See Audio Yume/Anou

INTRODUCTION:

See Audio is a brand that I have high regard for, since I’ve tested their Bravery. They have been releasing quality IEMs last year and we are looking for more line ups this year. This is the original Yume prior to the Midnight that just got released this past week. I would like to thank a co-reviewer Chris Rivera for being generous and letting me try his personal unit of the Yume.


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:

1. DAP (digital audio player, be it phone, laptop, mobile, or stationary setup)
2. DAC or dongle or any external amp
3. Ear Tips
4. Cables
5. Source of audio file be it offline FLACS or streaming services like Deezer, Apple music, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the likes..
6. 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:

As I’ve mentioned, a co-reviewer lent this to me for experience purposes. I didn’t have the original packaging so we are skipping this part.

Now let us dive into how Idun sounds..

I think it is worth to mention, for this review, I used the Radius Deep Mount ear tips, medium in size. It is one of the most transparent ear tips around when it comes to sound signature.

LOWS:

If I could describe the lows of Yume in one word, it would be “scarce”. Since I have started in this hobby, I slowly transitioned from being a bass head to mid centric then to neutral head. The lows here are so light that even for me, I sense a hint of lacking. My tracks mostly consist of mid bass oriented tracks rather than sub bass. Attack and decay of lows here are very impressive. It is clean and transparent, giving way to more details to shine through. Bleeds to the mids are non-existent. One of the albums that I have that really is mixed very light on the lows is The Best Of Earth, Wind and Fire vol 1. The lows here are presented dead flat to my ears. Daft punk is my favorite go-to artist for bassy tracks, and lows are again, lightly presented.

Conclusively, lows here are very very light and flat. I tried to wrap my head around it for the first couple of hours. But it did grow on me. If you are into flat tuning, the lows here will bring you joy. Bass heads, I don’t need to say it. Punchy and snappy is another way to describe it.

MIDS:

Let us start with the vocals. Yume has excellent reproduction here. Leaning towards females rather than male. If your tracks consist mostly of vocal tracks, you can rejoice with Yume. Singers, this will be constructive for you.

I can safely say that Yume is for mid-centrics too. Mids here have a sense of forwardness, which falls in my preference. Good texture, tone and timbre. Though a bit lacking in density and weight, it is not lean enough to be hated.

Conclusively, mids is the star of the show here. From vocals to instruments, be it pianos, rhodes, organs, guitars etc., Yume brings joy in this department. As a mid centric myself, I find Yume’s mids a bit on the thin side. But I loved the forwardness and transparency.

TREBLES:

Trebles here have good extension, and a sense of being open. What is lacking is “airiness”. Sibilance or harshness, fortunately I didn’t encounter it here. Sometimes, on the borderline yet didn’t make me grin. New new Orleans by Christian Scott, surprisingly the trumpet didn’t sound harsh or hot. Cymbal hits, bells, and brass sections are presented quite nicely with good extension.

Conclusively, the treble was not too hot to my ears being sensitive to treble. Good, clean and transparent reproduction here for Yume.

FIT & ISOLATION

Fitting is very comfortable and I can wear it for hours without any fatigue. Isolation is very decent as well. Nozzle angle gave me no issues, and I can say it is one of the best fitting out there. I have heard some feedback from musicians on Yume, and it is very comfortable to wear on their long sessions, be it recording or performance.

TECHNICALITIES:

Stage is rather intimate than wide. I think Yume shares this trait with Bravery. So if you are into wide stage, you should consider this. Personally I enjoy both kind of staging. After all, we are talking about IEMs here. Stage is not the most exciting topic for me when it comes to IEMs.

Imaging is decent. There is nothing to wow or amaze me, but there is nothing to hate either. I can still follow elements very easily with Yume.

Speed of drivers is Yume’s strength for me. It can keep up with busy tracks decently. Elements did not feel congested or slow or out of sync.

Layering is also very good. Though I did not sense that all elements have a space of its own, transparency and cleanness is the name of the game here. Very constructive for my work as a musician. Same can be said for separation.


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

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:

I will keep it short. Yume is truly a good set if you are into neutralish bright sound. Bass heads, definitely not for you. Treble heads will be gratified with the good extension on top. And mid centrics will definitely love this one.

