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

Quick backstory: The Yume is tuned to the Harman Target Curve@2020, which can’t be found online, but the one from 2019 was neutral with a slight sub bass boost. Thank you SeeAudio for sending out this review unit!

Packaging/Accessories

The Yume comes in a waifu box sleeve which looks pretty nice. The box inside is black on black, and it comes with four sets of silicone and foam tips, in addition to a black hockey puck case which houses the cable. The tips aren’t the best, both sonically and physically, but they work.

Build Quality & Fit/Isolation

The Yume literally looks like a gem! It’s made of resin and is surprisingly light, but is built well and doesn't feel cheap. The copper cable is really great too. It isn’t overly thick or thin, and isn’t stiff so it flows nicely. The Yume fits really well, no joke they feel like CIEMs and don’t budge at all. Isolation is solid and comparable to HillAudio Altair R. A/PaiAudio DR2. I can barely hear people talking around me.

Bass

The Yume is definitely not a basshead IEM. I’d say the bass on the Yume is “just there”. Sub bass is somewhat lacking most of the time and doesn’t slam hard, but is definitely present when called for. Mid bass is a bit thin too.

Mids

The mids on the Yume are SUPER realistic. They don’t pack as much clarity as the HZSound Heart Mirrors where it’s in your face for example, but they sound good. Acoustic guitars and other similar instruments really stand out (the intro to Sober to Death by Car Seat Headrest shocked me lol), and imo this is the main reason why people should even consider buying the Yume

Highs

Highs on the Yume are very inoffensive and nowhere near sibilant. Treble extension is… eh. Technicalities aren’t its strong suit and it gets boring to listen to sometimes, as is the case with nearly every other Harman tuned IEM (cough cough mh755). It’s not bad at all, its just barely there.

Soundstage

Soundstage is meh, it’s better than average, and is more tall than wide but that’s about it. Nothing interesting to see here.

Imaging & Separation

It’s good. I can pick out instruments in complex tracks with relative ease. This was the second aspect of the Yume that stood out to me, with the tonality taking first place. You know that “woah” effect you get when you listen to good headphones for the first time? The Yume gave me that feeling, but it only hit me when I tried to listen for it.

Tonality

This is the main reason why anyone should even consider the Yume. Tonality is so accurate that it sounds boring as hell. I’ve never heard of an IEM that sounds as boring as the Yume, which makes it perfect for those who want to use it for audio monitoring or want a “flat is justice” IEM.

Conclusion

The Yume has amazing tonality, mids, imaging and instrument separation. It’s perfect for someone who’s treble sensitive, loves the Harman Curve or wants an audio monitoring IEM. But unless you’re sure that this is the IEM for you, I’d suggest you look elsewhere. It’s not particularly dynamic or technically competent, and I’m not a fan as it sounds really boring. IMO you could do better for $170.

I want to thank the hifigo store, with the opportunity to get acquainted with these headphones. Link:https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-yume-1dd-2ba-hybrid-in-ear-earphone?_pos=1&_sid=291ff35e1&_ss=r


The package is an impressive size of headphones in purple and pink tones, on the front part of the super cover there is a girl in the anime style with the name of the headphones.
On the reverse side are indicated: the frequency response graph and characteristics.
Under the dust jacket there is a black box itself, where there is a very interesting moment, an eye is stylized on the side, which just characterizes the slogan "See through your ears".
In general, a beautiful package of beautiful headphones, will be well suited for a gift.



Inside
We are waiting for a rich set of headphones themselves, wires to them, two sets of different attachments and a round metal case.
Now let's talk about the sound.



Low frequencies are very pleasant, they sound natural, there are not very many of them and not a little, when you need to feel a good blow.
Perhaps the bass does not have super speed, but it has good mass and elaboration.
The middle frequencies, as can be seen from the frequency response graph, are somewhat drowned here, nevertheless, the vocals and guitar parts are read perfectly.
As for the high frequencies, everything is not so rosy here, there are noticeably more of them than low and high frequencies.
That is, there is some emphasis. In particularly fast moments of music, they can break into "porridge", lose resolution, distortions occur.

Also, because of this fact, it is quite difficult to listen to headphones at a volume above average.
Despite the small resistance in 32 ohms and the sensitivity of 106 Decibels, headphones still need a good amplifier to really open them. It is desirable to have a darker sound in order to smooth out the sometimes aggressive sound a little, but this is a matter of taste.
In general, it is difficult to say that the headphones correspond to the Harmann settings, but they are worth your attention, at least in appearance, configuration, excellent fit in the ears.
I would recommend these headphones to people who love very fast genres of rock, metal, electronic and pop music.

Intro​

The 1+2 hybrids have been made for quite a while now and there’s a lot of different tunings being offered using the same driver configurations in the market. So what makes the Yume any different from the others? Would it be ‘meh’ or would it trumps over all the other similarly configured hybrids out there? It is interesting to see how a ‘new’ brand name would approach the almost overly saturated IEM space and this debut IEM by See Audio should not be looked down upon. Why? Let’s find out…

Packaging​

First off, I’m not really a fan of the waifu-themed box sleeve. Yes the colour choices are attractive and it is eye-catching to be displayed on your shelf (it gives a different kind of vibe) but that particular theme is just not for me. The box itself however is more of my liking with its black on black printing. Inside, the Yume is nestled comfortably in its foam slot cut-out along with the black metal carry case resting next to a complete set of eartips, enough for the majority of people.

Fancy box sleeves aside, the IEM itself; the Yume is beautifully built. Sporting the universal custom shell design, it is made of resin and is fairly light despite the purposedly designed half-filled cavity. The smoked translucent shell is a feast to the eyes for those who love to peek at the drivers inside and the faceplate really does complete the looks. The glittery dark green complements its somewhat embossed-chrome logo printing. The fit is perfect for my ears and the stock cable while average, they are supple to the hands and behaves very well.

Functions & Specifications​

• Material – Resin
• Transducer Type – 1x 9.2mm Liquid Silica Dynamic Driver, 2x Knowles Balanced Armature
• Sensitivity – 106dB SPL/mW @ 1kHz
• Impedance – 32ohms @ 1kHz
• Frequency Range – 20Hz to 20kHz

What’s In The Box​

• See Audio Yume
• Silicon Eartips (XS, S, M, L) x1
• Foam Eartips (M, L) x2
• Hockey Puck Carry Case
• Replacement Nozzle Filters x2
• Rinko Stickers

Sound & Tonality​

See Audio Yume was tuned to have a sound signature which follows closely to the Harman target curve and supposedly an all rounder for most music genres. They are in fact a fantastic IEM once you put them in your ears. Tonality can be considered natural and timbre is just about right with somewhat typical OK-ish hybrid coherency (unless you’re really nitpicking on this part, it’s not of a concern). It is by no means groundbreaking but rather a more polished presentation of what a good hybrid IEM should sound like.

