't bleed into or bloat over the lower mids. keeping the lower mids clean. Although the warmth in this region is only felt in TRI Starsea. The bass pulls are more natural on the TRI Starsea, but on the other hand, the midnight have more spaces in between the instruments. The presentation is soft on the TRI Starsea. When compared to Timeless, the bass is poor. The lower vocal notes drowns in the mix whereas the midnights saves them especially female vocals. The presentation is fast and punchy but decay is better on the TRI Starsea and best on the Midnight. The sub bass on the Midnight s punchy, fast and controlled but doesn't feel fuller like the TRI Starsea produce, Yes the TRI Starsea is less resolving but feels more natural than the Midnight. Coming back to the Timeless although the bass is messy and bloated, the harmonic value doesn't get affected. In fact better than the Midnight.

Technical Performance​

Technically the Midnight outperforms every IEMs in it's price bracket except for the timeless if I had to exaggerate. To be honest the technical performance is just a level below the Timeless in my opinion. Obviously Midnight out resolves the TRI Starsea.

Soundstage, Sound Imaging & Separation​

The soundstage is average, the vocals are placed very nicely, the instruments have more of a 3D positioning and the sound is more left and right in presentation. The Midnight produce great separation in between instruments and the vocals and the imaging is quite good actually, easy to pin point where the sound of instruments and vocals are coming from. The layering doesn't affect the vocals or instruments, by which I meant that it doesn't sound any congested sound reproduction or any instrument tethering the sound of the other.

Speed & Resolution​

The midnight almost resolves the micro and macro details the best at this price point. The synergy between all three drivers outputs a great resolution with speed and sounding more realistic and more natural towards the attack and decay of the notes especially in the highs and the lows region.

Conclusion ​

The Midnight are magnificent in the vocals around $200, maybe even in $300 price category. The Bass is very well extended and controlled, being punchy rather than slamming in character. The treble sparkles and shines through out the mix, also complementing the vocals to the fullest. Overall a lively, energetic and beautiful sounding IEM.

Sources And Tracks Used​

Sources

Apple XS Max
LG G8X
Apple Dongle Dac
Shanling UA1 Pro
iFi HIPDAC
Apple Lossless
UAPP
Localy stored Flac and Wav Files

Tracks

Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman
Earth, Wind & Fire - September
Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
Boston - More Than A Feeling
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere(Remastered)
Toto - Africa
The Police - Every Breath You Take
George Benson - Affirmation
Daft Punk - Doin' It Right
Daft Punk - Derezzed
Daft Punk - Tron Legacy (End Titles)
GOJIRA - Amazonia
The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP
Fergie - Glamorous
50 Cent - In Da Club
Jay Z - Holy Grail
Erbes - Lies
Nitti Gritti - The Loud
Juelz - Inferno

This is a mini-review based on a brief test period of only a day, I explained more in the Timeless mini review here.

Intro…

The last mini review I posted was of the Fiio collaboration with Crinacle, the FHE: Eclipse (here). Today I am going to give my impressions on the other Crinacle collaboration that @antdroid has kindly loaned me, the SeeAudio Yume Midnight.

This is another set of 1x DD + 2x BA, as with the FHE, with a price that is a little higher than the Fiio option, but still not crazy expensive, coming in at under 200€

Presentation…

Once more, I can’t comment on the whole contents of the Midnight as they are on loan, but I will say that the box is huge, there is a rigid storage case included and what seems to be plenty of anime related stuff.

Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs are a very generic and comfortable shape, at least for me, with shells that are finished in a carbon fibre type style.

I don’t think they are anything special in this regard but they are not offensive and do not stand out from so many other options, except for a logo on one side and the name “midnight” on the other.

The cable is the simplest I have tried so far this week but it is also the lightest, something that I find a plus for my tastes.

Sound…

Starting with subbass, there is quite an elevation, very similar to the FHE Eclipse, which provides plenty of rumble in the lower registers when the track calls for it. In my opinion, the quantity is not excessive and fits my tastes quite well in this regard. I feel that it is enough for most people to be happy unless they are all out bass heads.

As with the Eclipse, the midbass is a little more than I would choose but it is decent and gives a nice warmth to the low end without becoming overly bloated or muddy, keeping the transition into the lower mids fairly clean. It is not something I would consider amazing in the bass range but it is a sound signature that should please most people, however, I do find it to be a little simple in this respect. I don’t find that the bass provides all the details that could be presented.

This is not really a complaint as such, I mean, it does handle the bass well, but when listening to things like Miller, Clarke & Wooten, the three bass guitars do seem to blend together a little, losing some of the separation that I would expect to hear.

The mid range is also similar to the Eclipse, at least until we hit the upper mids. This means that there is a slight recession in the mids, due to the overall V shaped tuning, making some vocals not stand out as much as I am used to on other sets.

The upper mids and lower treble is smoother on the Midnight than on the Eclipse, with less presence around the 3kHz mark, adding to the sensation of the vocals taking a step back. This is not bad but is not my preference as far as the presentation of vocals and mid range instruments are concerned.

The treble has good extension, better than what I am used to with IEMs in these price ranges, and I feel that there is a good sensation of air, however, I again feel that it is a little lacking in the separation of layers, even in these high ranges. Don’t get me wrong, the sound is by no means bad, just not really exciting.

The details are present but as with the bass, they do seem to blend together a little, making it seem a little boring on occasions. This is good for general relaxing and listening to music but if you want to focus on details, then I feel that other sets do it better.

Conclusion…

I don’t really have any complaints about the Midnight, but I am not really thrilled by them either. They are a good set of IEMs, they don’t really do anything wrong. They could be a little more exciting and they could do a better job of separating details, which I feel are there, just that they are not spaced out between themselves, making it a little more difficult to enjoy the nuances of certain instruments.

I feel that this set could make a lot of people very happy but I also feel that the Eclipse is similar enough to suit just as many people and comes in at a lower price. The extension of the treble is better on the Midnight but I think the Eclipse presents details in a better way.

Both sets are good for their price but I don’t feel that the extra cost of the Midnight is worth it over the Eclipse.

Just to not lose the habit, this is available in Spanish both on my blog here and on YouTube here

INTRODUCTION:

Midnight is the latest installment from See Audio. A brand that I always anticipate on their releases. I loved their Bravery and when this was announced, I had high expectations. It is Yume's improved variant, tuned by Crinacle.

Let me tell you a short story.

This unit was supposed to be a tour unit. It is my co-reviewer's personal unit, namely Eiji Romero. As it was my turn to review Midnight, an unfortunate event happened. As I have it with me on stage while performing, I accidentally broke its shell. On the left unit. A lot happens on stage, and it was a pure accident that the cable got tangled on my arms and it hit somewhere really hard. My friend was furious of course, and didn't talk to me for almost a month. I took full responsibility for replacing it, and this unit became my own. With a broken Midnight, I saved up money and paid around 30$ for its repair. On this part, I would like to vouch for the excellent work of INM audio by Matthew Marcelo. If you're a Filipino resident, and in need of IEM repair or reshelling, INM audio is the way to go.

Fortunately the drivers are still intact and only the shell was damaged. I just felt it would be a shame for it to go to waste. For what it's worth, this is my first See Audio IEM, and I'm quite satisfied and happy to have it added to my collection. Moving on…


DISCLAIMER:

My opinions here are completely my own. I am NOT in any way influenced by any form of incentive. This is purely my honest, subjective impressions and experience with the gear on hand. I cannot stress more that you should take this as a grain of salt for we have different perception to sound and what we hear. I always try my best to stick with the stock accessories that come with the gear by default. You are free to try other methods such as tip rolling or cable rolling. Below are worth noting before concluding on what I say here:

• DAP (digital audio player, be it phone, laptop, mobile, or stationary setup)
• DAC or dongle or any external amp
• Ear Tips
• Cables
• Source of audio file be it offline FLACS or streaming services like Deezer, Apple music, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the likes..
• Your playlist. It matters and is worth to be considered when reading from a reviewer's perspective. It is apparent that you get to know your favorite reviewer and what they are listening to leisurely and critically.

My reviews are more on how music sounds in my ears. The technical stuff like frequency graphs and the physics behind the tech and drivers used, I leave to other reviewers.


SPECIFICATIONS:

Configuration: 1DD + 2BA
Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: 106db
Freq response: 20hz - 20khz


PACKAGING:

This is my first IEM that has a "waifu" design. The box is rather large for the inclusions. Presentation is nice and good. Packaging includes the following.

• A pair of Midnight IEMs
• 3 pairs of ear tips for bass
• 2 pairs of rar tips for vocals
• Documents
• Cable
• Metallic case

Now let us dive into how Midnight sounds..

LOWS:

The lows here fall right in my alley. Mid bass is very humble yet offers a clean and quick sound. Sub bass is readily present if a track calls for it. Never felt bloated and overemphasized. Tracks from Stevie Wonder, Alan parsons, Doobie brothers sounded as neutral as it can. Kavinsky and Daft Punk tracks gave good sub-extension, and never lingered long to sound muddy. Based on the FR graph, I did expect a large amount of lows here but surprisingly, Midnight presented lows in a mature manner. I did test the original Yume and Midnight surpassed its predecessor here. Drum kicks sounded pretty punchy and bass guitars often are presented with grit and good attack.

Conclusively, the lows of Midnight appealed to me nicely. It didn't feel too much against my preference. It gave just the right amount of lows to me and quick enough to satisfy me on busy tracks.

MIDS:

Midrange, is very nicely done. It is not as forward as I want my mids to be, but it was not recessed to turn me off. Vocals, both male and female, are very natural and engaging. Eva Cassidy sounded very captivating and heartfelt in Fields of Gold. Just pure euphoria. Instruments such as rhodes, pianos, organs and especially synths sounded very lively, had good energy and were realistic. Same can be said to guitars, both acoustic and electric. Upper midrange never possessed any hint of sibilance or hotness. Drum snares are naturally presented and do not possess that unnatural BA timbre. Several tracks from Fleetwood Mac, especially guitars, sounded almost too perfect.

Conclusively, even though I prefer my mids a bit forward than the usual, Midnight did not leave me hanging in terms of midrange. Vocals, instruments, percussions were all presented naturally, realistically and with good density and weight. If you are a midcentric like me, Midnight's midrange is reason enough to grab this set.

TREBLES:

Trebles exhibit good clarity, transparency, and openness. A trait that can be considered a strength of Midnight. Cymbal strikes have grit and bite. Yet sibilance free nature. Never felt fatiguing to listen as well. Brass sections have that desirable shoutiness and impact from the likes of Earth wind and fire and Tower of power. I started in this hobby as treble sensitive but I go along, I have started a desire for a certain clarity in the trebles. Midnight nailed it. The extension is really commendable. A lot of micro details are audible due to this extension. Bells from orchestral tracks give an airy character which is really really a joy to listen to. Shouty tracks like Believe by Cher, Code Cool by Patricia Barber are tracks that are mixed brightly. Trebles were presented very nicely here and not even a hint of sibilance or even borderline is present. New new Orleans by Christian Scott, has a hot and shouty trumpet, but never did it feel piercing to my ears. Live albums also passed sibilance with flying colors as live albums tend to be more shouty and hot than studio tracks.

Conclusively the trebles here is one of the best treble reproduction I have experienced in an IEM. I must say the best among my drivers. The control here is superb and very impressive.

FIT & ISOLATION

Comfortability of wear is exceptional here. This was proven as I take Midnight with me all the time on my gigs. And for 3 hours every night, on my ears, did not give any discomfort and pain. Isolation is also very decent as it shuts off outside noise effectively. I did not find the need to tip roll, as the stock tips provided good fitting and I have no qualms on nozzle angle. It hugged my ears perfectly and I did not need to find right angles for optimum sound. In terms of comfortability, my T3plus is on par with Midnight, followed by the Idun Golden by Kinera.

TECHNICALITIES:

Okay now, I have my own hierarchy when it comes to technicalities. Below is how I have it according to my liking.

• Separation & layering
• Imaging
• Speed
• Resolution
• Sound stage

Separation here is decent but I think my Bqeyz Autumn offers a better job here than Midnight. Separation is very constructive for me as a musician hence, it is the first thing I look for in a gear I'm reviewing. Still, Midnight exhibits very decent separation and layering of instruments is quite good and nice. Instruments have a sense of individual space nonetheless. Change the World by Eric Clapton was presented rather well and the layering of instruments is very audible and noticeable.

Imaging is also very capable. Following instruments on their panning are very easy to follow and it is safe to say it's accurate and pinpoint most of the time.

Speed is somewhat quick and snappy but I have heard faster transients than this. Nonetheless, Midnight can cope up with some of my busy tracks from Dirty Loops. Didn't feel sluggish and slow thus kept me satisfied at all times.

Resolution is average. My Idun Golden reveals more elements by a small margin compared to Midnight. This is one more aspect that is constructive for me. Midnight performed well still but it could have been better.

Soundstage is somewhat, hmmmm similar to Bravery. If not a bit wider. We are talking IEMs here so to start with, the soundstage is not spectacular here. Midnight still gives an average head space, but did not take me to a WOW factor kind of level.


COMPARISONS:

To my ears, Midnight has a neutral character and for the sake of comparison, I would like to share my thoughts on how Midnight compares to Idun Golden.

• Midnight has more pronounced lows.
• Idun has thicker and weighty mids.
• Midnight has better treble extension.
• Idun has an edge on agility and speed.
• Imaging is a tad better with Idun.
• Separation is better with Idun.
• Midnight has better wear and comfortability.
• Idun is closer to a neutral signature.
• Midnight wins in versatility.
• Both scales well with more drive power.
• Idun is more resolving.