Personally, Yume for me is a very capable technical, analytical set. It is a bit dry for my taste and not very engaging. It lacks that soul and emotion. On the other hand, its analytical and clinical nature served me nicely as a musician. As I study chordal harmonies almost daily for my work, as my band mates always ask me to learn their songs. Yume will make my life easier if I am to have this set personally. Instruments and vocals are forward so if you are a singer or musician, the Yume will be a trusty partner when it comes to this purpose.

For musical enjoyment, Yume lacks that emotion. At least for me and my ears. Despite its clean and transparent sound, it did not connect with me on an emotional level. I will pick the Bravery solely for this.

I guess that’s a wrap then. Hope you enjoyed reading. Again, take this as a grain of salt. We all have different perspectives to what we hear, and this hobby is highly subjective. Catch you on the next one!

Summary

Sound signature adheres to the Harman 2019 Target with lesser pinna gain and a safe sub-bass boost concentrated around 30-50 Hz. Very good for tracks with female lead, jazz and acoustic tracks. Bass is punchy and textured however it lacks the slam and quantity that bassheads are looking for, not recommend for them. Midrange on the other hand is refined to a T, vocals clarity is top notch (female vocalist are front and center, full of clarity and nuances), and instrument just sound tonally correct. Treble presentation is also safe and free of harshness, even if the treble is subdued in this IEM, instrument harmonics are still audible, guitars, piano keys and cymbals are full of details even if the staging is quite average.

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Might also be boring for some due the balanced signature. Since no part of the frequency is giving that bite or somebody may call it niche, all frequencies are just nicely laid out in a flat plane.

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For technicalities, staging, layering and imaging are quite average for the price range, the soundstage width and height closely resembles Heart Mirror, but with better imaging and layering of the instruments.

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Disclaimer

• I like to thank Sir Chris R. for lending me the SeeAudio Yume for review.
• 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 SeeAudio Yume for around one and a half day, use different cheapo dongles as a source, and stock small tips.
• I tested the SeeAudio Yume 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 sound signature is mid-centric and vocals especially female vocals are highlighted front and center, full of clarity and nuances while all instrument occupies my headspace in 360, quite eargasmic to say the least.

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Bass: 4/5
Textured and clean but lacks the punch, slam and quantity that bassheads are looking for. Bass bleed is non-existent and the bass is not taking the front stage whatsoever. There still a lite subbass rumble that makes bass guitars defined however kick drums lack the impact and feels lean most of the time. Overall, the bass is quite average with the Yume, I don’t quite get the $100 vibe in the bass region.

Midrange: 5/5
This region is the highlight of this IEM. Vocals are detailed, clear and nuanced, instrument fundamentals are also nicely weighted, percussion, wind, and string instrument sound tonally correct and has this nice lushness to them. Some vocals especially alto and soprano types may approach the edge of shoutiness at times, but rarely occurs (e.g Kyoumen no Nami - Yurika). And surprisingly even if there’s no midbass hump that makes male vocals forward and lively, male vocals never feel lean nor thin. Running all my tracks with the Yume I can quite say that they are definitely an all-rounder, all my tracks from Ito Kashitaro (may sound sibilant on IEMs with 2kHz peak) to witch (one of the Toho Bossa Nova female vocalist) sounds refined and correct. Nothing to complain in the midrange to be honest.

Treble: 5/5
Organic, safe and just right. I think this is the region where also excels at. The treble region is just refined and free of any harshness. Even if the treble region lacks the air frequencies, instrument harmonics are still audible and microdetails still pop in and out within my headspace. Instrument like cymbals and electric guitars also has this nice definition to them and never feel harsh, peaky nor too sharpened, it is just right. Not gonna lie, I find the treble quite enjoyable and is one of the things that I like with the Yume.

Technicalities

• The coherency between the two balanced armatures and one dynamic driver is quite excellent, I can’t quite point out where the balanced armature or dynamic driver ends. The overall presentation of bass, midrange and treble is smooth and free of any driver phasing inconsistencies.
• Soundstage is average for the price they are asking for; it does not have this wide feeling that even cheaper IEMs provide (e.g CCA CRA). Width and height are average while depth is below average. Soundstage is somehow similar in size with the Hzsound Heart Mirror.
• Separation and layering are quite average considering the price. Most instrument are properly separated and has that physicality on the stage however some of them (e.g bass guitars) may sound smooth at times and may lack the 3D feel. Imaging is very accurate there’s no instance where the vocals or other instrument smears one another, if you like the Heart Mirror then this IEM improves on the staging and layering part while also retaining the stage of the HM.
• Driver resolvability is excellent, microdetails and microdetails are portrayed properly, attack and decay of notes also feels organic and natural, it’s just “right”.