Source Used​

Xduoo X2s > Xduoo XQ-10 > See Audio Yume
Hiby R2 > iFi Micro iDSD Black Label > See Audio Yume

Bass​

Sub-bass is powerful but not overly dominant on the Yume. The rumble is done just right with enough presence to make it an intriguing listen. Mid-bass is punchy, impactful and clean which makes it quite versatile without being boomy nor sounding bloated. Upper-bass is lean, detailed and textured. There’s no significant bleed towards the lower mids…just a good mature bass and they are annoyingly addictive. I’ve found myself cranking up the volume on these just to get more fun out of it…and it gives you exactly that.

Mids​

Transitioning to the lower-mids, the Yume sounds lean and clean. There is slight warmth carried over from the upper-bass which really helps with the tonality here. The mids is forward, transparent and detailed. While not being the most revealing mids, they are great considering the micro details and timbre are complementing each other very well despite can be hollow sounding at times (rarely, depending on tracks). Upper-mids can be somewhat tinny-bit thin but are never shouty which renders them to be almost perfect.

Treble​

The lower-treble is pleasantly inoffensive. There’s no annoying edginess, not dull sounding and definitely no sibilance…just carefully tuned to tread between the lines. Treble however can get a little bit peaky but still nowhere near being alarming and is detailed. The sparkle is just right and the shimmer is somehow controlled despite the sometimes intrusive peak. The upper-treble on the Yume could do with a bit more air for nuances but then again it will definitely risk the already good overall treble response.

Soundstage​

It is fair to say that the soundstage on the Yume is average at its best. They are slightly wider than deep but are pretty evenly distributed and what impressed me is their height. For what it’s worth, it manages to present a quite tall soundstage which gives the overall soundstage perception to be almost holographic. Layering is OK but can sometimes be a bit confusing. (YMMV)

Imaging & Separation​

Imaging is precise to say the least and separation on the Yume is fantastic for the price. Everything is very well presented despite the sometimes confusing layering. By this I mean sometimes cues are percepted to be nearer than it should be, and farther when it shouldn’t. I would say that they perform excellently in this regard which actually makes them capable for some technically-inclined duty.

Driveability​

The good news is that they’re not demanding of powerful sources. Most portable devices will be able to drive them pretty well. The bad news is they do scale with more power. So, that’ll leave some of us longing for that extra oomph! But fret not, even a dongle dac will do just fine to make the Yume reveal its true colours.

Synergy​

The Yume will pair well with most sources with very minor changes, slightly affecting the already excellent transient response and even less on the overall sound signature. They can be ‘fun’ sounding with warm sources and can also be somewhat analytical sounding with close to neutral sources but are very enjoyable regardless what source you plug them in.

Comparison​

HillAudio S8 (1DD, 2BA – Balanced Filter)

Back in the days, the S8 is probably the most pleasing IEM to listen to. Along with the tunable nozzle filters, it is among the very versatile IEM at the time. The bass is much more emphasized on the S8 with more rumble but suffers from a very slow decay which bleeds into the mids. The mids is lush sounding and warmer on the S8 as compared to the Yume. Treble however can be a bit metallic-ish sounding with sometimes offensive peaks on the S8 which renders the Yume to be a more refined, well tuned IEM.

On to technicalities, the Yume just blows the S8 away in every audible aspects. Soundstage is ever so slightly larger, layering is more defined, imaging and separation is excellent on the Yume in comparison to the S8. With that being said, it shows that the Eastern companies (in general) have indeed improved upon the tuning of their products and it is a very wise move in order to keep bringing something fresh, technically competent products on the table.

Moondrop Blessing 2 (1DD, 4BA)

Retailing for almost twice the asking price, the Blessing 2 is a honestly different IEM altogether along with a different approach on the sound signature and a more bad ass technicality. Bass is leaner, cleaner and more textured on the Blessing 2. Mids is transparent, more revealing of micro details and thinner sounding on the Blessing 2. Treble is livelier, airier and more nuanced on the Blessing 2 at the expense of it getting a bit hot. But for tonality, the Yume sounds more balanced and more pleasant overall.

The technicalities on the Yume is, like I said earlier…competent. No it won’t trade blows with the Blessing 2 but more of a benchmark on what a tehcnically capable IEM should deliver. Alas, the soundstage on the Blessing 2 is wider and taller but the Yume is perceptibly slightly deeper. Imaging is similarly precise but separation on the Blessing 2 is superior. Remember the somewhat confusing layering on the Yume? The Blessing 2 does not suffer from that.

For Who?​

In my opinion, those who are fans of the ‘Harman-Target’ curve will definitely adore the Yume. Despite some minor nit-picking technical quirks, they do sound great. Needless to say that with the asking price, you really do get more than just a fancy packaging/unboxing experience…you also get a very competent IEM to add in your collection.

Verdict & Stars​

I would say that the Yume will probably be the most valuable priceerformance purchase and will put you in a pause for quite a while before you start looking for replacements. And it is suffice to say that the only way you will be satisfied after the Yume is with the upper-tier offerings. Yes, it is that good. Let’s just hope that the Yume is not a one-hit-wonder from See Audio.

5 Stars

SeeAudio Yume Review



Source

Tidal -> Venture Electronics Odyssey HD Dongle -> SeeAudio Yume
Cayin N3 Pro(Solid State Mode) -> SeeAudio Yume

Sound

I will do a breakdown as follows in describing how it sounds.
*Throughout this review, stock cable and stock eartips are being used to describe the nature of this IEM as accurately as possible based on my listening sessions without the attempt to alter the signature by cable rolling or tip rolling.

Bass

The presence of the bass is just enough in my opinion. I’m always going after quality rather than quantity. Sub bass extension is good as expected from Harman tuning, but of course the sub bass rumble is very mild and it is there to make the overall listening experience enjoyable. Personally, the presence is enough for me. No complaints about the bass.