In a nutshell, this is what I can say between the two. I don't do many comparisons, as for me, IEMs have their own character and nature. Both leaning to mature listening, with a price difference of 30$. Idun retails at 170$ while Midnight at 200$.

SOURCES AND GEARS:

• LG V30 hifi dac (high impedance mode)
• Hiby Music player
• UAPP app (USB Audio Player Pro)
• Tidal Masters subscription
• offline FLACS
• Hidizs AP80 pro
• Deezer Hifi subscription
• Qobuz subscription service

Here are some tracks I usually listen to when reviewing:

That’s the way of the World by EWF
Africa by TOTO
The Girl in the Other Room by Diana Kral
Balmorhea album All is wild, All is Silent
Sila by Sud
Smooth Escape by D’Sound
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
Ain’t no Sunshine by Eva Cassidy
Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC
Another one bites the Dust by Queen
Good times bad times by Edie Brickell
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Ain’t it Fun by Paramore
Redefine by Incubus
Far Away by Nickelback
Lovesong by Adele
Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams
Love Bites by Def Leppard
No Such Thing by John Mayer
As by Stevie Wonder
Whip Appeal by Babyface
Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan
Futures by Prep
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Every Summertime by NIKI
SADE tracks
AC/DC tracks
Queen tracks


And many more… I always listen to High resolution format, being the least quality 16bit/44khz FLACS be it offline or online.

VERDICT:

Everything was done right here. Period. With Crin's input and See Audio's R&D, there is nothing to complain here. Leaning towards mature listeners rather than the consumer market, Midnight is a very versatile set. Everything sounded right, has adequate speed, natural tonality and timbre, capable technicalities and comfortability at its best. I love Midnight as I loved Bravery. Both have different approach in sound, Bravery is richer and lush, while Midnight is mature and humble.

I will keep this short and straight forward. You have 200$? Get Midnight. You won't regret it.

Catch you on the next one!!!

Foreword

1. This unit was provided by HiFiGo for review purposes
2. My Yume Midnight has undergone over 300 hours of playtime
3. I don't do measurements, I just describe what I hear, from my own POV
4. I don't use EQ
5. The entirety of my impressions was done with slow rebound foam tips
6. Ultimately, my reviews are purely subjective and biased to my personal preference in sound

Equipment Used

• Ovidius B1
• NotByVE Abigail
• NotByVE Avani
• Earmen Sparrow
• LG V50 ThinQ
• Sony Xperia X Compact (USB 2.0 host)
• HiBy Music Player (USB Exclusive Mode)
• FLAC Lossless Files
• iFi ZEN DAC V2 + ZEN Can

The Build

It is elegant as it is rugged looking, with lacquered carbon fiber outer shell faces. Simple decals on both sides. It is minimal, smooth and ergonomically comfortable to the touch. Housed inside, a hybrid setup of two custom Balanced Armatures and Liquid Silicone dynamic driver each side, rated at 32 Ohm, 106db of sensitivity. Meant to be highly efficient and easy to drive. The assembly complemented by a 2-pin 0.78mm setup. Accompanying the IEM itself, equally simple yet elegant 5N OCC Silver-Plated Copper Cable, finished in basic twist braid and terminated in Single Ended 3.5mm stereo jack. I have found the cable to be quite durable, my only complain perhaps the chin slider is a bit loose and will require constant adjustment. Chin slider is important, it provide a solid deterrent to microphonics due to cable movement.

As for the rest, Yume Midnight came with Waifu themed box, complete with two sets of silicone tips and a box. And some trivial goodies that seems to be a normal standard nowadays. I am a bit disappointed that Yume Midnight does not come with foam tips, I recall my SeeAudio Bravery had them included. My ears just will not work with silicone tips and for a manufacturer to ignore the needs of foam tips user, I think they can do better. Especially at this price point. But no biggie for me. I have a few stashes of foam tips in stock which was easily adapted to my Yume Midnight.

Sound Impressions


Dynamics, Tone & Timbre
SeeAudio Yume Midnight Crinacle appeared to my senses as a very mild Harman curve tuning meets neutral/natural sound curve. Not a surprise at all since Crinacle has been well known to favor this sort of sound signature. I said very mild Harman-ish because what I am hearing is something that edges closer to neutral territory. Less V, Less U curves. A bit more pronounced Mids and great deep lower frequencies elevation and extension. With matching high frequencies to complete the fusion of Harman-ish sound to neutral/natural experience. It is done so well; it amazes me for the great balance that would even impress a Diffused Field Neutral junkie that I am. So, I can imagine a V tune junkie would probably be similarly impressed with this sort of tuning.

Dynamic range is expansive as it is with proper density and note weight. Yume Midnight exhibited timbral balance that I would regard as organic and close to analogue bias. Most importantly, it never felt dry or overly colored. It depends on the sources as well. With natively bright tuned ESS Sabre DAC/Amps, I have observed that Yume Midnight will pick up some euphonic and pronounced attack within the upper Mids segment. With, more natural and neutral sources (normally AKM/Burrbrown DACs), the edginess is less pronounced. But all these, they are not something I would regard as Cons. It simply demonstrated how versatile Yume Midnight is.

There’s great coherence in dynamic transients. It is very clean as it is smooth. Great balance between smoothness and crispness. Too many I have observed, in the pursue of crispness, smoothness being sacrificed – but not Yume Midnight.

Mids
One of the first things that really clicked to my taste, from the first listen is how well presented Mids are on Yume Midnight. It has ample forwardness to the staging thus avoiding the recessed sensation as would normally observed with Harman based IEMs. No, it does not slap Mids right in the face, but the placement and intimacy level feel just about right. Tonal wise, Mids appeared neutral with good hint of organic touch to it. Never edgy nor dull. Even with “warm” sources, Mids will remain faithfully uncolored. There’s great texture and definition to make instruments sounding lively yet well controlled. Percussions, strings and even electronics sounded believable, conveying musical sensations with proper vibe.

Vocals wise, again Yume Midnight exhibited great neutral presentation. It does not matter male of female. The output exhibited the sort of sound faithful to the intended nuances of the recordings. Even with the normally super peaky Soprano of Alison Krauss, the edgy shrill crescendos of her vocals sounded realistic – no hint of being nasal. Similarly, with Sinne Eeg and Diana Krall, chesty and commanding – richly textured yet natural.

Ultimately, I am very impressed with Yume Midnight Mids. It has great balance and maturity to it. Proper smoothness and crispness highly evident here.

Treble
The general theme of Yume Midnight Treble, lots of focus on smoothness and subtle sparkle. It is not exactly bright or edgy, but Yume Midnight have tantalizing shimmer that teases the listener with near euphonic attack and decays. Which in turn making it difficult for Yume Midnight to be Treble sibilant – unless, subjected to usage on poorly mastered sources. Yume Midnight has good amount of transparency that it will reveal granular edges of these less than stellar recordings. There’s good amount of Treble details and texture to the overall upper frequencies’ presentation. Yet it appeared not as pronounced as some other IEMs that are tuned a bit more aggressively. Again, I will say Yume Midnight exhibited balance to keep it in harmony with the rest of the frequencies.

Bass
Perhaps the highlight of Yume Midnight, sumptuous and articulate Bass presentation – especially Sub-Bass. What I am hearing is a superbly orchestrated balance between Sub-Bass and Mid-Bass that complement each other in fluid harmony. I was mesmerized by the deep, engaging and smooth Bass transitions especially for stringed Bass performances. Most of the times, I have found that many IEMs exhibited tendency to be more dominant on Mid-Bass and slightly reserved on Sub-Bass. But Yume Midnight has that amazing resolution and texture to extend deep thus allowing Sub-Bass to appear and disperse with smooth attack and decays. Mid-Bass on the other hand, remained highly disciplined to not overwhelm lower Mids (which was why the Mids remained neutral). There’s speed, resolution, details and textures that I regard as very satisfying.

Technicalities
I must say that soundstage for Yume Midnight is average in width and expanse. It does have proper depth and height, with great spatial holographic imaging. I must admit, I wish there could be a bit more of space between layers, and thus would impart better sense of spaciousness. But perhaps this is also dependent on the nature of the driving sources.

Otherwise, separation lines are crispy clean and smooth. Easy to track individual passages of sound. Details well pronounced – Macro and Micro. The resolving prowess of Yume Midnight being equally great, as noted earlier how transparent it can be, revealing even the flaws of poorly recorded/mastered sources. The hallmark of a great IEM, Yume Midnight is as technically competent as it is musically adept.

Lastly, Yume Midnight also exhibited great speed and resolving power. No matter how complex of busy the tracks I thrown at it, Yume Midnight has shown deft and agile responses to avoid sounding compressed or congested. I guess the cohesion between the three drivers playing their part here in unified synergy to each other.

Scalability
Being super-efficient. Yume Midnight already performed amazing with 1 Vrms Dongles of Avani and Abigail. The overall presentation being rich, musical and technically satisfying. Subjecting Yume Midnight to higher powered devices does help to improve on headroom and staging. What’s more important, Yume Midnight does not buckle when subjected to these high-powered sources. For example, SeeAudio Bravery (another IEM that I love so much), will exhibit tendency to sound slightly edgy and perhaps even shouty when subjected to higher loudness. Yume Midnight fared better. And yes, Yume Midnight also sounds amazing with the phone out direct of LG V50 ThinQ.


Final Thoughts
By now it is evident that I am impressed with Yume Midnight for the overall performances delivered. It has great tonal balance to keep things proper. While not being a true neutral device, Yume Midnight was designed to please the senses with fun yet subtle mature performances. Teasing the listener with coy musical smoothness and technical crispness – not an easy thing to achieve. I can totally relate how Yume Midnight will appeal to both fans of neutral sound as it is with Harman faithfuls. Two things that I would regard as the X factor for Yume Midnight, #1 Yume Midnight has hit the sweet spot of balancing vibrant dynamics without sounding outright euphonic. #2 Yume Midnight has some of the best Bass performances I heard within this price segment. Those two alone sealed the deal for me, SeeAudio Yume Midnight is one hell of refined performer.

In the world of Chi-Fi, Crinacle has been at the forefront of "influencer"-manufacturer IEM collaborations. This all began, of course, with the well-acclaimed Fearless x Crinacle Dawn back in 2020 which built on an already-astounding IEM and improved its tuning while delivering at a more reasonable price point. Since then, Crinacle has then continued on to create several revisions of products from high-profile Chi-Fi brands such as Fearless, KZ, and FiiO. This brings us to the SeeAudio x Crinacle Yume Midnight, the latest of Crinacle's ventures into IEM collaborations. However, I had yet to try any of these IEMs, so when HiFiGo reached out and offered to loan one of their units for me to listen to, I couldn't refuse.



Physical Attributes

Included in the package was a carrying case, a generous set of silicone ear tips, a cable, and the IEMs themselves.

The Yume Midnight's enclosure is made up entirely of plastic, which felt like a bit of a cop-out for sub-$200 IEM when competing manufacturers with the likes of Moondrop offered with full-metal constructions for a fraction of the price. My opinion of this instantly changed upon putting them on. Compared to the Moondrop Starfields, they feel much lighter and significantly more comfortable in my ears. The fit was also perfect for my ear shape, providing excellent noise isolation from the outside environment.

The cable was a different story. At a first glance, it looked great; the silver-plated copper strips that lined its braid was beautiful. In practical use, it was stiff and its glossy coating stuck to all sorts of surfaces, reminding me of my horrendous experience with the cable included in the original Tin T4.

Tuning and Subjective Listening:

As I began to play music, right off the bat, I was immediately impressed by their layering and separation capability. Instruments and other intricate elements in the music were well spaced and easy to pick out. However, its soundstaging ability was nothing more than lacking. Its width and depth were easily outclassed by lower-cost IEMs. Nonetheless, it pulls back with its speed and dynamics which sounded just about appropriate for its price range. In terms of tuning, it sounded relatively Harmon-like with a hit of warmth to the lower end.

The Midnight is by no means a bassy IEM, but its low-end was thick and controlled. It offered a satisfying undertone to most of my music and refrained from disturbing other frequencies in the spectrum. All of this was achieved while maintaining an appropriate level of refinement and detail in the region.

The midrange is a bit of a mixed bag. Piano and violin tones sounded great, offering an outstanding sense of naturality and acoustic guitars were good but carried an ever so slightly metallic timbre. Its vocal performance was decent all around with the exception of a slight nasal characteristic which was notable in several tracks. This was not particularly pleasing, but nothing game-breaking.

Scaling up to higher frequencies, the Midnight retains a good level of extension while staying clear of any sort of sibilance. Its treble offered a tasteful amount of detail retrieval without being overbearing or fatiguing over long periods. Climbing higher up, its upper treble brought out the air and ambient intricacies, offering a fantastic listening experience for the more observant listener.

Conclusion

SeeAudio and Crinacle's Yume Midnight is everything you can expect from a well-oiled sub-$200 IEM. No, it may not be a complete game-changer, but it offers a gratifying listening experience with good tuning, very reasonable technical performance, and outstanding imaging and layering capabilities.

Thanks to HiFiGo for loaning the product to review. You can check out the SeeAudio x Crinacle Yume Midnight on HiFiGo's website: https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-x-crinacle-yume-midnight-iems.