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, quite amazing replay by the Yume. Layering and staging of the instruments are just unreal. The bass shelf of the Yume also helps on revealing macrodetails in all of my Hamu tracks, pianos, guitars and percussions are lush and feels so natural and highly detailed. Microdetails also pop in and out of my headspace quite nicely, which is such an eargasm for me…ngl…fudging nice. I can’t also detect any over sharpening or artificial tone to the said instruments. Staging is also quite nice, all instrument feels like they are jamming around my headspace, the carton box feel that I have with some of the tracks I tested is non-existent with my Hamu tracks.

Approved! The replay of the Yume with Hamu tracks are beautiful nothing to complain here.

Replay Rating: Superb



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

Female Vocals, Staging, Harmonics, Bass Response

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ZEX Pro made me fall in love with this track already, and Yume does it in another level..Do I even need to analyze this..hahhahha…I just want to listen to this masterpiece. Darn it… The replay is quite unreal. The clock, chime, bells, guitars, gentle whisper and water droplets at the start and throughout the track feels so real with the Yume, like its 200% more natural sounding than the ZEX Pro. I can also locate the little nuances and details on the song one by one without any efforts at all, plus the harmonics (echoes) decays so naturally like..I don’t even know what to say anymore..the replay is just so refined and beautiful. Don’t forget Suis’ voice, it’s not that sharp like Heart Mirror or thinnish like ZEX Pro but, like, it’s very natural I can’t explain it, I fudging love how Yume plays this track, I’m quite in awe.

Replay Rating: Superb


3. Hello Euphoria by Turnover (Played in HibyMusic)

Timbre, Male Vocals, Mids Quality, Driver Speed

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Yeap another track where Yume excels at, simply beautiful. I don’t know what’s happening but the vocal on this track is more laid back compared to my Yorushika and Yoasobi tracks. The timbre and tonality are also spot on, plus the little nuances in the drums and the overall nostalgic vibe are excellently portrayed by the Yume. The harmony between the guitars, vocals, and drums is also euphoric as fudge.

The staging and layering are also excellent, can’t comment on this anymore. A perfect track with the Yume.

Replay Rating: Superb


Comparison
ZEX Pro vs Yume
One is a cheap attempt on balanced tuning, and one using costly drivers to deliver a mid-centric signature. I know this is an unfair comparison since ZP is $35 while Yume is around $169, but you know what? ZEX Pro quitely trade blows with the Yume. They almost have the same tonal balance it is just that ZEX Pro has this weird treble glare in some tracks. Yume on the other hand, is so refined sounding its hard-to-find a fault in its tuning, plus the technicalities and timbre of the Yume is just miles ahead better than the ZEX Pro. I know ZEX Pro is quite obliterated in this comparison, but when KZ decided to fix the upper treble of the ZEX Pro that’s when this comparison will make sense. Cause you know, EQ’ed ZEX Pro is quite there on the tops. You really just need to EQ ZEX Pro to appreciate it and that’s a bummer. Yume wins

Heart Mirror vs SeeAudio Yume
Budget champ of neutrality versus audiophile’s “female vocals specialist”. Okay bye bye Heart Mirror, yeap this is a clear upgrade path to Heart Mirror, like Yume has that HM niche (enticing female vocals clarity) while also providing a refined soundstage and layering with the instruments. Like Yume is just like a technical Heart Mirror, Heart Mirror users, save up and just be contended with the Yume, you don’t need any more upgrade than this imho. Yume wins

Midnight vs Yume
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

ZES vs Yume
Vocals still goes to Yume, ZES lacks the clarity and nuanced that the Yume has. Bass goes to ZES, the big chunky dynamic driver that ZES has just slams quite hard while retaining that texture and tightness. Yume is lacking on the bass department. Treble goes to Yume, treble is just nicely tuned with the Yume, there’s no harshness or discernable peaks. Technicalities goes to ZES, like ZES gives that nice studio feel plus macrodetails and microdetails are much more audible in the ZES compared to Yume. 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 tie, they have different sound signatures, one will satisfy basshead, the other one will satisfy vocal lovers.