Mids

The mids are smooth although the vocals seem to be quite prominent.
That is when it is running on VE’s Odyssey HD dongle. Switching it to Cayin’s N3 Pro and it kinda tone down a little probably due to the colorization from N3 Pro itself as the signature is not neutral to begin with, but it sounded good on both the dongle and DAP. It’s all down to personal preferences when it comes to the signature i suppose.
The timbre is also very realistic and does not sound metallic or cold.


Treble

As expected from a Harman Curved based tuning. The treble is well implemented and not sibilant at all. Jpop Anime tracks in particular such as Unravel(Tokyo Ghoul) by TK, Kaikai Kitan(Jujutsu Kaisen) by Eve they sounded very dynamic and with just enough sparkles to not cause it to be sibilant. These two tracks, if being played on a sibilant IEM, is a really horrible experience, but Yume nailed it!

Soundstage/Imaging/Separation

There is nothing much to shout out about the soundstage. I would say it is pretty average. Not too wide or nor too narrow that it made you feel “boxed” in.
Instrument separation is quite impressive in my opinion. I will usually play anime JPop tracks to test this as usually they have a lot of background instruments playing at the same time. KaiKai Kitan(Jujutsu Kaisen) - Eve, Unravel(Tokyo Ghoul) - Ling. Instrument positioning can be pinpointed accurately. Transition between left and right channel and vice versa is well implemented to give a good sense of separation and imaging.

Driveability

Tested on both the Cayin N3 Pro and VE’s Odyssey HD dongle, both of them can drive the Yume to its full potential without breaking a sweat. On the Odyssey HD plugged into Windows 10 laptop, volume level at 12 is good enough to enjoy Yume in its full potential. Cayin N3 Pro on the other hand is of course much more powerful than Odyssey HD, on medium gain and 35/100,it is enough to drive Yume for an enjoyable experience.

Specifications

Impedance 32Ω.
Sensitivity 106dB.
Frequency Response Range 20Hz-20kHz.
THD+N <2%.
Termination Plug 3.5mm.
Connector 2-pin 0.78mm
Driver 1DD+2BA
Cable 5N OCC



Final Thoughts

Overall an enjoyable IEM that puts a lot of emphasis on the vocals especially. Jazz, or tracks that focus solely on vocals is heavenly, for everything else, it is quite picky when it comes to genre. There are some tracks where it excels as I mentioned above, but some it just failed to meet the expectation. I wouldn’t say that this is an all rounder IEM, but if you are looking for something that you can just hook up and not EQ anything like i do, this might be for you. You need to look elsewhere if you are looking for an all rounder.



*Disclaimer
This unit is sent to me as part of Malaysia’s Yume Review Tour in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. I thank SeeAudio again for this opportunity.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Seeaudio for giving me this review unit and giving me the opportunity to review the yume.
This is the most premium IEM I've tried.

Introduction:

SeeAudio is a company run by ex-QDC employees. Their debut IEM, the Yume, is a 150$ usd IEM with a 1DD+2BA configurations. it have caught the attention of many people as being tuned to the Harman 2020 targets.
Is the attention totally worth it after all these months? Let's find out.

comfort :
It is comfortable for me, I can listen for long time session.

packaging :
The package is pretty large, but it is really attractive, with photos of anime beauties. There are two set of eartips(foam and silicon) ,an introduction manual along with a metal casing .

build :
Build-wise, it is beautiful and substantial with a CIEM feel and look.

sounds :
The bass is lean and fast. I quite like the bass here for its’ clean presentation and won't bleed into the mids. However, I would the bass to be thicker as I find it too lean at times.

As for the mids, I find the mids to be lean and vocal focused. Female vocals sound upfront and intimate. Moving on to the male vocals, it is also forward sounding. I enjoys the male vocals for the crisp and detailed sound delivered. I love the mids here as I am a huge fan of vocals and the SeeAudio Yume definitely performs in this region .

As for the highs, I find that the treble is smooth and non-fatiguing. What I like about the treble is that when I listen to songs like Good Day - IU, the final part of IU voice is smooth instead of glaring. However, I think that the treble extension could be improved on. But with its smoothness, I'm satisfied.

Soundstage wise, I really like the Yume's Soundstage as it is tall and deep. When listening to songs by the Taiwanese girl group, S.H.E, I could feel the forwardness of the singers’ vocals and at the same time, feel the sense of stage around them. Soundstage here does not feel narrow or constrained. However, I think it'll be better if the soundstage is to be wider.

Now, let us look at the imaging , it is also pretty good. I can pinpoint where the singer is located on the stage. Not forgetting to mention, the instrument separation is great! Making it an ease to pinpoint where the instruments are coming from.

In conclusion , if you enjoys the harman curve tuning , with the characteristics of being vocals-focused and neutral sounding, you will certainly enjoy it . In my opinion, It's worth trying at the sub 150 usd price tag .

SeeAudio Yume is an IEM that has been pretty hyped when it first came out a few months ago. From what I know, SeeAudio a company that is rumoured to be founded by ex-QDC employees, and they've come up with Yume as their entry-level IEM.

Yume is a $169usd hybrid IEM with a 1DD/2BA configuration. Upon opening its beautiful designed box, I am presented with a case, a copper 3.5mm cable, 2 sets of tips (Silicon and Foam), and the IEM itself. Giving credits where it's due, I find the unboxing experience and accessories set to be stunning at this price point. Loved every second of unboxing the Yume. No complaints here.

With that out of the way, let's start the review.


*Disclaimer: This review is done using BGVP a08 tips and stock cable. Why? Read on further to find out......

PROS :​

• To put it simply, Yume is smooth, lean, and vocal-focused. I would describe the sound signature here as "neutral with sub-bass boost", aka Harman.
• With a08 tips, the bass here is punchy, slightly meaty, and deep. Just like every other Harman-tuned IEM, it is more sub-bass-focused than mid-bass. Which, for the most part, is appreciated as it ensures that the mids aren't bloated or coloured by the mid-bass. Sub-bass sounds clean, with good texture and decent slam. However, with stock tips, Yume's bass is lacking. It just lacks that tightness and punch that I expect from a DD bass. I highly recommend BGVP a08 tips to add that thickness and fullness that it needs.
• The midrange is the star of the show here. It is seriously reminiscent of the B2: Dusk. And after A/B testing them, I was right. They are NOT IDENTICAL, mind you, but they are similar enough where I think it is necessary to mention (give credits where it's due).
• I would describe the midrange here as having "B2: Dusk-like" leanness, but smoother and just a smidgen bit warmer. Vocals here are slightly emphasized, with vocals sounding forward, intimate, and smooth. Do keep in mind that with a08 tips, mids become thicker and fuller. Combo this with its smooth and vocal-forward tonality, and you are seriously in for a treat. With stock tips, note weight is thinner and leaner. Again, a08 tips recommended.
• As for treble, as expected from Harman, it is as inoffensive as it could get. Treble here is smooth and non-fatiguing with no weird peaks. Treble heads might find the treble here to lack sparkle and excitement at times, but other than that, the treble here is executed really well.
• The soundstage here is more tall and deep than wide.
• The imaging is pretty decent. Images pretty well within the space that it is given. Image separation is good too.
• Not to mention, the unboxing experience is stellar with great stock accessories. Love the design of the box, love the design of the IEM, love the case, love the cable.
• This is also one of the best-fitting IEMs that I've tried. Seriously fits me like a glove. Really good fit.
• Overall, Yume has a smooth tonality that I love as I find it very relaxing and easy to listen to for long hours with no signs of fatigue. Pair this with its vocal intimacy, and you get an IEM that's just perfect for those days where all you want to do is relax and listen to soothing music.