Summary

Sound signature follows crinacle IEF neutral with generous amount of sub-bass boost, lesser lower treble and boosted upper treble which overall contribute to its wide staging. Unlike the OG Yume, Midnight is leaning more towards a U-shaped signature to add more dynamics and microdetails to the overall sound. Bass has enough definition, texture and speed. Additionally, instrument that lies on the lower frequencies are very well defined and free of fuzziness or bloat. Midrange on the other hand like Yume is also refined to perfection, however vocals on the Midnight are leaning towards a warmer tint compared to OG Yume neutral tone. Making male vocals weightier and lusher than the Yume, with the caveat of making female vocals lack the definition and clarity that the OG Yume has. Treble presentation is also carved carefully and there is enough energy at the brilliance region to add dimensionality to the sound. Microdetails and layering are very well present and instruments’ harmonics are well represented without any form of graininess to them. The guitars, piano keys and cymbals attack, death and little nuances are just laid out effortlessly in 360 degrees around my headspace

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Unlike the Yume which might be boring for some due to its neutral signature, Midnight is somehow the opposite of that, and people who love energetic signature may find the Midnight very acceptable for their taste. Midnight has this bite to the overall sound that makes it more engaging and open.

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For technicalities, staging, timbre, layering and imaging are very good for the price range, the soundstage is more spacious than the Yume, and the layering and imaging of the instruments are improved significantly. Separation is also improved as instrument has a more physical and nuanced feel on the stage.

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Disclaimer

• I like to thank Sir Eiji Z. R. for lending me the SeeAudio Yume: Midnight for review.
• Take my review with a lot of salt and always cross reference.
• This review will somehow be biased towards my taste in music and my target sound signature.
• As always, since our ears have different shapes and resonances, your mileage may always vary.
• You can check My IEM Rankings for better visualization and shortened comparison to my other IEMs.
• As always don't forget to take my review with salt and always cross reference

Preliminary

• I’ve used the Midnight for around two days, used different cheapo dongles as a source, and stock small tips.
• I tested the Midnight with stock cable and eartips, and with Abigail as the source.

My Specific Library
I mostly listen to this artists/group of artists, arranged from frequently to least played:

ShibayanRecords, Mitsukiyo, Nagi Yanagi, Yorushika, Kenshi Yonezu, Yoasobi, Ito Kashitaro, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Sawano Hiroyuki, ChouCho, Weaver, Turnover, The Script and Hoyo-Mix.

I also love to listen to symphonic tracks or tracks with relaxing/magical/nostalgic vibe to it.

My Target Sound Signature
My target sound signature is crinacle’s IEF neutral with sub-bass boost or Harman 2019 v2 with reduced upper mids gain. However, V-shaped or U-shaped will also work as long as there are sufficient technicalities. Congestion, bass bloat, and muddiness are a big no for me.

Equipment

• CX-31993
• Avani (ALC-5686)
• Abigail (CX-31993) “Main Source”
• LG V20
• Xiaomi Mi 4

Thy Frequency Spectrum

The Midnight sound is leaning more to a U-shaped signature and is more open sounding than the OG Yume. There’s also a substantial bass dynamics and instrument dimensionality in the Midnight while retaining the organic timbre of the OG Yume.

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Bass: 5/5
Midnight makes full use of the 9.2 mm liquid silicon diaphragm dynamic driver and new low frequency filter conversion technology (LFC) which contributes to its enthusiastic yet clean bass response. The sub-bass region is more prominent in the mix compared to the midbass, and there’s this satisfying rumble that works very well with bass guitars and cellos, the mid-bass also has a good punch and slam on every beat without covering the details in the midrange. Like the OG Yume, Midnight bass does not bleed into the midrange whatsoever, even if the track call for substantial amount of bass, instruments like lower keys pianos, cellos, and bass guitars has defined extensions and has on-point tonal weight. However, bass heads should be warried as the Midnight does not have the bloom or bass oomph; instead, what the Midnight offers is a clean, textured and accurate bass.

Midrange: 4.5/5
This region is somehow downgraded in my opinion (coming from the Yume), gone now is the nuanced, sparkly and transparent female vocals, it is now replaced with a somehow average female vocal presentation, like it lacks this tingling harmonics or transparency that female leads like Suis and Nagi Yanagi has, I don’t quite feel the vocals now in the Midnight compared to the Yume, which treats female vocals with perfect clarity and tone. Fortunately, male vocals remain weighty but they are a bit lusher than the Yume. Fundamentals of the strings, wind and percussion instrument are still nicely weighted and like the Yume sound tonally correct and accurate. Moreover, due to the dip around 4-5 kHz, vocals on the Midnight avoids going to the edge of shoutiness unlike the Yume (tested with Kyoumen no Nami - Yurika). Playing all of tracks in my library with the Midnight, I can quite confirm that they are also an all-rounder like the Yume but works wonders with genres like rock and indie.

Treble: 5/5
The Midnight's treble response is nearly identical to that of the original Yume, but with greater extensions, sparkle and dimensionality. Midnight retains this smooth, calm, relaxing treble presentation that the OG Yume has. However, to my ears, the lower treble of the Midnight is extra-soft; which makes electronics guitars sound a little muted or lacking the bite compared to other string instrument, aside from this nitpick, the treble region is quietly carved well, the boost in the upper treble also gives this dimensionality and separation to the instrument which also helps in microdetail retrieval which the OG Yume does not have.

Technicalities

• Like the Yume, Midnight coherency between the two balanced armatures and one dynamic driver is quite excellent, however I can quite hear a BA timbre in the female vocals specially alto types which the OG Yume does not exhibit.
• Soundstage is expansive and instruments has this nuanced physicality on the stage. Width and height are above average while depth is below average for the price.
• Separation and layering are also excellent considering the price. All instrument is properly separated and properly placed on the stage, I can’t detect any instance where an instrument smear into another instrument or vocals. Imaging is also very accurate; I can quite point out the specific sound bubbles on where the instrument lies on and they have this fixed position on the stage.
• Driver resolvability is also improved over the OG Yume, microdetails and microdetails are more audible than the Yume, and I can hear more nuances in the whole music compared to OG Yume while also retaining the natural feel to the attack and decay of notes.

Music Analysis

Kindly, click the title of the section to listen to the tracks

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1. Hamu Test “Multiple tracks arranged by Hamu” (Played in HibyMusic)

The tracks in this section, will test the IEM ability to naturally replay and stage musical instruments like piano, guitar, violin and drums. This section will also test imaging, detail retrieval and separation. So far, the only IEM I have that masterfully replay this section are Yume:Midnight and Heart Mirror with rating of Superb. Most of the tracks here also hates V-shaped IEMs.

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Yeap, another amazing replay by the Midnight just like the Yume. Layering and staging of the instruments are just open and feels so natural. Even if there’s a more significant bass on the Midnight macrodetails and microdetails are just retrieved wonderfully throughout all of my Hamu tracks, pianos, guitars and percussions have correct timbre and are very detailed, more detailed than the Yume. Little nuances or cues also pop in and out of my headspace quite nicely, which is such an eargasm…ngl. I can’t also detect any over sharpening or artificial tone to the instruments. Staging is also quite nice; all instrument feels like they are jamming around a small concert hall. The only thing that I don’t like with the Midnight is that the replay of the guitars is quite soft and lacking the bite compared to Yume.

Overall! Quite eargasmic and open sounding replay by the Midnight, excellent.

Replay Rating: Superb


2. The Clouds and the Ghost by Yorushika (Played in HibyMusic)

Female Vocals, Staging, Harmonics, Bass Response

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Do I even need to analyze in this song, Yume plays this quite perfectly and Midnight add more spice to the sound, like its more open sounding than the Yume, while still retaining the timbre of the Yume. I don’t even know what’s happening anymore…Again do I even need to analyze this song…. It’s just perfect, like all of the things I want in this song is just laid out properly with finesse and style. I don’t even know what to say anymore. If I have to nitpick, maybe Suis voice is a little bit metallic compared to the Yume? But aside from that the replay of this track is just perfect from top to bottom.
Also, I have to point out that microdetails are more audible in the Midnight compared to Yume.

Replay Rating: Superb


3. Daydream by Kenshi Yonezu (Played in HibyMusic)

Male Vocals, Staging, Imaging

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The portrayal of the starry night background at the start is organic and realistic, it sounds open and holographic. Kenshi's voice is lush, weighted, and accurate sounding, The cowbells and piano are also clean, transparent and detailed sounding. The bass…yeah the bass, it is just clean and tight, it just rumbles cleanly, excellent texturing and slam. Finally, microdetails magically appears on the wide soundstage like at 01:11 forward, the cowbell comes to be crisp and little nuances can be heard after the bell has rung. All of that happens even if the bass on this track is quite enthusiastic. Amazing replay overall.

Replay Rating: Superb

Comparison
ZEX Pro vs Midnight
Both IEMs follows the crinacle IEF neutral target very generously but one is unrefined and the other one polished and refined to the max. Yeah this isn’t a fair comparison and there’s already a clear winner with this comparison. But let me list what improvements does Midnight brings that makes it stand above the ZEX Pro. First is the timbre, even if the midrange and treble is handled by the balanced armature in the Midnight, the metallic tone that plagues ZEX Pro are non-existent with the Midnight, the midrange and treble are just smooth, organic sounding and free of any timbral inconsistencies unlike ZEX Pro. Midnight does not have the unrefined treble that ZEX Pro has. Once you wear the Midnight, the refinement you will hear will spread all over the place, from lowest bass lines up to the highest treble. Like think of ZEX Pro but without any of its issues in the treble and is also buffed to a T. Technicalities are also miles ahead with the Midnight, it has wider stage, clearer imaging, fantastic layering and top-notch detail retrieval compared to ZEX Pro. So yeap, if you are looking for an upgrade and you really like ZEX Pro signature but you hate EQ-ing and wanted a refined version of it, just save up and buy Midnight, it’s what you are looking for. However, this comparison becomes blur as we EQ ZEX Pro to a certain IEM (kindly check 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗗 section.) 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀

Heart Mirror vs Midnight
Again bye bye Heart Mirror, Midnight isn’t a real upgrade to the HM perse since it somehow has a different vocal presentation than the HM, and I much recommend you go with the Yume rather than Midnight if you like a refined HM signature. But let’s compare the two nonetheless. First, bass in the Midnight has more texture, punch and slam, while HM is a little shy when it comes to the bass region, it is still textured and clean. HM also lacks the refinement that Midnight has. Second, midrange, if you see my review of the Yume, my thought about Midnight is also the same, vocals in the Midnight are just accurate, lush and detailed, HM can’t even. However, the vocals are not bad in the HM, it got around 70-80% vocal quality of the Yume and Midnight. Lastly is the treble, HM treble is quite unrefined when compared side by side with the Midnight, there’s no comparison really, Midnight treble is miles better than the Heart Mirror, however Heart Mirror has this niche with the string instruments that Midnight does not have, like the strings with Heart Mirrors just sound crispy and detailed compared to Midnight softish dynamics with string instruments. If you like string instruments then yeah you can consider the Heart Mirror.

Midnight is clearly the winner here due to the technicalities and tonal balance, but Heart Mirror give off a good fight not gonna lie. 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀

Yume vs Midnight
Yeah, I don’t need to compare this two, Midnight is basically an improved and refined Yume, like everything in the Midnight is just miles ahead better than the Yume (while retaining the vocal clarity on the Yume), you may lose the breathy and nuanced vocals that Yume has but Midnight converts that niche to a much nicer and all-rounder sound signature plus it has wider stage… just buy the Midnight you don’t need more reason as to why. 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀


Wildcard Comparison
ZEX Pro Elysian EQ'ed (Asters) vs Midnight

EQs for the ZEX Pro can be downloaded here: ZEX Pro Equalization Sets

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Wondering why is this here? Cause in all honesty I can’t quite get the price increase when I compare the ZEX Pro and Midnight side by side, specially if you can just EQ the ZEX Pro to fix its issues. You might be thinking that I might be inhaling a lot of copium right now (maybe yes), but the EQ ZEX Pro just sounds better for my library and my ears, Midnight becomes boring and lifeless in comparison when the ZEX Pro has been EQ-ed out.

P.S I will call the ZEX Pro EQ’ed as Asters for easier identification.

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Bass:
Bass in Asters are much dynamic, punchy and tight, all instruments in the bass region just sounds dynamic, open and full of slam. Midnight in comparison is limpy and soft. It’s true that the bass in the Midnight is more accurate however, Aster bass just makes me wanna jam and ignore any analysis in the song, it makes me wanna bang my head, and that’s what important. Aster’s bass just make me lost in the music.

Midrange:
This region goes to Midnight undoubtedly, the refinement in this region is just in full throttle with the Midnight, all vocals sound correct and timbre is spot-on. Aster on the other hand is a little thin in the vocals, it is still full of nuances and details but not as lush sounding as the Midnight. For tracks that is focused on the vocals I’ll take the Midnight anytime.

Treble:
This is where the real “coping mechanism” starts. Ironically, I like the Asters' treble more, it is just more open, detailed and sparkly, guitars, cymbals and other high noted instrument just sound crispy compared to Midnight dull presentation of those instrument. The treble makes me wanna jam and ignore everything, that’s how good it is, plus the nuances are just on full-on throttle with the Aster, like everything in the music is hyperdetailed and the music just becomes more dynamic and wider. Midnight can’t even touch it, yeah Midnight is tonally correct, but I’d rather have a fun listen rather than to look for mistakes in my music like a grumpy old man.