Tested Synergies
Warmth and Immersion Set
(Avani + Yume with stock cable and small eartips)
Very nice pairing, but the sound is duller than the “Soundstage Revealer”. Instrument are also lusher and weightier in this synergy compared to the ones below. This synergy also gives the vocals that nice breathiness to them, I can quite hear vocal nuances that are absent in the other synergies. Soundstage in this synergy is the crampiest of all of the synergies.

Soundstage Revealer
(Abigail + Yume with stock cable and small eartips)
Soundstage in this synergy has more width and height. Vocals are also nuanced but not as much as the “Weighted Synergy”. Overall tonal balance is all right, layering and staging is much better than the other synergies.

Details Extraction
(OG CX-31993 + Yume with stock cable and small eartips)
Soundstage is more deep and sub-bass is also more audible in this synergy. Vocals are pushed back at the back of my head and nuances are somehow muted compare to the other synergies. Microdetails are also more audible in this synergy compared to the ones on the top.


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 (aside from very sibilant and alto/soprano dominant vocal tracks)

“Not that good” Tracks
None, maybe Metal?

Overall Rating
S (Relative to my IEMs) (Superseding Heart Mirror)
A (Relative to Price)
Recommended! Specially for vocal lovers.

Addendum
I've tried EQ-ing the SeeAudio Yume to fit Yume:Midnight frequency response, and yeah raising up the upper treble through EQ fixes the average soundstage of Yume. Quite wider sounding now compared to non-EQ.

Equalization Files: Yume v1 to Yume: Midnight Simulation

At a Glance:

Overall Rating: S- (S+ to C-)

Category: B (100-300 USD), MSRP: 169 USD, Acquired at: 80 USD (Secondhand Unit)



Disclaimer:

The vast majority of reviews of SeeAudio products are by reviewers in review circles/tours. I personally purchased this unit secondhand from another enthusiast and as such had no contact with SeeAudio for this review. I am not paid, compensated or was in any way dictated to change any aspect of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.



Overview:

The Yume is SeeAudio’s cheapest release in the IEM market, and is priced at around 169 USD, positioning itself towards the lower midrange price bracket. It features a single liquid silicon diaphragm dynamic driver paired with two custom-tuned balanced armature drivers (Knowles) and is tuned towards the latest 2020 Harman In-Ear target curve.




Inclusions: N/A

As I did not receive this IEM brand new and with complete accessories, I will not be rating the inclusions. This IEM comes in a “waifu” cardboard box. The main box slides out of an outer sleeve that features Rinko the waifu, with some extra technical information in the back. The main box opens with a top lid to reveal the IEM presented in some cut foam, a round metal puck case, some paperwork, Rinko stickers and 8 different pairs of silicon tips in some foam. I believe it also includes a cleaning brush. Inclusions are quite lavish and premium for the price.



The included cable is of rather high quality. It’s a copper colored 4 core 5N OCC cable that has rather thick strands before the splitter and thins out somewhat afterwards. The 3.5mm jack, splitter and 2-pin connectors all feature metal housings, though the chin slider is plastic. The cable insulation is thick and feels durable, it is thankfully not stiff. There is almost no shape memory pre-splitter however after it does have a little bit of shape memory. Microphonics are good, minimal. Overall, the cable is very good for the price.




Build: S

The IEM is made out of a hollow piece of resin with a decorative faceplate to close it off. The 3 drivers are all fed to the nozzle using tubes. The nozzle is made of a separate metal material and has what I would consider to be a rather obtrusive type of filter fitted to it stock so I modded it to a mesh filter, which “opened up” the sound a bit, giving this IEM a needed boost in soundstage. The shell is quite molded for a UIEM however it’s very well done. The nozzle is also rather long making fitting easier. Despite having a rather large protrusion for the concha fin, it doesn’t get intrusive towards your ears. These practically disappear in your ears as soon as you put them on thanks to the mold and their light weight. The only quibble I have here is that the seam between the faceplate and the rest of the shell has a lot of visual irregularities. However, the seam is still smooth to the touch. Overall build quality is very good with the gorgeous looks and excellent comfort being the cherries on top.