CONS :​

• With stock tips, the bass here just lacks that tightness and punch that I expect from a DD bass. I highly recommend BGVP a08 tips to add fullness and thickness.
• Not the most dynamic sounding IEM
• Not the most detailed or technical IEM. Detail freaks, look elsewhere.
• Transients are smooth. Sometimes could sound smeared. Wish it could be snappier at times.
• Soundstage isn't the widest
• Timbre can be somewhat grainy with stock tips.
• Stock tips could be better. It'll be great if these come with BGVP a08 tips OOTB.

WHY YOU SHOULD USE BGVP A08 TIPS INSTEAD OF STOCK SILICON TIPS :​

• With stock tips, note weight is thin, the bass is lacking with body and punch, and mids, too, lacks body.
• BGVP a08 tips add the thickness and fullness that the Yume needs. After changing the tips to BGVP a08 tips, everything becomes better. Bass is thicker, fuller, punchier, and mids/vocals sound thicker and fuller... You get all these improvements to the sound while still maintaining Yume's overall smooth and relaxing tonality. Also, these tips are only $2usd.

IN CONCLUSION:​

As expected from a Harman-tuned IEM, SeeAudio Yume exhibits a smooth tonality that is relaxing and very easy to listen to for long hours. Not to mention, the fact that its tonality reminds me of my Blessing 2: Dusk (which is 2x the price of Hume) is a serious feat.

There's a reason why reviewers like Crinacle and Precogvision gave these a very high score for its tonality... And that is because the tonality here is executed very well.

If you are looking for a Harman tuned hybrid under $200usd that is vocal-focused, smooth, and lean...

The SeeAudio Yume might be it.

--SEEAUDIO YUME POST-HYPE REVIEW--

TONALITY: 8.5/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.5/10
CONSTRUCTION&DESIGN:8.5/10
SOUND VALUE: 8.5/10

SEEAUDIO are newcomers in the International ChiFi market but have made their hands before by collaborating with QDC audio company that have lot of experience with multi-BA IEM tuning. The Yume is their entry-level IEM, and it gets inspired by Harman target response for tuning which is rare but not exceptional because company like Moondrop and Tanchjim follow a similar tuning vision.

Priced 170$, the Yume is a Hybrid UIEM that use a unique ''Liquid silicone diaphragm'' dynamic driver in tandem with 2 Knowles BA (29689-33518). As a big fan of the Knowles 29689 balanced armature used in my beloved Hisenior T2U for mid-lower treble, I really want to give the Yume a try to hear what an extra DD can achieve with such promising drivers choices.

Now that the hype calms down a little, it's time to judge if the Seeaudio Yume have stand test of time or if it was just an ephemeral best-seller we should forget.

PACKAGING is very nice and playful. It even includes funny Manga stickers for those waifu fanbois. The box is big and i do enjoy the meditative manga character that cover the box. The carrying case is of good quality, padded in the inside so your IEM prompt to scratch (not Yume) will be fully protected. The 5N OCC (high purity copper) cable, for once, is very nice both in construction and tonality, making it perfect to pair with the Yume



CONSTRUCTION is very good. It use a transparent resin plastic body and beautiful faceplate. The body is rather small for such a hybrid which makes the fit very smooth and comfy. This iem are very light and will fit any type of ears size and shape. My only gripe is about the 2pin connector which isnt embedded in the curvy housing and can make it hard to connect rightly certain 2pin cable. I get very frustrated when the pins doesnt want to enter the holes cause of curvy 2pin emplacement. This is even harder with a cable that doesn't have ear hook...anyway, with included cable its rather easy if you dont have shaky hands.

SOUND
(using SMSL SU9+SH9 and Ibasso DX90)

TONALITY is a very relaxed W shape where most of the emphasis and attention is in mids and lower treble plus some extra micro-details push, again, in a delicate inoffensive way. This is a lean rich listen that avoids complete boredom with a slight sub-bass boost, offering pleasant slam and lower extension that benefit acoustic bass find in jazz for example. In fact, it's the hybrid BA version of Harman target balance, which, IMO, is less warm and colored than when does with a single DD.

BASS lines are rather clear, with more authority and presence than high low that lacks energy and punches for instruments like kick drum which lacks proper singularity and affirmation. Don't get me wrong, the bass isn't bad in quality, have a pleasant texture and even some snap in the bass line, again, acoustic is the way to go because it isn't super thick weighty bass, neither a ''complete'' presentation of all that hide in this section.
Lack of impact is felt for everything but some percussions, somewhere in treble their welcome extra energy, which boosts liveliness a bit.

Then the MIDS, i know these mids in fact, they are the exact same as found with Hisenior T2U using the same Knowles BA I think. Very realist, open, airy and for a BA I would dare to say lush because their some density and naturalness to vocal, especially female vocal which doesn't care as much about lower end body than male vocal. Every instrument in mid-range are extremely well resolved, clean, smooth with realistic tone. Every instrument lacks a bit of bite and body as well. Why? Because they are so incredibly Transparent. The sound layers float around you, never hitting you with either too forwards dynamic or bright presence. The Seeaudio Yume are made for the contemplative audiophiles that wanna give an active yet patient listening to its precious but very polished sound. Simply put, the female vocal is star of the show with the highest emotive impact, but the violin sound life-like and accurate if not a bit distant, the same goes for piano, clean, articulate, tonally right but a bit lacking in this special weight it needs to trigger our emotivity.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm not more enamored about TREBLE presentation of the Yume than the vocal themself. Firstly, the transition between mids and highs is so organic you will not even know it's 2 different BA. Secondly, the more i dig into details and texture and more I'm in awe of how well sculp are the highs, it's not out of place micro-details that jump at you, it's full sounding mids with natural well-controled decay, beautiful density and texture, and finally....a sens a weight that we don't find in other frequency apart lower bass slam. Sure, some more sparkle and brilliance and well, overall extension up to at least 15khz would have been nicer, because while it snap fast, the highs can lack a bit of edge and energy...for a treble head! Which I am if it's not too peaky. The level of sound info you get with the Yume can be both underwhelming or overwhelming, depending on how curious your ears are. Think about a Final E4000 with 2 more BA, following the same tonal balance, and you got a Yume. Yummy isn't it??