Technicalities:
Soundstage goes to Asters, it is just wider and more open than the Midnight. Layering also goes to the Asters, the instruments are just cleanly separated within that wide soundstage. Timbre goes to Midnight of course. Staging goes to Aster, the placement of the instruments with the Aster are just top notch, like my hearing is being enhanced and buffed everytime I focus on a certain instrument. With that copium comparison out of the way. Aster wins, yeap you read that right

See my "coped" rankings here: Xeruskun Ratings

Tested Synergies
The Boring Synergy
(Avani + Midnight with stock cable and small eartips)
Excellent pairing, but the sound is warmer than the other sets. Vocals are also lusher and weightier in this synergy compared to the ones below. Like the effect with the Yume, this synergy also gives the Midnight vocals a nice breathiness and transparency. Vocal clarity are quite top notch in this synergy. Soundstage is unaffected in any way, still the same as the other synergies.

Details Enthusiasts
(Abigail + Midnight with stock cable and small eartips)
The most detailed synergy out of the two. Vocals are less nuanced, but instrument like guitars has more energy/bite at the top compared to the other sets. Soundstage is also unaffected, still wide and open.


Technical Aspects
Shown in this section are the frequency response of the DQ6s. The measurements are taken by a Dayton IMM-6 Mic with a DIY Tube Coupler, so assume that this measurements are not that accurate compared to the graphs released by the reviewers who have an IEC-711 coupler. Suggestions about this section are always welcome.

CSD Plot Parameters are based on this blog:
https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/tutorials/how-to-interpret-graphs/csdwaterfall-spectrum/​

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Recommend Tracks/Genres
All Genres

“Not that good” Tracks
None

Overall Rating
S+ (Relative to my IEMs) (Superseding Heart Mirror)
S (Relative to Price)
Highly Recommended!

Addendum
The Midnight will be my official best sounding IEM in my collection and will be used as reference for my later reviews. And of course, it will be placed right at the top of my ranking list. Additionally, as you can notice at the title “Asters' Long Awaited Gentle Harmony”, the long-awaited gentle harmony pertains to the sub-200 dollars sound that I wanted to try for a long time. Since, all of my reviews only revolve around KZ iems, I need a certain standard to further strengthen the reliability of my reviews. It is also a really informative experience for me to hear what higher priced gears has to offer.

To preface this review, I’m fairly new to HiFi, especially in the IEM space. I’ve been mostly an over-the-ear headphones user, but HiFiGo recently lent me this unit to test out. Note, however, that the following opinions are uninfluenced and my own. I'll also be referencing the Tin HiFi T3 Plus occasionally throughout the review, but be reminded of the $130 price difference between the two.

The Package & Build Quality

The package comes with five sets of silicone ear tips in five different sizes as well as a basic-looking hard case. The IEMs themselves feel alright considering the $200 price—nothing too exceptional. Personally not a big fan of the overall look but I do think the carbon fiber aesthetic is a nice touch. As for the cable, it’s decently thick and does not tangle; however, it’s too stiff which slightly tugs on the IEM, loosening their fit on your ear as you move. I'd recommend getting a more ergonomic cable, such as the one that comes with the T3 Plus.

Tuning & Sound Quality

Technicalities: The soundstage is just your typical IEM soundstage—in fact, I found it to be a bit smaller than what the T3 Plus had to offer. The way they image, layer, and separate instruments, however, is a whole different story perhaps due to the triple driver design. As someone who vastly prefers over-ears for their staging, these definitely didn’t disappoint. Detail retrieval was also good (partially thanks to the treble extension) and the dynamics were excellent.

Low-End: As previously mentioned, the low-end on the Yume Midnights are textured, present, and forward. Its sub-bass is well-extended, which coupled with good dynamics and slam, made genres such as hip hop and pop very fun to listen to. The mid-bass, on the other hand, is slightly elevated though not as boosted as the sub-bass, allowing the mid-bass to never overpower the midrange nor sound muddy. For comparison, the T3 Plus also had boosted bass, but due to the lackluster dynamics and imaging capabilities, they did not sound as enjoyable and seemed too warm.

Midrange: Despite the bass boost, the midrange never sounded recessed to me. The vocals are luscious and sound very pleasant, and instruments came out clear. I’d also say that the excellent presentation of the Midnights greatly helped the midrange, allowing it to separate well from the bass.

Treble: My only issue with the treble is the peak around 8K, making sibilants on certain tracks sound harsh at times. Otherwise, the treble is tuned pretty well with good extension, bringing out the air in vocals as well as the small details in tracks. As an active listener who likes picking out details, the separation/layering + extended treble made these a pleasure to listen to.

Conclusion

The Yume Midnights adhere to the IEF target with your typical sub-bass boost. Its treble is extended well beyond 10K, bringing out the air and sparkle in tracks. My only complaint would be the 8K sibilance peak, making the Midnights sound harsh at times. Though its soundstage is just average for an IEM, the way they image and layer make up for this.

I’d like to thank HiFiGo once again for sending this out for review! Feel free to check out the Yume Midnights on their website (not an affiliate link):
https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-x-crinacle-yume-midnight-iems

Hello , I'm Ah Hui aka Mr Wong. I'm a K-pop fan and audiophile from Malaysia.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Seeaudio for lending me this review unit and giving me the opportunity to review the Seeaudio midnight .
This is my third time reviewing a Seeaudio product .I am very excited as I have always have opportunity to try out their brands . It driver configuration is Two Custom-Tuned BA drivers and 1 Dynamic Driver with Liquid Silicone Diaphragm. .It's retails USD $199.99




PACKAGING :the packaging is great with an anime character as the mascot of the box. The unboxing experience is great too. Inside the box include some waifu sticker ,few eartips , earphone casing and IEM Itself

Comfort: Comfort is great. It fits securely in my ears and I dont feel any sort of fatigue after long hours .Isolation also decent ! I hear many people complain about the fitting but I don't have this problem .

Design : premium like design faceplate got seeaudio logo . Typical pseudo Custom-like IEM design ..

PRO:
sensitive of source can mention big different from any source .Mid-centric sound signature ,IEF target sounding ,natural timbre .

CONS:
boring sounding , sometime will feel fatigue when listen with UA2 . soundstage a bit narrow . might need to size down eartips in order to fit well .

BASS: punchy mids bass , layering sub bass , bass feel soft attack , Bass isn't too hard or aggressive. It has a softer attack to it which makes the bass balanced sounding , mid bass without bleeding . When I listen Weeekly - Afterschool I can feel the bass is punchy layering and feel soft attack . feel less bass but I think it's well controlled .

MIDS :balanced mids presentation with good natural presentation on vocal. Mid-centric but I don't feel any fatigue when listen .it's decent tuning by crinacle . When I listen Weeekly - Uni I can feel the mid is very be mention but it's not on forward side more like in centre . I don't feel any fatigue when listen long time session and it's natural presentation .

HIGH :treble feels here is well extended with decent timbre .you can mention 2khz to 4khz treble it is decently extended without any sibilance. When listening to IZ*ONE - Eyes ,you can hear its airy and natural sounding treble here . Overall, I truly enjoyed the treble performance here .SOUNDSTAGE : it is tall and deep but I don't feel it's wide enough When listening to Lovelyz - Rewind, I can feel the sense of space and the tall and deep soundstage .

IMAGING : i can pinpoint the instrument and the singer on stage .It has good stereo positioning . it's more 3D image more mention the layering . When I listen Modern Talking - Ribbons Of Blue you can mention the singer on your right ears and the instrument between your left and right ears .

Details : detail retrieval here is about decent When I listen to some tracks, I can pick up on the micro-details

Overall I really like this Seeaudio midnight . The sound quality it provides is truly impressive for me ! This is my first time listen to an IEM with this sort of tuning and I hope it wont be my last ! Great job Crinacle and Seeaudio .Hopefully in the future I will have the opportunity to review a Crinacle x SeeAudio IEM again .

disclaimer : This review done by stock M size eartips with Shanling UA2 .

interesting ? link product :
https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-x-crinacle-yume-midnight-iems

INTRODUCTION:

See Audio, the brand based out of China is a newly established brand but created its own image pretty soon in the ChiFi market with its initial product Yume. The Yume got a lot of responses from the consumers and also received negatives regarding their Yume. The brand listened and responded via their another product MIDNIGHT and now they have collaborated with Crinacle to do the job. Let’s check out how much improvement is done over the Yume in this review.



DISCLAIMER:

This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle. The whole observations are based on my experience with the product, pairings and sources hence it might differ from person to person.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Dynamic Driver with Liquid Silicone Diaphragm.

Two Custom-Tuned BA drivers.

Impedance: 32Ω.

Sensitivity: 106dB±1dB.

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz.

THD+N: ≤2%.

Isolation: 26dB.

Connector Type: 2-pin 0.78mm.

DESIGN AND FIT:

The design is as usual like the ChiFi in ear monitors hence the fit is pretty good. To achieve the nice fit, seal the tips need to be selected wisely and it does impact the sound output.

The whole construction is made out of resin and its quite sturdy and feels premium in the hands. The faceplate has a nice carbon fiber design giving that striking midnight look. The vent for the Dynamic driver is given in the top side of the earpiece and nozzle has good lips for securing the ear tips.

The earpiece has the 2 pin connector area hence the MMCX issues are not seen here. The provided stock cable looks very premium and the colour does give that nice contrast over the earpiece. The cable looks and feels nice in the hands. A bit stiff in the hands though but overall a very premium stock cable. The ear guides are soft enough to manage and metallic parts are used in the termination, splitter and connector areas. A nice plastic sheath is given over the cable to avoid microphonics.



SOUND:

The sound profile of the Midnight is more on a balanced side and now with that nice bass boost over their predecessor Yume which lacked in that aspect. The treble has been brought down a bit to give that pleasant non-fatiguing listening session. Let’s talk about the sound in detail...

LOW END:

Coming to the bass, it's very controlled, matured and the most liked fact is that the sub bass here is more emphasized than the mid bass. The sub bass is sweetly done where the reach and the rumble is satisfyingly done without any sort of compression. I like the rumble it created and gives that nice 3D bass presentation. The bass appears like coming out of a big space creating a nice ethereal environment (vibrating serene) and it's definitely a big improvement over the last product.

The mid bass is less when compared to the sub bass but that gives that nice track clarity and neat separation overall. The mid bass is rather not lean too where they are at adequate stage giving that nice fuller sound overall yet avoiding that mid bass bleed and the bloom which makes the vocals more fuller and thicker making them masked out.

The bass overall feels adequate in fastness where they are not too fast making them too subtle in bass response where they are at adequate space. The bass being a well matured one has that excellent control, texture, separation and clarity overall. A nice thumpy yet clean bass response.

1. Pollatha Ulagathiley – SEAN Roldan
2. Murphy’s Law – Recondite

MID RANGE:

The mid range is another star show here and just follows the same trait as that of the Yume! The vocal presentation and the instruments are brought out really well without any noticeable hindrance. The recession is not that heavily seen where they feel nice and forward in presentation. The vocal has nice richness to it carried along from the bass response giving a nice fuller sounding experience.

Tonality is pretty good considering the hybrid setup but the timbre is quite off. The BA timbre can be felt immediately after the initial listen but that's the biggest issue that every BA presented IEM faces. The tone appears slightly metallic and brighter which is quite manageable since this is not that greatly evident as that of many other hybrids out there but still it's there. Overall after some period of listening one will get easily used to it.



The track separation, clarity, layering are however nicely done. The staging being wide enough gives adequate space for the instrument placement hence the layering feels pretty good here. The piano notes and the kick drums have a nice attack to them and every note of the instruments are brought out really well with a nice weight presence.

1. Perfect – Ed Sheeran
2. Levitating – Dua Lipa

TREBLE:

The treble is tuned well here and it is less emphasized than the predecessor yume. The treble is now much more smoother, calmer yet brings out all those clarity, airiness, detail and spaciousness.

In the yume the treble was slightly sharper making the longer listening sessions a pretty uncomfortable but the Midnight solves that issue by making the treble a more calmer and smoother in presentation.

The upper midrange and the treble has been toned down to give that longer pleasant listen but also surprised by the fact that the clarity, airiness and spaciousness remains the same without any loss in that aspect!

The presentation feels nice and spacious with nice cymbal crashes and electric guitar strings that have that nice attack and splash. The shimmer and the brilliance is controlled and they are not explicitly shown out like the Yume. The brightness is adequate and I like it a lot but treble heads out there will be in need of more treble energy. The energetic response is more than adequate for me and even though the treble seems composed they don’t have that darker background which is pretty impressive.

The timbres, as I mentioned before, are artificial and have that BA characteristic. The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar strings, trumpets have that bright and metallic tone. No sort of sibilance is observed during my listening sessions.

Overall the treble feels pretty great and for me this is definitely a great improvement over the Yume. Now they are tuned well composed, calmer yet not compromising on the clarity, airiness, openness and well separated, detailed sound. The timbre could have been better but yeah considering its a Hybrid setup they have done their part very nicely.

1. Jack Of Speed – Steely Dan
2. Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits

TECHNICALITIES:

STAGING: The staging is pretty good here where they are adequate in terms of width and height. They are not the widest but not the most intimate either. The whole presentation feels well separated and grand enough to provide a big sound. The depth is pretty immersive here due to that nice sub bass presence and bass overall.

IMAGING: The layering and imaging are pretty good here considering the bass it pounds out. The mid bass being very clean didn't affect the imaging and hence the imaging feels clear and not hazed out. The instruments are placed well in positions and can be easily spotted out even in complex tracks without any issues.

Detail Retrieval and Separation are above average but still not the good tier especially the detail retrieval. They could have been better but since the treble has been calmed out they cant express themselves in that area. Still the technicalities are solid in this pair.