Sound Review Conditions:

• Stock 2-pin Cable was used
• For hygiene purposes, stock tips were not used. I used BeeNoise wide bore tips
• Filter Mesh Mod was in place (soundstage improvements)
• Sources used: Deezer and Tidal HiFI, Signalyst HQ Player, Foobar 2000 HR-FLACs and PCM, Spotify, and YT Premium
• DAC/AMPs: Zishan Z1, KGUSS BH-3, and AVANI, JM20, CX-PRO, JM6 Dongles

Sound:



Bass: A

Bass performance on this IEM can be categorized as a lean-neutral signature. It’s relatively flat on the graph with bias towards the subbass. Thanks to the lack of midbass it can result in a shortage of texture and contrast to the bass, with it sounding “one-note” on occasion. The bass is quite fast and works relatively well in busy tracks however it lacks impact and weight to make the lower region properly authoritative. Coming from the DT300, an all-BA IEM, I was shocked to observe that the DD bass on the Yume resembled BA bass more than it did DD bass. Timbre is quite good though. The bass isn’t bad, it works well with the rest of the IEMs tunings, and it’s inoffensive. However, it does lack the authority and impact expected of a hybrid setup and is rather underwhelming. SeeAudio if you’re reading this retune for a little more midbass and the bass will be better for it IMHO. Still in the context of this IEMs neutral Harman tuning I can’t fault the bass too much, and it doesn’t have any overt flaws either.



Mids: S+

Midrange tuning on this IEM is so tonally perfect some people might describe it as boring. Overall tonality is a relatively well-balanced neutral, with maybe a little bit of a boost to the upper mids. The entire midrange has a smoothness to it’s tones that obliterates harshness and sibilance on almost all tracks but it doesn’t have the blunted detail retrieval that plagues other smooth IEMs, nor does it have the warmish tint to the entire midrange. It has a very neutral signature, with warmish tonal coloration in the lower mids that gives body to a lot of male vocals and lower-pitched strings, and gradually gets more neutral as it goes up to the upper mids where tonal color is gone and the neutral tonal characteristics combined with the slight forwardness lend themselves incredibly well to female vocals and sharper higher pitched strings like acoustic guitar, giving it that transient “bite” that brings you into the notes but again, not a sliver of harshness on properly mastered stuff. Simply amazing midrange performance, and the main reason I will be keeping this IEM.



Treble: S-

The Yume’s treble is a master class in how good, well-presented treble shouldn’t scream like a wailing banshee into your ears. The coherency here in relation to the other BA is incredibly organic and almost as though they were the same driver. Despite being balanced and neutral the treble is well detailed and as very good Attack-Snap-Decay performance in the lower to mid treble region giving overt cymbal hits all the right metallic reverberations to sound great. Some treble heads might find it a little bit too fast and snappy and prefer a little more body but really that’s a small quibble. A more significant demerit here is the lack of upper treble energy and extension, which especially in conjunction with the narrow stage (Wide bore tips do alleviate this issue somewhat) results in this IEM lacking some of the treble “air” that it needs to really sound good. However, overall treble performance here still rates as very good and tonally inoffensive (no peakiness) with just a couple of tuning quibbles that hold it back.




Technicalities: A

This is where the Yume falls flat in terms of standing out against the crowded field of competitors. The soundstage is a little bit cramped stock, and narrower than ideal even when filter modded and with wider bore tips. This directly hits separation and layering, as well as treble air because the mix can get crowded and suffocating in the busiest of tracks. The detail retrieval is actually rather good despite the fact that the presentation is quite smooth, which is a noteworthy achievement. Upper range timbre, and it’s attack-decay performance is very good, fast and snappy, though lower region attack-decay is a little more flabby thanks to the sub-par DD. Imaging is good, and decently holographic. Spatial positioning is very good, though I would’ve preferred a more finite presence. Overall technical performance is good but severely hamstrung by a narrow stage stock, and a narrower than ideal stage when modded.



Conclusions:

This IEM is only slightly above average or average in most respects and sits at a very crowded sector of the market. However, the relative maturity of it’s overall package, being tonally inoffensive and an incredible reference in the midrange still make it a compelling package. Nevertheless, as a first foray into the midrange IEM bracket, I would suggest the Audiosense DT300 first. Get this as a sidegrade if the near-perfect mids are something you’re interested in later on. Recommended with reservations