TIMBRE has good density, nice pitch contour, nuanced texturing that never feel grainy or overly dry, or and both DD and BA timbre match together perfectly.

SOUNDSTAGE-IMAGING is something that the ear tips choice will greatly inflict on, and i decide to use a short wide bore eartip, the very same I use for Dunu DK-2001 and Hiseniour T2U to open the soundstage drastically. This tends to steal some bass tightness but it's not an issue with the Yume due to recessed mid-upper bass. In fact, bass thickens. While this way the Soundstage do open, its just minimally out of your head, with the center of stage very near but very deep too. Thats the highlight wtv eartips you use the Yume have deep, near tunnel-like, soundstage. The IMAGING lacks a bit of space in separation horizontally, especially in mid-range. So even with my ''special'' ear tips, imaging isn't the most accurate in positioning though it's very articulate and holographic.

TECHNICALITIES are as good or even better than Tonality here, and that's how i love an IEM balance...cause yes, technical balance do exist too IMO, especially in hybrid! The attack is very fast, accurate and near impossible to overwhelmed with busy tracks. Cheaper BA will go shouty and saturated with harmonic distortion but not the Knowles used for the Yume. Yes, the DD is a bit slower, less clean and accurate, but match the BA in timbre and overall cohesion.

Side notes: While I don't think Yume benefits from intense amping, I do think a phone or very powerful dongle or DAP would not trigger its full dynamic potential. At 106db sensitivity and 32ohm of impedance, this isn't an Hybrid that will be capricious about impedance or power output, so why not feed it with a clean powerful enough source? My Ibasso DX90 is perfect and delivers 300mw@32ohm. Even using high gain with my SMSL SU9-SH9 stack didn't create distortion or negative aspect....though I use it at low gain just for more precise volume control. Yume being very transparent and serious about sound rendering, cable pairing do inflict a bit on tonality....which perhaps explains the very cable choice of Seeaudio....a litz copper, why? Well, it warmth and thicken timbre a bit. Using a good SPC cable can give extra air, details and accuracy to the sound. But here, it's really subjective so please explore by yourself even if my conclusion is: stock cable is a good enough pairing. Oh and for the ear tips....none of the ones included open enough the sound to my taste, strangely DD and BA tend to compress their soundwaves when the ear tips have a too long or thin nozzle, resulting in distant or closed sound presentation. BA doesn't like nozzle help, they open in a different way than DD. Please do your own experimentation with an open mind to achieve your own open sound!

COMPARISONS:

VS FIIO FH3 (1DD-2BA: 140$)

FH3 is colder, more detailed and analytical with leaner mids and sharper treble. Bass is more boosted, have more kick and rumble but more bloom to with hard-hitting sub bassy tracks. Yume has warmer bass that feels better balanced and more cohesive with the rest of the spectrum, though less detailed and present. MIDS are notably less forwards and open with the FH3, vocal sound a bit artificial and too emphasized in higher harmonic. Imaging is a bit cleaner and more precise with FH3, due to higher overall resolution. Highs are more emphasized and extended, but thinner and more ''metallic'' sounding than Yume. Timbre is more natural with Yume, denser and a bit less detailed.
Here, the FH3 pushes its technicalities forwards which affect a bit of tonal musicality, Yume chooses the opposite directing, taming a bit it's technicalities to achieve a more even and natural tonal balance with a more mid centric approach. I can see myself listening to a long time with the Yume, while it isn't the case with FH3 that lack ''organic musicality''. If you wish the Yume were more bassy and analytical, FH3 could be the answer though.

VS BQEYZ SPRING2 (Dual DD-piezo+1BA: 160$)

BQEYZ has a more energic and bassy W shape signature, bass is more thumpy, thick, weighty but a bit more bleedy too. Mids are more forwards, bit brighter, more textured and thicker in timbre. Male vocal has notably more body, while female vocal can bit just a hint more sibilant, less smooth than Yume. Treble is more forward too, delivering more micro-details, highs are more snappy and bright. You have more sparkle with the Spring2 as well, so treble extends further surely. You have more harshness too. Soundstage is wider-taller, not deeper than Yume. Imaging is less accurate, especially in mid-range, due to the less transparent layering of BQEYZ. All in all, Yume is like a smoother, more laidback sound Spring2, both have an emphasis in bass and mids, but BQEYZ treble is more in your face. Personally, i find the Spring2 more fun, but less refined and well-balanced than Yume.

CONCLUSION

It's rare that I appreciate that much an IEM I would tend to consider to be a ''jack of all trades, master of none'', but the Yume is in fact a master of tonal balance as well as laid back musicality that keep us awake with its generous amount of transparent sound layers and open immersive mid-range presence.

With the Yume, you don't have the disadvantage of balanced armature timbre, and it's not because they use very competent Knowles BA that this is easy to achieve. The tuning was carefully made using tubings connections and BA filters to permit this cleanly articulate yet smooth and revealing sound.

While I would never consider the Yume as Fun sounding as well as big mass appealing because of its mature unforced sound presentation, I can imagine they will stand the test of time as the Final E4000 does. The Seeaudio Yume is an IEM you appreciate in the long run because its whole charm resides in the naturalness of it's timbre and relaxed tonality. To achieve such a refined tuning with its first offering is a statement of passion for tonal balance that we rarely found with ''too fun'' IEM today. Fun sound can be exhausting, so if you just want to be gently immersed in your music and enjoy rich treble and superb vocal, the Yume should be in your buying list.