VERDICT:

Midnight, the latest offering from the house of SEE AUDIO is a well rounded package and a great improvement over the YUME. Yume has its disadvantages like the bass response being too low and the treble and upper midrange being slightly brighter, the brand saw those comments and their solution and answer is the MIDNIGHT!

Of Course they cleared all the issues now by collaborating with the highly renowned audio reviewer Crinacle. Now the audio has been returned to give a nice appealing sound overall with nice sub bass emphasis giving that nice satisfying rumble in the low end. The mid bass is adequate thus providing that nice fuller bodied sound. The midrange retains that forward presentation of vocals and instruments but with that disappointing BA timbre. The treble is done nicely now with more soother tuning and it now sounds more composed yet not compromising on the openness, airiness and clarity.

The technicalities are pretty good but it could have been better especially the detail retrieval. The staging, imaging and layering are pretty good and nothing to complain about. The timbre could have been better but this is the case with most of the hybrid setups out there.

They are designed well and do have that colour following that naming scheme. They are comfortable to wear, one of the best stock cables and the usual nice solid storage case! Overall the Midnight sounds great and an excellent package overall with a nice set of accessories. Midnight being the darkest in the name does really shine in the sound and this should have been released instead of the Yume in the first place! Cause this is definitely a much IMPROVED YUME in simple terms!

In recent times, Crinacle has partnered with multiple brands including KZ, Moondrop, and FiiO with its tuning suggestions. See Audio announced their collaboration with Crinacle at the beginning of this year with the revelation of SeeAudio X Crinacle Yume Midnight, in brand’s words a Yume taken to another level. I guess we all are familiar with See Audio Yume, the debutant IEM for See Audio in the international market. Crinacle and See Audio has worked closely in adjusting the tuning profile of the triple driver hybrid Yume and designing the all-new Yume Midnight.



It is actually a three-way collaboration with HiFiGo as the official selling partner worldwide for the Yume Midnight. As per the official information from the brand, they have kept the driver config the same but brought some adjustments in the internal cavity structure and also given a new tuning to the Yume Midnight allowing it to produce an improved listening experience for the user. I got a unit to audition the Yume Midnight courtesy of a review tour being organized by HiFiGo. I have spent a good time with the pair, Today I am sharing my personal impressions on the same. Let’s begin before wasting any more time.

Disclaimer:
This unit was provided to me by HiFiGo for the purpose of this review. I assure you all thoughts in this review are only my own based on my own experience with the pair. You can check out technical details and purchase the Yume Midnight from the HiFiGo website link below:
https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-x-crinacle-yume-midnight-iems



Build:
While the OG Yume had a colorful and fun look, the new Yume Midnight looks more stealthy with its carbon fiber faceplates. The cavities here are made up of solid resin material same as that of the OG Yume but they now have a better fit thanks to the new ergonomic shape of the cavities. If you have used or tried the OG Yume, you must be familiar with its pointed design, which killed the fit for many users with that pointed design. The cavities have a unibody resin mold with a metallic nozzle. On one side we have the See Audio branding and on the other, we have the Midnight branding printed on the faceplates. The only Crinacle branding on the cavities is at the inner side close to the nozzle. I would say, the Yume Midnight looks really good to the eye with its rich carbon fiber faceplates.
The shells are lightweight and comfortable. They have an average-sized nozzle that doesn’t disturb fit by any means. I get a perfectly comfortable fit with the pair. I am pretty sure with the Yume Midnight most users will experience a comfy listening experience.

I like the included two-pin cable too. It has a rich build with a soft insulated cover and metallic shielding on the connectors. From the technical specs page of Yume Midnight, this is a high-purity silver-plated OCC copper cable.



Power Requirements:
The Yume Midnight runs well off any source you might offer it, be it a smartphone or a decent enough DAC/AMP. I used it with my Shanling M6 (AK4495EQ) music player.

Sound:
See Audio Yume Midnight sounds identical to the OG Yume with a smooth and forward presentation. Vocals take the limelight here with a rich tone and good clarity to them. They sound forward and close to the listener. The main difference I notice with the new Yume Midnight over the OG Yume would be its improved lower-end response. The lower end has not got a better punch and a clean texture. Earlier with the OG Yume, I felt the pair to have a flatter bass response, but with Midnight they have now rectified that issue. Treble sounds relaxed and inoffensive. It lacks sparkle and energy to my preference and sounds way too smooth. Extension in the treble region is also improved over the previous model.

The lower end produces a fast and punchy response that complements the other frequencies well. It has got a quick decay and precise drops, good enough to create a balance in the sound now. If there was a bit more quantity added to the lower end, the sound would lean towards the fun side rather than a balanced one. I don’t find the bass to lack any bit, it has got a good extension, it has got clean texture, it has got good rumble, but all in a balanced manner. The pair doesn’t emphasize the lower end, still, the emphasis is mainly on the midrange.



Yume Midnight still remains true to the sound of the Yume with its mesmerizing midrange. The vocals are clean and detailed, they are forward but not intimate. It’s good to hear such beautiful vocals, reminds me of the OG Yume. They sound slightly warmer than natural but often have that BA timbre to them, although they hook you with their crisp clarity every single time. The midrange has got good amounts of air to present different instruments on the stage in a clean manner. They don’t sound congested or lean by any means.

The Treble region is relaxed, actually too relaxed for my taste. It has good details, air, and clarity for instruments but lacks the sparkle I look for in an IEM. Though I must say, the treble region has got good extensions.



The soundstage has got good width here, it’s neither super wide, nor it is intimate, but it is wide enough to create a big area presentation in our head. It has also got good depth to it, although it isn’t tall much. Imaging and Layering with the Yume Midnight are good.


A Short Comparison Against See Audio Anou(OG Yume):
For all those who don’t know, See Audio Yume(OG) was known as Anou in China. I got to audition the Anou before the release of Yume in the international market courtesy of a friend. It was a good set but as I mentioned before in this review had a flatter bass response. I personally think See Audio has now improved that part with the Yume Midnight, although I would love if they have added a bit of sparkle and energy to the treble region here. Though there are better extensions in the treble region here with the newer Yume. It has also got better width to the stage, Depth and Height are identical to the OG model. Looks are pretty evident, OG Yume had a colorful shell design, the Midnight looks stealthy with carbon fiber faceplates.



For my reviews on OG Yume, you may read at:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/see-audio-yume-anou.24866/reviews
https://theaudiocollector.blogspot.com/2021/02/seeaudio-anou-new-vision-for-music.html

Final Words About SeeAudio X Crinacle Yume Midnight:

SeeAudio X Crinacle Yume Midnight is my first experience with the Crinacle tuning profile(I have heard the ZEX Pro, but talking about mid-fi price here). I can say it hits right at some points like a properly balanced not overpowering bass response, absolutely blissful midrange, and a smooth inoffensive treble. The only con that I can put up here would be the lack of sparkle in the treble region but that’s my personal preference. If you want an IEM for a relaxing session or smooth listening, the Yume Midnight at 200$ is a great set.

See Audio started 2022 with its latest collaboration with Crinacle at the beginning of this year with their latest Yume Midnight. Well, both See Audio and Crinacle need no introduction in the industry, See Audio has given us some tastefully done IEMs like the Yume, the Bravery, and more, and Crinacle is a widely renowned HiFi audio gear reviewer who has recently partnered with multiple brands for different IEMs including the CRN by KZ, Eclipse by FiiO, B2 Dusk by Moondrop, and now this Yume Midnight by See Audio. The project Yume(Yume Midnight) is exclusive to HiFiGo, priced at 199.99$ just a slight bit premium over the original Yume price(169.00$). Background story tells us, Crinacle gave its tuning suggestions to See Audio upon the launch of Yume laying the foundation of this project Midnight. While keeping the same 1DD+2BA driver config, the new Yume Midnight was born. I had the pleasure to listen to the OG See Audio Anou(Yume before its international release), it was an absolute favorite set of mine, an ideal pair for relaxing listening sessions. Now, I got the chance to audition the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight courtesy of a review tour organized by See Audio. Today, I will be putting up my impressions in the form of this blog, so without any further ado let’s begin.

Disclaimer:-

I have received the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight courtesy of a review tour organized by See Audio. I am in no way affiliated or paid by them to affect my review in any way. All impressions in this blog are completely my own based on my own usage with the pair. If you are interested, you can buy the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight from their exclusive selling partner HiFiGo from here.

Build Quality & Design:-

We lost the package of Yume Midnight courtesy of our custom departments lol. The package was torn upon receiving. But luckily the contents of the package were perfectly secured and safe. So, I received the IEMs with their stock cable and a few pairs of silicone ear tips. The pair has solid resin cavities with a metallic nozzle and carbon fiber face covers. The best part here is that the pointed shape design of the OG Yume shells is now rectified. Now the pair has an ergonomic shape similar to that of the Bravery by See Audio. The right cavity has MIDNIGHT written at the corner on the faceplate while on the left we have SeeAudio’s branding logo at the center. There’s SeeAudio X Crinacle printed on both the ear shells near the nozzle. At the top, we have two-pin connectors along with a pressure vent. The cavities have a unibody design with just a joint at the nozzle that is metallic here. The carbon fiber faceplates here are reflective, they add elegance to the Yume Midnight design. OG Yume had more fun and colorful look, the new Yume Midnight looks more classy and elegant.

The cable here is a high-quality silver-plated OCC copper cable. It is soft and doesn’t get tangled often. The connectors, termination plug, and Y-Splitter have chrome metallic shielding. Cable look and feel is good, it serves well with the pair. Other accessories include a metallic case identical to the one with the OG Yume and Bravery.

Fit & Isolation:-

See Audio has kept an ergonomic and lightweight design for the ear shells of Yume Midnight. The pair provides a comfortable and firm fit for me. IMO Yume Midnight has a better fit compared to the OG model. The reason behind this is because the OG Yume had a pointed design, that gave me issues. But the new Yume Midnight has got smoothened edges similar to their recently launched Bravery IEM shells. If you look closely the design of the Yume Midnight is low-profile same as with the Bravery. With the right-sized ear tip, isolation is also good. I use S/M sized stock ear tips, they serve me well with a comfortable listening experience allowing me to use the pair for long hours.

Powering The See Audio Yume Midnight:-

Yume Midnight is an efficient pair of IEMs with low 32Ω impedance and high 106dB sensitivity ratings. It doesn’t require or take a lot of juice from any source. Even if you have a regular smartphone with a 3.5mm headphone output like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro that I have, the Yume Midnight works perfectly fine. For the purpose of this review, I used the pair with my Redmi Note 10 Pro and My DAP Astell&Kern SE100. While the sound with my phone was completely acceptable, it gets improved with better extension in the lower-end, a bit of sub-bass boost, and better detail retrieval with my SE100.

See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight Sound Impressions:-

Before I begin to tell you about the sound of the latest Yume Midnight, I would like to tell you people, I absolutely adored the OG Yume. I loved the lovely midrange and the smooth treble response of that IEM. But one thing it lacked and that was a decent punch in the lower end. It made the instruments such as Bass Guitar, Piano, Cello, and more similar to lack a heft or weight to their tones. With the Yume Midnight, I was expecting See Audio to rectify that. And with all honesty, they did it. The latest Yume Midnight has got a better punch in the lower end. It’s not just for the punch but the lower end also has better texture here. I wouldn’t say it puts emphasis on the lower end, but the presence in the bass can be felt better here with the new Yume Midnight.

See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight has a balanced sound tuning with a hint of warmth to the output. The pair maintains good resolution throughout the frequency range with the main focus on lovely, lush vocals placed right in front of the listener. I personally love the vocals of the Yume Midnight, they sound crisp, they are nicely detailed, they retain good texture of the vocalist for both male and female vocals. Treble is more or less similar to the OG Yume, it is smooth, it is relaxed, it has a good airy presentation. Personally, I liked that we have got a better, punchier bass response here. Now on to different segments of the frequency range.

Bass/Lower-End:-

Yume Midnight makes good use of the dynamic driver with a punchy lower-end response. I find the sub-bass to have a better presence here than the mid-bass region. This is actually what I prefer too, I like the sub-bass rumble while Mid-bass surprises us with a good punch at every single beat. The pair has a tightly controlled lower-end response, I don’t hear it going loose or leaking into the lower mids. And with its improved extensions, we also get better tonal weight for instruments such as Piano, Cello, and Bass Guitars. But don’t expect an overly punchy, or thunderous bass response with the Yume Midnight, rather you get a clean, precise, and punchy lower end.

Midrange:-

For me, Midrange is where all the magic is with the Yume Midnight. The pair produces mesmerizing vocals, both male and female vocals sound crisp and detailed. They have a very slightly warm, smooth touch to them. There is a slight bit of BA Timbre present here in the mid and high-frequency regions. Midrange also has good amounts of air on the stage. Different instruments such as Acoustic Guitars, Pianos sound cleaner, notes have good separation and air between them. I will try to put this in simple words here, Midrange with the Yume Midnight is charming and beautiful. IMO midrange is Yume-Midnight’s strongest point.

Treble:-

Treble or high-frequency response on the Yume Midnight is mostly identical to that with the OG Yume but with better extensions. It sounds soft, mellow, relaxed. But for my taste, I find the Treble here to be extra-soft, if only it had an extra bit of energy or sparkle, I would have loved this even more. Although I would still recommend this as a great set for a relaxed listening session. There is no harshness or sibilance present with the pair, it’s clean and inoffensive even at louder volumes. Treble detail retrieval is also quite good with the Yume Midnight.