---------

PS: I wanna thanks Seeaudio for this review sample. I have no affiliation with this company and as always i'm 100% independent of any type of influence possible.
You can order the Seeaudio Yume from authorized seller HIFIGO:
https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-yume-1dd-2ba-hybrid-in-ear-earphone

For more reviews, my blog is restarted and will evolve in the futur. Give a look and subscribe if you value audio experience over hyping or graphs!
https://nobsaudiophile.wordpress.com/

See Audio Yume ~ "A pleasant depression"

I'll tell you why!

Seeaudio is a fairly new player in the chifi market, they started in custom IEMs then took the Universal market eventually providing very like Berry exceptional tuning at a competetive price point. Recently they have initiated to aggressively market their products here in PH starting with making Ian Tayao as their pioneering endorser. Kool strategy if you ask me. A metal hardcore vocalist being able to monitor his vocal performance despite the band's aggressive riffs and drum beats.

I was lucky enough to be reserved with a slice in the Philippine Reviewers Circle and because of that I'm able to try and have a chance to own different IEM brands, just like how I got my Yume. No monetary incentives and that will make my reviews tad more transparent. Nuff said lets's check on Yume!


Harman Target Curve@2020 (to provide more transparent and smoothness of sounds)
106 DB
32 Ohms
20 Hz - 20k Hz
1DD + 2BA (Liquid Silicone Diphragm + 2 Custom tuned Knowles BA: Mids/Highs)
LFC atechnology (Removes multi driver crossover distortion, cleaner and more precise sounds)
1.2m .78 2 pin 5N OCC Cable
$170 ± $5

They say when you're happy you tend to enjoy the music, and when you're sad that's the time you understand the lyrics, well YUME no matter how happy you are, you will enjoy the music while understanding the lyrics for its clarity and transparent representation. Hence, I claim it pleasantly depressing. ♥

Ian Tayao once mentioned that even when he's not feeling well he was still able to perform 4 songs just because he can hear himself really clear and that all he did was to texture his vocals and did not need to force his way through the songs.


Unboxing:
Typical packaging that consists of a printed jacket that has an anime girl which they named Rinku, inside the jacket is a black box that encases the following:
2 Rinku stickers
Instructions
Greeting card
4 pairs of silicone tips
4 pairs of foam tips
1 carrying case
Yume and its cable


Build:
High quality resin shell and face plate. Internals are half filled injected with resin too to provide stability and access for repairs. It has 1 vent hole for ear pressure and has metal nozzles with workable lips for ear tips stability. Cable is nicely braided and soft. 3.5mm jack looks really sick tho! Oh it's a bit tacky so it could be tangle prone sometimes. Better utilize the case to avoid it. Design varies per country.

Impressions:
Yume having claimed that it is Harman Target tuned, to me it is very Midcentric with great resolution and imaging. It delivers a transparently but yet very detailed rendition of vocal and guitar performances without any flaws at all. Can be lean, can be airy and can be well textured and emotive. Having said that, it is the IEM I have right now to have the best Mids representation among my collection. Buuuuut.... It's not an all rounder IEM you'll see why.

Bass can be heard slow with a bit of a punch and can be boomy at times but has a resolution to it making it not so bad at all. In fact, there are some tracks that the bass actually performs transparently which is my preferred kind of tuning. Im giving it 3/5 stars tho to consider the bassheads out there.

Mids on Yume is Rinku's main offering to consumers! It's by far the best mids yor $170 can buy for you! Transparent, clean, airy, excellent all throughout the mids section. Strings and percussions has this euphotic details that lingers deep in your head. Male vocals are strong and lean, female vocals are airy and detailed. Different vocalization methods are all rendered professionally Wind instruments are well accented with great details and airyness to it. This is clearly the best Yume can provide and man it's exceptionally great and it's addictive!

Trebles perform quite well but lacks a bit of shimmer to it. Cymbals still sounds realistic but a bit shy compared to other instreuments BUT it's fixable with JVC Spiraldots. Splashes are pleasant and never harsh generally smooth throughout the section.

Imaging is precise and very contrasted giving silence between the sounds. Sounds are layered gracefully while staging is intimate. Details are presented confidently.


Pros
Cool packaging
Great mids
Impressive design
Safe bass and trebles
Not fatiguing
Great fit
Minimal to zero flexing

Cons
cable can be tangle prone
Genre specific

Bass ★★
Mids
Trebles ★
Imaging ★
Layering ★
Microdetails ★
Soundstage ★★
Spatial Panning ★
Timbre ★
Tonality ★
Affordability ★

Overall rating ★

Tested on LG V30 Quad DAC/iFi Zen DAC
Collection of 16/24bit Flacs and Tidal Masters

Comparisons
TRN TA1 -simply for being midcentric. TA1 requires tips and cable rolling for it to perform well as I mentioned on my other review. Yume on the other hand sounds great right off the bat. TA1 can be shouty and harsh at times too.

QoA Adonis -I waited too long to compare these 2 just to find out that they sound far from each other. Adonis being well rounded but does not hold up to high power while Yume is midcentric and can be genre specific. But Yume if put in a right spot it will surely please anyone!

BQEYZ Spring2 -spring 2 has better bass and is brighter than Yume providing wider staging and more shimmer and sparkle to tracks. Mids are fairly similar Yume being a bit better. Imaging can be fairly weighed on both iems


Conclussion:
Yume can be classified as the top mid centric IEM at $170 giving decent bass and trebles while providing an excellent vocal monitoring capabilities. Excellent for acoustic, power house vocal tracks, blues, jazz, classical, alternative and world music and some RnB. Thus sounds inferior for Hiphop and EDM for having flaws on the bass region other than that it is a great IEM everyone should have specially for midcentric reference.

Thanks Seeaudio and PhRC!

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VIDEO VERSION



Introduction

Sometimes an IEM will come around that does one thing SO MAGICALLY well that you forget or don't notice any other flaws that it has. The Seeaudio Yume is one of those IEMs. Not often, an IEM will make me want to revisit my entire collection of songs, but once these are on my ears, I can't help but shuffle through and listen to all my favorite songs all over again.

The beauty here lies in how realistic the vocals come across. It is like they are standing in front of you singing in the same room. I can't get enough of how this sounds.

The only other IEM that gave me a similar goosebump of an experience is the Blessing 2 Dusk, but that's double the price of these. They are not the same; they just gave me the same addictive feeling when it comes to their vocal tonality.

Now that I've got you excited about the Yume, here are the two big questions we'll answer today. Are these set for you, and what are the trade-offs for such superb tonality?