Soundstage & Imaging:-

The soundstage has good width here, it's decently wide. Won’t say it is super wide or humongous but it maintains good width and never sound narrow. Even with complex or heavy tracks, you won’t notice any congestion thanks to pretty good airiness on the stage. The stage also has a good sense of depth and height. Imaging and separation with Yume Midnight are very good, You can recognize different instruments in a fast track easily.

Test Tracks Playlist for this review:-

>Homecoming Queen by Hinder.

>Last Good Time In Town by Eagles.

>You & I by Enrique Iglesias.

>Light Of The Seven by GOT OST.

>Strong by London Grammar.

>Home by Jack Savoretti.

>Knocking’ On Heaven’s Door by Guns N’ Roses.

>Blow Out by Radiohead.

>Tangled by Maroon 5.

>Billie Jean by Michael Jackson.

>Speak Softly Love by Yao Si Ting.

>Dance Monkey by Tones&I.

And more.

See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight Vs See Audio Anou(OG Yume):-

When See Audio debuted in the international market, they debuted with the triple driver hybrid Yume which was known as Anou in the China Market. I got my hands on a unit of Anou, So how does the latest Yume Midnight stands against the OG model. While I think Yume Midnight rectifies most of the shortcomings of the OG Model, Here’s my take between them:-

>The latest Yume Midnight delivers a better lower-end response. It’s not just about the punch or speed, it has also got a better and cleaner texture.

>I find the midrange to have a better sense of air on the stage with the Yume Midnight.

>Vocals are slightly warmer here on the newer model.

>Treble has got better extension with the Yume Midnight.

>Soundstage width is more or less the same, but we have got a better sense of depth here with the new model.

>Cosmetically I find the Yume Midnight to look more elegant and classy with its carbon fiber faceplates. This is a personal preference.

>With smoother edges, the Yume Midnight has a better and more comfortable fit.

Final Words On The See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight:-

Lastly, I would like to say that the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight is a pretty good set of in-ear monitors. In most of the cases, I find it to outperform the OG Yume like we have got better bass, better staging, better extension, better build, and even better fit. Yeah, it has some flaws of its too like the missing sparkle in the treble region, but all in all the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight delivers you with a charming sound experience that can be felt with a lovely vocal presentation and airy instruments. The Yume Midnight is actually a three-way collaborative project between See Audio, Crinacle, and HiFiGo. The pair is only available with HiFiGo priced at 199.99$, Lastly, I would like to thank See Audio and HiFiGo for arranging this tour.

SeeAudio x Crinacle Yume: Midnight Review


Intro

Won’t be doing much intro as i believe most of you guys out there should be aware of SeeAudio or Crinacle by now if you are reading this. Yume Midnight is a collaboration project between SeeAudio and a well known reviewer Crinacle. So what changed? Let’s find out.

I will pretty much skip the packaging and build and summarise it as follow:

• Midnight’s cable is similar to Yuan Li’s
• Packaging is more or less the same, SeeAudio’s style
• Eartips are similar to KB Ear’s
• Shell’s size is slightly bulkier than Yume(the one with green tip)

Source

Ibasso DX160 -> Yume: Midnight
Foobar 2k -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> Yume Midnight
Tidal -> Audirect Beam 3 Pro -> Yume Midnight

Sound

Midnight sounded quite balanced throughout the frequency range to me. It is slightly warmer compared to the Yume which is to be expected due to the boosted bass.
Bass

• The bass is tastefully boosted to give a more musical presentation and also warmer tone
• Bass’s quantity and quality is definitely better than Yume
• Bass extension is fairly good
• Mid bass is punchy
• No bass bleed

Mids

• As the mids is the strong point of Yume, so is Midnight
• Lush and full presentation
• Slightly warmer compared to Yume which is cleaner and leaner
• Vocal presentation for both male and female sounded full and weighty due to the warmer tonality
• Vocal’s positioning sounded not too laid back nor forward, however, changing the eartip will indirectly affect the positioning as well (from stock tip to Symbio W Peel for example, brings the vocal forward, which i kinda like)

Treble

• Smooth and non sibilant
• Good amount of air and well extended
• It does have a slight BA timbre to it
• Overall the treble here is very well done and A/B comparison with Yume, Midnight’s treble is noticeably better in terms of air, extension and extra “flavor”
• Detail retrieval is also improved on the Midnight compared to Yume despite sharing the same driver configuration

Soundstage/Imaging

• Yume’s soundstage is very 2d-ish and Midnight fixed that
• The soundstage on Midnight sounded very 3D and noticeably better depth and height
• Instrument placement is identified easily as well

Driveability

• Doesn’t really need amping to pump out enough volume
• However it does benefit from better source
• No noticeable improvement when fed when more power

Comparison with Yume

I’ve mentioned Yume a lot so i’m gonna summarise what changed below:

• Shell size (larger on the Midnight), fit wise its more or less the same for me except i have to downsize the eartips to S
• In terms of sound, better bass presentation on the Midnight, better slam, quantity and also rumble
• Mids that doesn’t sound dry (Personal preference, i prefer Yume’s mid over Midnight)
• Better soundstage and technicalities on the Midnight

FInal Thoughts

So, are you missing out a lot if you already have the Yume? Not really, i would put it this way, Midnight is more versatile compared to Yume which tends to be more specific in terms of library.

Is the additional cost justifiable? If your library consists of multiple genres and you are looking for one IEM that will handle anything being thrown at, yes, the cost is justifiable, however, if you only listen to a specific genre and already have Yume, then I don't see a reason to get Midnight.

This is not to say that Midnight is bad or anything, ultimately, it depends on your library and your preference. Overall, Midnight is a good IEM for its asking price. A solid 4.5/5

Get them here
HifiGo

*Midnight is sent for review by HifiGo as part of a review tour. I am not influenced by them in any way nor do I receive any compensation for this review. Thanks to @bryaudioreviews for including me in this tour.

Disclaimer : The SeeAudio Yume Midnight was sent by SeeAudio as a part of a review tour but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Build and Fit
If you have greasy fingers, I would advise you to keep a rag near at hand because the Yume: Midnight is a fingerprint magnet. Add to that, the shell is quite slippery as well. So not the most ergonomic earphone. Fit is dicey for my ears. Firstly, the sound is HEAVILY dependent on seal and fit. Secondly, the fit is a bit weird for my ears. The earphone just doesn't seal well unless I use small tips and perform the dreaded deep insertion ritual. With small tips and deep insertion, we can begin analyzing the sound. But before that I must mention that the cable looks and feels premium, it is one of the more classier cables out there.





Amp Needs
At 32 ohm, 106dB/mW there is no need for a dedicated amplifier.

Sound Quality
Having owned and loved the original Yume, I was unsure on what to expect from the Midnight? Would it be an improvement? Or a degradation? Some found the bass on the Yume to be light, I found it..."balanced". Well the midnight adds to it and then some more. Midnight has the optimum quantity of bass and since there is substantially more quantity, I hear more detail and texture in the bass as well. Not only does it reach lower than the Yume, it slams harder, which in turn fixed the real issue of the original Yume, blunted/mushy transients. Yume was quite soft
on the edges, and while that was a very pleasurable characteristic to hear, I did indeed wanted more. It was one of those things that you can't unsee after someone has pointed them out to you. Midnight has substantially sharper transients and better dynamics overall.
I feel there is not much difference in the midrange to speak about, it is mostly faithful to the Yume, which is good news. The midrange is in the right place when it comes to forwardness. Due to yume's softer transients, it made the midrange appear more lush and lucid.
The timbre in the midrange was thus just a tiny bit on the "musical" side. On the midnight the timbre is more precise due to the changes in the frequency response. It is snappier and faster sounding in the midrange. The treble in the Yume was gently rolled off, not in the Midnight. Treble on the midnight sounds very natural with good timbre, it has slightly more presence but even compared to other earphones it is modest at best and not an analytical or dry treble by any means. Cymbals have their natural shimmer and zing preserved and presented in a more palatable way. The treble extension is one of the biggest improvements with the Midnight. There is just a whole lot of air and extension up top. It extends naturally and there is no harshness or sibilance to be found. The added air and openness gives a very different experience as opposed to the Yume. Unfortunately, while the Yume had slight grain in the treble, the midnight has the occasional touch of "compression" in the lower treble region. but in my experience it only comes up with very revealing recordings.
But is it the "Technical Yume"? yes and no. while the Yume is an improvement over the already excellent tuned Yume, the headstage is slightly more intimate than the yume. The yume also had better instrument separation and layering, not by a whole lot to make it a big deal but enough to make it noticeable.
Imaging however is greatly improved over the Yume.





Conclusion
Midnight indeed improves upon the already excellent tuned Yume. Yume is one of my personal favorite earphones which provides with an excellent polite and laid back experience. It made everything sound good. The midnight greatly improves upon the places where the Yume suffered. However to get something, you must sacrifice something in return. Midnight is more intimate, and slightly lags behind the Yume when it comes to headstage, instrument separation and layering.

In recent years, some chi-fi brands start to collaborate with some renowned reviewers, so as to produce their earphones, which the design is mainly made by the brand itself, and tuning is done by those reviewers. For instance CRN (also known as ZEX pro) by KZ, DQ6s by KZ, Eclipse by Fiio, as well as Midnight by See Audio. Since I quite enjoyed Yume that I purchased in last year, I acquire the Yume:Midnight through Hifigo, even without proper auditioning in physical store.

The specification of Midnight is same as that of Yume, 1DD+2BA. Midnight is priced at 200 usd, which is 30 usd higher than Yume, while improves in appearance, accessories and tuning. Is it worthwhile to pay a bit more for Midnight? It will be addressed at the end of the review.



Key Info of Midnight:
- 1DD + 2BA
- 2-pin 0.78mm Connectors
- 5N OCC silver plated Cable


Source:
- MOOV (Music Streaming Service in HK)
- iPhone
- L&P W2



Appearance:
- Same as Yume, which utilizes acyclic as shell material.
- The faceplate is switched to carbon fiber, while shell is in solid black.
- The fitting and comfort is better than Yume, thanks to the redesign of shell.


Accessories:
- Same as Yume, it is paired with a metallic carrying case.
- 5 pairs of eartips are provided, including size XS, S, M, L, and XL, which is similar as the Kbear 07 tips.
- The cable provided is a 2-wire silver plated copper one. It is suggested See Audio to change the slider, since it cannot sit well on the cable.
- When compared with Yume, the cable has already been plugged on the Midnight, which can prevent the user mistakenly damage the earphone.
- Two sets of spare filters are provided as well.



Impressions:
- With KBEAR 07 eartips, and 20-hour burn-in.
- Scalability: Easier to drive than Yume. Even though I use iPhone with an adapter, the performance is acceptable, without any issues like insufficient bass impact or thin vocal.
- Tuning style: Slightly warmer than Yume, and less emphasized in upper treble, or ACG genre music.
- Bass: Stronger impact and more extension than Yume, hence creating more musicality. The bass quantity is more than Yume, while not bleeding into the mids, or causing it sounds muddy.
- Vocal: Positioning is a bit forward than Yume, while remains its clean sounding. The density or thickness of vocals improves a lot, which is less emphasized in female vocals than Yume. The sibilance is not noticeable.
- Treble: The treble extension is much more than Yume, leading Midnight sounds a bit shouty. Users may feel fatigued after listening for a period of time.
- Technicality: Wider horizontal soundstage than Yume, as well as a better separation.



Conclusion:
Is it worthwhile to pay a bit more for Midnight? My answer is absolutely a yes.

When compared to Yume, Midnight improves a lot in bass impact, and vocal thickness, while slightly improves in vocals positioning, and horizontal soundstage width. In overall, it is less emphasized in upper-treble, or ACG genre music. Apart from that, it is easier to drive than Yume, hence I believe it is more appropriate for newbies to acquire. Maintaining the tuning style of Yume, Midnight adds a bit in musicality, which fits a more variety of users.

Personally I've been a supporter for See Audio, since their entry level Yume, I've liked it's pop tuning with nice face plate design & great earshell ergonomics. Bravery is a warm & natural full BA which I still use regularly , and now I just cannot resist the carbon fibre embedded in a darkish transparent faceplate, so here it is, the Midnight.

Of course I've heard of Crinacle, I've read his vast IEM ranking chart before I made past purchases, even watched some of this youtube videos. But frankly his name did not play a big part when I decided to go for midnight, as I always believe geography will make a taste difference, the kinds of music we listen to, the aspects we rank importances in considering whether an IEM is good or bad, and the models of IEM's we've auditioned before which effects how we comment future models, all these might cause how we comment on an IEM. So, I made this purchase blindly I'd say in believe of See Audio taste. btw I live in HK.

I am not a technical person that would refer to frequently graph , and write in comments like "some dips in the 5-7k range" or "mid-treble missing on certain instrument", so I'll just lay out my sharing on midnight in consumer layman terms:

As the brand has mentioned this is an improved & fined tuned version over Yume, one could certainly feel more bass presence & longer extension which I think contributes to the overall more warmer tonal feel. Though imo Bravery still gives warmer listening experience(which is amazing for full BA combination), the bass texture cannot be better replicated like dynamic driver with a larger vibrating surface. Besides a more substantial bass existence, the instruments on Midnight tends to come more forward, while vocal parts leaning just tiny bit after instruments, which i think is quite different to many IEMs placing vocals close to your ear drum. One may argue intimate vocals on most IEMs gives highest enjoyment, but in the case of midnight , I think this instrument/vocal placement makes an even better soundstage in my head.

Usually the most important point in making me decide whether I like that IEM or not, is whether I can feel the sweetness from my favourite female singer's voice, and is there enough texture & thickness on male voices, Midnight could certainly pass these 2 personal criteria, but I would not exaggerate it being amongst the best in my drawer, the price tag is standing there indeed. However does it mean that we could find a better one at 200? Well a friend has discussed with me would Timeless be a more worthy purchase. I'm listening to Timeless now while typing this paragraph, these 2 are going in two directions, I know many many people have purchased Timeless, there are tons of 9/10 reviews , technically Timeless is an amazing planar driver, it provides wonderful listening experience under proper driving, soundstage is wide & deep, quick & powerful bass etc etc, but , comparatively it comes with colder & leaner tonality, its a quick IEM for technical enjoyment whether people would agree with me or not, but that's my opinion.

See Audio is trying to deliver a warmer & more natural experience to their users, you could tell from their 3 models Yume, Bravery & Midnight. The Chifi market is flooding with airy, quick & piercing trebles to emphasize technicalities (many brands are doing so indeed) & selling at low price tag, which gradually creates a norm that brands have to follow for a certain success sales volume. However in my own taste chart, a warmer & rounder sound can last for longer enjoyment.

To supplement my comments above, resolution on Midnight is above average, instrument details and brightness at a satisfactory level, at certain higher pitched instruments and vocals, it could sometimes go just a tiny little over the edge, but not a big deal, I've continuously listened for 2 hours last night without fatigue.

There's no point to compare this listening experience to other 400 to 1000 dollar IEMs , the quality of drivers used & efforts in tuning is certainly different(so don't expect the great volumes of sub $50 IEM sold every month to give the same experience as to $200 or above ones, brands that manufacture those know why they are priced this way) so my above sharing are all based on my expectations below the 300 price tag, now that I wanna mention listening to it is even more comfortable to the FD5 which was sold months ago.

Tonality: 6.6/9
Technicalities: 6.3/9
Preference: 7/9
Overall: 6.6/9 (B+)
(star rating is for the price to performance)

(total 6 mins read)

Intro
SeeAudio X Crinacle Yume: Midnight is self-explanatory. Together with HiFiGO as a three-way exclusive collaboration, “Project Midnight” is an effort in building a “technical Yume” for the better.

In April last year, Crinacle himself criticized Yume for its subpar technicalities and called it a “One Trick Wonder” for its only good quality trait which is the tuning. While I agree with most of the critique, Yume’s tonality alone didn’t do enough justice to be considered an all-rounder for a huge library holder like myself. Months forward today, I received the Midnight for the SEA Midnight tour review.

Everything is still pretty much the same Yume on the inside with the same driver configuration except it sports a different crossover, driver positioning & acoustic tube length. On the outside, the build has changed in terms of shape, nozzle, color, & material. The accessories are also have been updated to suit the design of the new earphones better. I’ll be comparing Midnight to Yume from time to time.

my preferred signature is neutral with or without a bass boost, with an exception for a little warm-tilted, or mild V-shaped but honestly, I'm a "signature agnostic" because anything can work. I listen to mostly everything but currently lusting more on the modern sub-genres of Jazz, Progressive Rock & Metal, Drone, Noise Rock, No Wave, Minimalism, Totalism, modern recording of Chamber, Orchestra, Concerto, or Modern Classical at large.

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Dusk vs Midnight measurement comparison courtesy of IEF

Signature
On paper, the sound signature of Midnight is based on Harman's target curve. It's actually a composition between Harman IE and Crinacle’s own In-Ear Fidelity target curves. The pinna gain is virtually in line with the In-Ear Fidelity’s while the bass is more or less following Harman IE 2019’s target. On subjective listening, the sound signature of Midnight can be described as "neutral with a bass boost" that skewed slightly towards bright-neutral tonality. One could also argue that it’s pretty much Harman especially with the amount of sub-bass response as shown on measurement, but more on that later.


Tonality
To be frank, Midnight’s tonality is pretty balanced throughout the frequency spectrum. It has the appropriate note weight and sufficient extension on both ends to be regarded as a good all-rounder for its asking price.

There's no glaring fault to be pointed out except perhaps the extra sparkles or presence that might be glitching off of ideal tonal balance, especially instruments that fundamentally reside in the treble region. Though, the overtones of, for example, cymbal or fricative consonants may sound “extra” rather than an offense. Occasionally, it can force out mild sibilance but nothing sounds wrong or detrimental. I’d say, it'll totally depend on individual taste for how much treble is too much. To those who are treble sensitive, please take note.

Midnight focuses on a natural mid-range reproduction just like the Yume. The bass and upper treble responses are tastefully boosted to compensate for the 4k to 6kHz treble cut for a more balanced tonality. The bass is now more pronounced with good texturing but it doesn’t feel like “plenty” as shown on the graph, whereas Blessing 2 Dusk feels more bass-y in direct AB-ing. This is perhaps caused by the dynamic driver material, the nature of raw bass quality, or perhaps it’s just the sheer amount of perceived treble (as we perceive treble louder than lower frequencies). Nevertheless, there’s no sense of lacking any sort of bass rumble or mid-bass punch in a long music playlist, though I’m afraid it won’t satisfy hardcore bass heads.

Overall, the tonality is pretty good though I’d love a little lesser of “pseudo air” but I’m afraid that would change everything from the tuning.





Technicalities +
The overall presentation is somewhat pretty common but it goes more in height rather than width. So, the instrument separation & layering take advantage of a good yet distinctively tight instrument localization. The image is somewhat stretched vertically in the stereo field. It's not a bad or strange thing but I’d say that it has an indirect effect on the image’s clarity.

Transients is relatively fast and sharp which helps for good imaging. Somehow the timbre is not the most natural-sounding, especially on the upper mid-range & treble. It is the common grainy-BA timbre that can also be extra spicy on Midnight (no pun intended). Perhaps it has to do with the “compressed” quality of the balanced armature being used and how much it’s being squeezed for every last bit of juice. However, I don’t find any serious issues with the macro or micro-dynamics range, but there’s audible incoherency between drivers, and I know they did their best.

There's also some minimal bluntness going on which is way lesser than the original Yume; the consequence: the micro details are slightly depressed but it makes up for a “livelier” reproduction. Yes, in the real world, Midnight’s resolving capability is not excellent, but it’s quite competitive with its decent detail retrieval offering. Meaning: it’s pretty good for what a mid-tier 3-multi-driver configuration can do. I think it could be the best in the $150 to $200 price bracket in terms of technical performance alone.





Comparison & Valuation
When talking about Yume, Blessing 2 Dusk is one of a few, if not the only one that has been mentioned many times for a direct comparison in terms of tuning. At first listen, I immediately recognize the resemblance of Dusk’s transients on Midnight. The tuning is also quite similar but it’s even closer in terms of treble transients particularly.

Yes, it’s not a fair comparison but at least in this case, both are a retuned version of existing IEMs by the same person; Crinacle. Here is my observation. For $130 less, Midnight is following closely from behind in technical performance. The imaging is as nearly as good, the separation is as closely as good, though the sound stage is a bit narrower than Dusk. Tonally, it feels leaner & thinner or more “neutral” on Midnight yet the micro-dynamics are slightly better. I’d pick the bass on Midnight than Dusk for its texture or raw quality.

For a $130 premium, Dusk is a more resolving monitor with better micro details and a tonality that’s more balanced. For discerning ears, it's an instant realization of the quality difference between the 2 when AB-ing. While Dusk’s timbre is not perfect, it’s smoother & denser which makes it tonally pleasant. The extra +1 balanced armature for each treble and mid-range in Dusk definitely improved its resolution & detail retrieval without being too shouty. Dusk also feels more solid & full-bodied even though the bass is one of its weakest traits.

There’s more treble extension on Midnight, but it feels “forced” rather than a natural extension. On Dusk, the reverb trails & the gap (depth) can easily be “seen” just to show the difference of pure resolution coming out from the extra driver configuration. Of course, this is mainly related to the tuning, but the number of drivers is also the key for effortless & successful tuning.

In a simpler way, it’s safe for me to say that the Midnight is a “mini-Dusk” or perhaps a “mini-Blessing2” for its more neutral than bass-y tonality. As a Blessing 2/Dusk junkie, I’m recommending SeeAudio Yume: Midnight for those who want to taste some of “brilliance to come” but don’t want to step up too much in their audiophile journey.





*this review unit is provided by SeeAudio as part of their SeeAudio Yume: Midnight review tour and I thank Bryan and SeeAudio for including me in the tour. all words are mine and I’m not compensated by any party.

purchase SeeAudio Yume: Midnight here

tools:
Tidal / Apple Music via LG G7 with/without Ovidius B1
Tidal / Foobar2000 (FLAC) via Topping EX5 with/without Aune X7s or Aune S7 Pro

key songs:
Será Una Noche – Taquito Militar
Eddie Daniels – Baião Malandro
Patricia Petibon - Mozart: Der Zauberflöte – Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen

Sinne Eeg – We've Just Begun
Lady Blackbird - Ruler of my Heart
Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone - A Lovely Night

Muddy Waters – Big Leg Woman
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Tin Pan Alley
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Red Right Hand

Scott Walker – Corps De Blah
Swans – Lunacy
Zu - Carbon

My Disco – A Christ Pendant Comfort Her Neck
Arab On Radar - God is Dad
Shellac - Crow

Mastodon – The Wolf Is Loose
Fear Before the March of Flames – High as a Horse
Botch - Japam

ANOHNI - Drone Bomb Me
Slowdive - Star Roving
The Shins - Simple Song

Radiohead - Idioteque
TheFatRat - Warbringer (feat. Lindsey Stirling)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross & Karen O - Immigrant Song

Justin Bieber - Holy (fear. Chance the Rapper)
Doja Cat - Kiss Me More (feat. SZA)
Kylie Minogue - Real Groove

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INTRODUCTION:​

SeeAudio x Crinacle Yume: Midnight is the latest hybrid IEM from SeeAudio. It is a collaboration between SeeAudio and Crinacle and it promises to be a "more technical" Yume. It retails for $199.99usd and it sports a 1DD+2BA configuration (same as the OG Yume). Ever since the launch of the OG Yume, many reviewers have praised the tuning of the Yume, with some reviewers even calling its midrange "class-leading". However, most were disappointed with its underwhelming technicalities, bass performance, and treble extension.

The SeeAudio Midnight promises to fix all that. By completely remaking the Yume from the ground up, SeeAudio claimed to have come up with an improved Yume whilst still using the exact same drivers.

Can the Midnight hold up to its promises though? Let's find out.

Source used:
1. iFi Zen DAC + iFi Zen CAN (IEMatch + iSilencer Plus + iPurifier3 + iPower + iPowerX + USB 3.0 cable)
2. Sony Zx300 (MrW WalkmanOne w/ Dawn2.1 + Plus v2 + J region + DAC initialized)
3. Sony A55 (MrW WalkmanOne w/ Neutral + Plus v2 + J region + DAC initialized)
4. Shanling M3x Limited (Apodizing fast roll-off filter)
5. Monolith USB DAC
6. Apple Dongle
7. Samsung Galaxy S9+ SE out (Exynos)

Drivability:
1. 32Ω Impedance / 106dB Sensitivity.
2. Pretty easy to drive. My Samsung S9+ and Apple Dongle drove the Midnight with ease. Drivability shouldn't be an issue here.

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UNBOXING & ACCESSORIES:​

The Midnight comes with a standard SeeAudio rounded hard shell case, 1 set of silicone eartips (S, MS, M, ML, L) that looks godly similar to the a07 eartips, a silver-plated 3.5mm cable and lastly, the IEM itself.

Overall, pretty happy with the accessories here as they are an upgrade over what we got with the Yume. The stock eartips of the Yume weren't the best and I am super glad that they have decided to change it to what they are now.

In terms of fit, well, I find them to fit very similarly to the Bravery. This means that I have to size down the eartips to size S (I normally use M) in order for them to fit (and sound) correct. Since this is about fit, YMMV.

I am, however, very glad that the large fins from the OG Yume are removed. After a while, the large fins do kind of dig into my ears and I am glad that the Midnight is free of fins and all fins related issues.

*This review is done using only the stock eartips (size S) and stock cable.

SOUND:​

In terms of sound, tonality wise, Midnight is quite tonally balanced IMO. The SeeAudio Midnight is tuned to Crinacle's IEF-Neutral target with a Harman 2019-like bass boost. In other words, SeeAudio Midnight has a clean sub-bass focused +10dB bass boost, a more conservative pinna gain (in comparison to Harman's 2019 pinna), and a treble that is relatively smooth without any unnecessary spikes and peaks. Below shows the FR graph of the Midnight and another showing the FR graph comparison between Midnight vs Yume.

Link to squig: https://bryaudioreviews.squig.link/?share=Harman_2019_Target,SeeAudio_Midnight​

Click to expand...

Link to squig: https://bryaudioreviews.squig.link/?share=Harman_2019_Target,SeeAudio_Midnight,SeeAudio_Yume​

Click to expand...

As you can see from the FR graph, the SeeAudio Midnight is quite literally Yume with B A S S… (and also better extended up top). As mentioned by other reviewers, one of the biggest drawbacks of the Yume in terms of tonality is its bass. Its bass is just too "lightweight" and doesn’t "pack any punch". Its bass slam is so weak to the point where with some tracks, its bass sounds like it is "hitting a wet cardboard".

With the Midnight, bass is much better. Bass here sounds full, punchy, well-extended and much more authoritative than Yume's bass. Its sub-bass is boosted but well-controlled, bass slam is good, and no dirty bass bleed can be detected into the mids. It is warmer than the OG Yume though, especially in the mid-bass section where it is noticeably warmer and punchier.