Sound Breakdown

Bass

The Yume has "just enough" bass power. The hits and slams will not satisfy any bass-heads out there, but it's decent enough for regular listeners. The sub-bass extension is good. Sub-bass rumbling is mild around the shoulder and chest area, but it's noticeable and quite enjoyable.

I don't have much to complain about the bass on a personal level, I find it enjoyable, and the extra sub-bass and the rumble are very lovely.



Midrange

If you ever wonder what natural, true to life, vocals and midrange sound like, stop wondering and buy these. The midrange is where the Yume shines above every IEMs below $200 (I would even say $300). It's so spectacularly well-tuned, you can close your eyes and imagine the singer is in the same room as you. Male vocals feel complete and slightly weighty without being warm. Female vocals are comfortingly powerful, with more focus on their lower range. However, their top-range might feel limited. An artist like Ariana Grande is a great example. At the top of her range in the song "34+35", you'll feel slight congestion; that's more to do with the lack in treble extension that we'll get into after this. Besides those similar to Grande, other vocalists don't have this problem in any significant way.

When it comes to instruments like strings and piano, they all sound excellent on these IEMs. Orchestral and piano tracks sound realistic, like you're listening to them perform for you in person.

Overall the mids and vocals are a thing of beauty on these IEMs. While it's not the top-of-the-line tonality compared to more expensive IEMs, it's beyond perfect for its price.



Treble

Treble is average on the Yume. It doesn't come across as dark but more on the neutral side. Treble extension is one of the most significant limitations of these IEMs. It's only average at best on the Yume. Which will make some female vocals, like mentioned above, feel a bit limited. Also, instruments like flutes, electric guitars might not have the decay and shine that many listeners want. The Yume does have enough treble to support relatively clean drum hits. However, the symbol hits lack shinner and shine.

Overall, the treble can use a bit of work. The BRIGHT side is, it's not fatiguing in any way.

Technical Performance

Details & Separation

Detail is the second biggest limitation; these are not the most detailed IEMs for the price. While vocal clarity is good, the bass texture and treble crispiness are lacking. Separation is decent; some instruments, especially in the bass, can feel slightly overlapping. Separation issues are more noticeable on busier tracks (some rock, metal, EDM). All that said, given the price, it's not a deal-breaker.



Imagine & Soundstage

The soundstage is a bit narrow, exhibiting the "in-your-head" type of experience. Imagine well-done. You can tell the direction of each instrument and a good level of dept between each one as well.

The Good & Bad

The Good

• Superb midrange tuning. Vocals and instruments sound realistic and captivating.
• Good clarity in the midrange.
• The sub-bass extension is very good with nicely done smooth rumble.
• Treble is non-fatiguing.
• Good imaging.

The Bad

• Bass and treble lack some details to make them shine.
• Treble extension can use some work.
• Bass can use more power.
• Average to narrow soundstage capability.

Alternatives

The only pair I can think of that has a similar feeling to these would be the Blessing 2 Dusk. Although it's twice as expensive, it has qualities that make it top-of-the-line for its price. The bass is powerful and controlled, and the treble is brighter with more crispiness. Overall detail and clarity are superior to the Yume. Blessing 2 Dusk is the better set in almost every category. If you can afford it, I'd go with that one. If not, the Yume is still an outstanding choice and the only choice I know in its price for this level of tuning.

Conclusion

Even with all its shortcomings, the Seeaudio Yume is still a gem in the IEM world. Its ability to make vocals sound the way it does is only found in IEMs $300 and above. The tuning here is truly a glimpse into the top-end realm of IEMs. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, sometimes an IEM will come around that does one thing SO MAGICALLY well that you forget or don't notice any other flaws that it has. The Yume is one of those rare gems that are 100% worth your attention.



Disclaimer
Unit purchased from hifigo.com for personal use.
All opinions are my own.

Greetings mates, Welcome to my another IEM review and we do some deep dive and comprehensive assessment of this particular pair set from new audio company from China, See Audio. I have some scant infos about this new audio company like they have some connection with QDC but based on the appearance and quality of their product, they indeed aiming at Chifi midrange segment.



Let's just cut out the chase and here it is their product, The See Audio Yume. The See Audio Yume is a hybrid driver set-up, a single Dynamic Driver and Two (2) balanced armature Knowles driver. This is currently price at around US $165 - 170 in online stores.



The unboxing experience that I've feel is quite gratifying as this is one of the best appealing looking packaging box in IEM product and it is indeed smashing.



The blue coloured packaging box itself is humongous for the pair of IEMs and its included accessories inside but it has a beautifully drawn anime character art as their mascot (her name is Rinko for audio enthusiasts who were interested in this anime waifu thing.) at the front and some graphs infos and specification at the rear.



The contents inside of the box are the pair of IEMs, extra eartips (both silicone and memory foams) of different sizes, a circular shape metal case, an ample high quality 4-core litz cable and some paperworks like warranty card and basic instruction manuals..and I almost forgot to mention those stickers with a print of their cute anime product mascot.



The shell of See Audio Yume is incredible astounding and praiseworthy for its aesthetic choice. It is a medium-size smoky opaque black one, made of high quality resin with greenish glitter in the the front shell with stylized SeeAudio logo that looks like an Eye of Ra and 'see' on the left shell and 'yume' with right shell at the bottom in vertical way. There is a single vent hole on it for acoustic chamber purposes for "breathing" on diaphragm on the dynamic driver. It has those stabilizing fins that really sits well in my outer ear as it really give me the best possible fitting and sound isolation for blocking some external noises from the surrounding which I gave a perfect score of this one.



The scalability on See Audio Yume is very flexible one as it has a 32 ohms impedance and a decent sensitivity rating which can be driven sufficiently from most media player sources such as DAPs, smartphones, tablets and laptops. But a high quality Hi-fi DAC/amp will show the full potential of these gorgeous set even more as it will sound more fuller and loads of dynamics.



The tonality of See Audio Yume for me is more on a balanced-"neutral" sound. I can even classify them as an audiophiliac reference tuning due to some mids and treble emphasis on their audio spectrum.This is actually one of my preferred sound signature and most of my current IEMs in my collection are in these kind of tuning.