The extra warmth carries through to the midrange of the Midnight. Midnight's midrange is full and lush sounding with a slight hint of warmth. In comparison to the OG Yume, you do lose out a bit of the OG Yume's clean and lean midrange, but what you get in return is a midrange that is slightly warmer, more natural, fuller and most importantly, more pleasing to the ears.

In terms of vocal presentation, similarly to the mids, both male and female vocals here sound lush and full. Just like the OG Yume, vocals here are more on the intimate side. In terms of vocal placement, I find them to be "just right". Not too forward nor too laidback. However, personally I do prefer a tad bit more forwardness to my vocals. A more "Harman 2019"-like pinna would be perfect for my taste. For those that have preferences similar to mine (or to the Harman 2019 target), do keep in mind that Midnight's vocal presentation might be a bit too laidback for you. This is just a matter of taste and personal preference so YMMV.

In terms of treble, the easiest way to describe the treble here is that it is smooth, airy, and well-extended. The lower and mid treble of the Midnight is pretty smooth and non-fatiguing overall. The upper treble has a slight shimmer to them which adds flavour to the overall treble presentation of the Midnight. In comparison to the OG Yume, gone is the smooth and dry treble from the OG Yume which makes the treble pretty boring to listen to. Midnight's treble is noticeably airier and better extended than the OG Yume's whilst still keeping its smooth and non-fatiguing presentation. Overall, the treble here is quite nicely done.

Now, to the part that we are all anticipating for….

TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE:​

Technical performance is what haunted the OG Yume since it first launched. Countless reviewers have praised and raved about the Yume's "exceptional, class-leading tuning", but most were disappointed with its technical performance. With hazy transients, 2D-like soundstage, below-average imaging… and most importantly, its limp and underwhelming bass.

In terms of Midnight's technical performance, I am glad to say that it is noticeably better than the Yume in literally every way possible. Transients are sharper, soundstage is wider with improved depth and height, imaging is more accurate and "3D-like", and bass slam is mcuh better.

Not to mention, detail retrieval is also improved over the OG Yume. Despite its slightly warmer midrange presentation and the exact same driver configuration as the OG Yume, Midnight managed to be more detailed than the OGs. It is also more revealing in the mids and highs, being able to pick up on microdetails and tiny nuances in a song whereas the OG Yume couldn't.

Timbre and coherency is also improved over the OG Yume. I find the Midnight's timbre to be pretty good for a hybrid. Just like the Dusk over the Blessing2, my guess is that the added warmth to the overall presentation of the Midnight is probably what "hides" the BA timbre and ultimately contributes to the overall improved timbre.

Furthermore, coherency is pretty good too for a hybrid. The OG Yume's coherency isn't the best as with some tracks, the bass does sound somewhat "detached" from the song. This makes the bass of the OG Yume sound like it is coming from behind.

Midnight, on the other hand, has none of those issues. There are, however, the usual coherency issues with hybrid. If you pay attention, you could hear the 2BA drivers in the mids/highs having faster transients and decay than the DD bass. This isn't an issue with the Midnight specifically as almost all hybrids (no matter the price range) suffer from some coherency issues.

Overall, Midnight's technical performance is pretty good for its price. It isn't enough to beat other IEMs at a higher price bracket (as expected) but for its price, I'd say that it is pretty good.

CONCLUSION:​

In my opinion, SeeAudio and Crinacle have created something pretty good in the $200usd price range. In comparison to the OG Yume, the Midnight is an upgrade over the Yume in literally every aspect. Tonality, technicalities, bass, mids, treble, detail, soundstage, imaging… you name it, the Midnight is better. Heck, even the included cable and eartips are better.

However, all these improvements come with a cost (literally), as there is a $30usd premium over the Yume. This puts the Midnight right at the price of $199.99usd. Now, this $30usd premium is understandable as SeeAudio has to completely remake the Yume from the ground up to improve the Yume's technicalities, bass, and treble extension whilst still using the same drivers as the Yume. Not to mention, you are also paying a "Crin Premium" for Crinacle's involvement in the Midnight project.

Is the $30usd "Crin Premium" worth it over the OG Yume then? IMO, yeah. The only advantage the OG Yume has over the Midnight is that the OG Yume's midrange is leaner and cleaner than Midnight's. Other than that, the Midnight is better.

Overall, a pretty nice set. Recommended.


Thank you See Audio for sending the Midnight over. This review unit is provided by them as part of their Malaysian SeeAudio review tour. I am not at all compensated by them and all thoughts and opinions are my own.


Interested in getting the SeeAudio x Crinacle Yume: Midnight? Here is the Hifigo purchase link (non-affiliated):

• https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-x-crinacle-yume-midnight-iems (Hifigo Exclusive)

Want to compare the Midnight's frequency response to other IEMs? Do it yourself using my Squiglink here (Not 100% complete):

• https://bryaudioreviews.squig.link/

Personal Links:

1. Personal Head-fi thread -> https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bry...s-impressions-ranking-list-music-list.961211/
2. Squiglink (WIP) - > https://bryaudioreviews.squig.link/
3. Personal Ranking list -> {WIP}

Hello mates and welcome to another IEM review for this year. This will be a special one as this is my first IEM review article in 2022. 2021 was quite a memorable year to me as it was my breakthrough moment in IEM audio reviewing as audio gods smile upon us as we gain their favour by receiving some of the best IEMs in both entry-level and midrange market segment to provide an honest and uncompromising review to give some ideas for the ever-expanding audio community (Note: I'm irreligious and skeptic person).

I’ve done some reviews on previous See Audio models, The See Audio Yume and The See Audio Bravery. Both of the IEMs are well-regarded and mostly receive an overwhelming response and positive feedbacks from audio enthusiasts due to its well-done tuning and usage of high quality materials on their products. I was one of the reviewers who were actually surprised the tuning of Yume as it really hit my soft spot especially on how the mids were presented in the audio frequency spectrum but it has its deficiencies that I'm looking for especially on technicalities.






See Audio is keenly observing and taking some cues from the feedbacks from both reviewers and customers of Yume and they decided to do some revisions and improvement on Yume. They even enlisted Crinacle's expertise to do the overall tuning. We as an audio enthusiasts are mostly aware of Crinacle's reputation as a great audio engineer and a respectable expert of this field. Their collaboration effort in this project resulted an excellent product.





Introducing the See Audio Yume: Midnight also known as See Audio Yume: Crinacle Edition. Like its regular and stock predecessor, it has an identical implementation which has also a hybrid driver set-up. The transducer drivers are consists of one (1) dynamic driver and two (2) newly customised Knowles balanced armature drivers to handle each audio frequency spectrum. The dynamic driver is a 9.2mm “liquid silicon” diaphragm that gives better vibration for sub bass and less distortion while the two (2) custom Knowles BAs handles the midrange and treble for a more transparent and clean sound.



Yume Midnight has also an improved Low Frequency Filter conversion (L.F.C.) which was patented technology by See Audio. L.F.C. tech is a system which has a precise measurement of a front cavity between the dynamic driver and the tube channels to provide a better phasing response and a noticeable separation of each audio frequency response.



The shells of Yume Midnight are of an universal In Ear monitor style and made of high quality, medical grade resin. It has a carbon fibre look on its faceplate with a stylized See Audio logo that looks like an Eye of Horus on the left part while and a text “MIDNIGHT” at bottom part on faceplate of the right part. There is vent hole for escaping of excess sound pressure coming out from the drivers. Its shape and contours are starkly different compare to the original Yume as they are more on chunky side that I scaled them on medium to large size and yet they still snugly and fit well into my lug holes as I don’t feel some discomfort or soreness in my tragus. Like all its sisters, See Audio Yume Midnight uses a proven and well-tested 2-pin connector for durability and easier cable replacement.






These IEMs are packed in a large rectangular black box with a beautifully drawn illustration of Rinko (She looks kinda grumpy) and Crinacle at her back in the front part and some basic information like specifications and frequency graphs at the back on the cardboard sleeve,

Here are the contents of included accesories of See Audio Yume Midnight:

• A pair of IEMs
• two (2) core silver 5N SPC cable
• Three (3) pairs of silicone ear tips for bass on different standard sizes.
• Two (2) pairs of silicone ear tips for vocals (available in medium and large.)
• A black IEM metal round case.
• A black envelope which contains some paper works such as postcard, instruction manuals, calling card and a Rinko stickers.
• Extra two (2) pair of nozzle filters.

When it comes drivability, Yume Midnight are easy to drive set of IEMs as most portable media devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets can provide a decent amount of power for their low amplification requirement. Nonetheless, this IEM will have a better synergy if their sources have high quality DAC/amps as they sound even more fuller with better dynamic range.



As for its tonality and sound quality, See Audio Yume Midnight has still that balanced-neutral sound signature or (probably, a neutral with bass boost emphasis) like the original Yume but Crinacle tweak and modified the tuning even further to make it sound even more balanced with some emphasis on the frequency range. It has still noticeable bass elevation, a more transparent and neutral midrange and an evident peak on the upper mids/lower treble.



LOWS/BASS:

The bass response of this set is highlighted more on qualitative aspect as it has that punchy, precision, nimble and well-controlled.

The sub bass has good reach on depth reach on the lowest end of spectrum as it gave an ample rumble on some tracks on certain genres that require a more visceral lows like EDM, Electronica and Synth-pop.

This is the improvement that where Crinacle manage to nailed it and it is the quantify improvement on mid bass. I want my mid bass has a sufficient texture and weight note to it gave a more body on bass kicks to sound more authoritative and thudding while bass guitar has that weighty growling and resonant as the bassist’s plucking on every string. As for male vocals such as bass-baritone, the sound is more deep and guttural. Anyhow, I don’t hear any bass bleed to other audio frequencies that might ruin the overall tuning.

Overall, if I compare the bass quality of Yume Midnight and the original one, the current one has more improvement and has better dynamics compare to the latter unit. Even so, I still consider that bass quality on this one more on a linear side if I scale it to other more bassier set that I’ve tested and owned.



MIDS:

Categorically, this is the most prominent part of audio frequency where the original Yume excels and the Yume Midnight is even more better. The mids has still that transparency, clean, neutral and a tad smooth like the previous Yume.

Due to an ample texture on the low midrange, it gives of a hint of warmth, fuller and substantial body on a male vocals on different vocal pitch and range that it sound more deeper and pronounce. The female vocals has that pleasant sweet, emotional and more open sounding as it has reaches the point where it display it has more detail and better dynamics. Still the vocals are forward and feels surreal that I want on an earphone and other head gears. I’m a midcentric guy and I want my mids more pronounce and well-detail.

Instruments like percussive, winds and rhythm has that fairly accurate timbre though it was leaning more on bright as articulate and crisp on acoustic and lead guitars, a refined and rich tone on a piano, a precise and rattling sound of snare drums and a more brass and warmer sound of a sax.

For a listener who wants specifically a more define vocals and instrument, I can easily recommend this set.





HIGHS/TREBLE:

The presentation of treble on Yume Midnight is perceptibly more leaning on a brighter side. It is well-extended that it adds more sparkle, a good resolution and a sense of good airy treble range.

As I mentioned that it has an evident peak on upper mids/lower treble section to give a bit of energy on violins, fifes and female vocals but nevertheless that I didn’t encounter any hint of sibilance or harshness on most tracks that I’ve tested. Cymbals strikes has an tonally accurate as it is very natural that it reproduce a shimmer and glistening sound as the drum sticks strikes on cymbals and hi-hats gives a distinct short and crisp sound.

For the most part, if you are taking this one and to compare it with the previous Yume, this is indeed an improvement in any possible means as it has better presence and brilliance treble quality like better handling on harmonics, clarity and more airy.



SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

Another distinguishable improvement of this set was its technical aspects, this is the part where most reviewers including myself notice on original Yume’s inherent weak point. Probably due to the newly-design resin shell, it influences the improvements on its acoustic chamber to add more sense of spaciousness.

The dimensions of its soundstage is apparently from above average to wide with a good reach of depth and a fairly good height ceiling. The placement of instruments and vocals are more pin point and accurate and there is a substantial more spacing and gaps for its positioning on each layer or rows. This will be good for more complex tracks as it really separates well between the instruments and singers. This is still a more of a spatially holographic presentation like the original Yume.

Coherency is commendable for a hybrid driver set-up as both dual BA and DD syncs well and performs cohesively that it doesn’t sound “out of phase” and tonally incorrect.

Overall, the technicalities of Yume Midnight is drastically an improvement and vastly superior compare to its predecessor as I discernible observe when I listen this set out of the box.



Conclusively, to sum up my review on See Audio Yume: Midnight, this is tremendously well-done product from See Audio as it mitigate and try to fix the inadequacies of the original Yume and they really succeed on doing it with the help of Crinacle. To think that Crinacle likes the tonality of the previous See Audio Yume but he was also critical on its deficiencies.

If you are fan of balanced-neutral sound signature and a transparent, detailed and tonally correct sounding IEM with good technicalities then this IEM is for you, mate.



See Audio Yume: Midnight price will be around at $200/£147.





SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: SEE AUDIO YUME: MIDNIGHT

IMPEDANCE: 32Ω

SENSITIVITY: 106dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20Hz - 20KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.25M

PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm

DRIVER UNITS: One (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER + Two (2) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVERS



Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*



P.S.

I am not affiliated to See Audio nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to thank Steve Tong for providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on his generosity towards me and other reviewers.


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