Lets get it on its sound quality on this set:

LOWS/BASS
As it has a newer dynamic driver technology, we expect a more robust dynamic sounding lows but it is quite an opposite, The bass quality is tight, precise and lightly impactful as it has decent reach of sub bass that I hear some faint of rumbling on it. The midbass has less textured density as the sound of the bass guitar lacks that growl and intensity of resonance especially on some plucking techniques that I'm familiar with as I find it aspirated and a little bit hollowed, And the bass kicks doesn't have that authoritative impact and pounding which this set sounds too soft and mellow. The silver lining on this is that it has fast with transient decays that a bass bleeding on other audio frequency is almost non-existent which is good one for critical listening. I categorised this kind of bass as "neutral bass" and Bassheads looking for bass quantity will certainly avoid this one.

MIDS

This is unequivocally the best part of Yume as it really hit my soft spot as a lover on anything else midcentric tuning. The mids is clean, has a well-defined texture and transparency. I just really amaze how the vocals on these set performs superbly. Both vocals of both gender sounds forwards and brim with details as I hear it similarly from good midcentric IEMs that I've currently have. The sounds of rhythm and percussion instruments sounds natural and vivacious as they are go along with the vocals harmoniously on the track (Even some black metal tracks sounds "clean" despite of they are recorded in lo-fi.) The acoustic and lead guitar shows its crisp, crunchiness and scintillating nature in every plucking on its string. Rhythm guitar sounds precisely and emotional as I feel its characteristic via chord progression even the complex ones. The piano tone sounds rich and vibrant for every note hammering hit to feel its resonance. Snare hits very pinpoint and has a good impact if it was mingle along with cymbals, they could create a good groove on it. This set will deliver the attributes of a well-refined mids that midcentrics are looking for.

HIGHS/TREBLE

The treble quality of this set has that sparkle, gleam and lively as I hear it. I certainly feel those peaks in that upper mids and presence sector but they are harmoniously mix well in the side of frequecy spectrum. It has a tidy extension and enough airiness on it though I still anticipating for more sizzle on it. The cymbals sounds decent and organic but I wish more shimmer just to the liveliness and energetic. Sibilance is absent or almost non-existent as hissing consonants are well-tamed. I can classify this kind of treble as a "safe treble" as you could hear comfortably without any harshness that causes ear fatigue in a long listening session. This could probably recommended to treble-sensitives who still want to hear a good treble quality.

SOUNDSTAGE and IMAGING

The soundstage of Yume is on average width and depth.Think that you are in a small to medium size bar venue that is enough for under 50 people. Its still has decent sense of space on it. Imaging is actually best part of this set as it really performs tremendously. The positioning and placement of its instruments are accurately discerning into my ears, as I try to do sweeping test on stereo panning to determine its spatial indications. Separation is distinctly commendable of this one that there is a noticeable gap between instruments and vocals. Layering has a substantial overlaying on distinction of instrument on each row. This is indeed has a good holographic presentation in my hearing senses.



As I conclude my review here, The See Audio Yume really outperform my expectations as it really hit hard my Achilles heel (Midcentric IEMs are my own version of Kryptonite).This set emerges as one of the top contenders in under $200 in 2021 to please the audio enthusiasts alike as it offers superbly tune and high quality product at decent price. But the question is how does it categorize itself? Is this a fun sounding or dry and analytical one? For me it has possessed some good attributes on both sides, enjoyable to listen it with an aspect of technical performance.
This is still not a perfect set that I'm looking for but its supposed flaws were outweighed by the good characteristics like tonality and structural value.




SPECIFICATIONS:
MODEL：See Audio Yume
SENSITIVITY：106dB
CABLE LENGTH：1.2mm
IMPEDANCE：32Ω
CONNECTOR：3.5mm
FREQUENCY RANGE RESPONSE: 20Hz - 20 kHz
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION：0.2%
DRIVER CONFIGURATON: 1 DDs and 2 BAs

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 *'*
Santana - Europa *
Wagakki Band - Sakura Rising *'*
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 *
Camouflage - The Great Commandment *
Spice Girls - Goodbye *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Selecter - On My Radio *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
TLC - Unpretty *
X-Japan - Blue Blood*
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
Handel- Sarabande *
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere *'*
Dissection - Night's Blood *
Kalapana - The Hurt *

P.S.

I am not affliated 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.

If you are interested for more infos, Visit See Audio's facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/seeaudio2020

Seeaudio Yume Review

Tl;dr : 170usd, 1dd 2ba setup. Sports the Harman Target 2020 tuning.
Lacks in midbass slam, only sub bass focus like Harman does. Has a dry tonal presentation. Mids are lean and detailed though lacks in body for some instruments. Vocal performance is excellent. Treble performance is very good although lacking a bit of air. Imaging and separation are excellent but lacks in soundstage width. Overall, it’s a bit boring for my tastes.

A bit of background and disclaimer:

Seeaudio gave me the opportunity to try the Yume through a review circle tour; rest assured they won’t influence my review. I hope my criticisms can be used to improve Seeaudio’s future releases and current ones, and guide some curious consumers.

I'm also new on reviewing so please tell me your inputs about it! I'm happy to listen and learn from you guys!

Packaging:

· The packaging consists of a two part box with an anime background on the outer cover and the pair’s specs and graphs. The black box contains the pairs unconnected, the metal container that contains the cable, the four silicone tips & foam tips in different sizes and the papers, stickers and warranty in foam that fits them snuggly. It’s very good for 170usd.

Build:

· The shape of these shells is very custom-like. It’s primarily built with resin with a metal nozzle. I do notice some imperfections in the filling of the shell, I’m seeing tiny solidified droplets of resin from the faceplate. A bit iffy looking but not really noticeable, still decent looking and the sparkly holographic sparkles of the faceplate with the dark resin used makes you focus on those visuals.

Fit and isolation:

· They fit VERY well with the custom-like shells fitting my big ears properly with decent nozzle depth that is sufficient to isolate outside noise on my ears excellently. MANDATORY tiprolling is needed because of the subpar tips provided, so I found a great fit with KZ Starline tips.

Sound:

A bit of background for the source, I used my Meizu DAC (on my phone and laptop) and my music player (Samsung YP-Q2) for the testing. My library consists of MP3 and FLAC albums on 16/44khz and few 24/96khz ones. Here is my lastfm account to see what I listen to: https://www.last.fm/user/varia_ble

- Bass: Super focused in sub-bass amount, extends well when tracks call for sub-bass but even though it extends, it severely lacks in mid-bass slam and weight that I personally think should be in any track.

This is definitely the weak part of the Yume, its lumpy bass. It feels like a heartbeat more than a kick from a drum or an 808, so you could imagine the texture is very lacking too, with lesser present attack and decay.

- Mids: Lean and dry. Timbre is fairly good for a hybrid setup, though some instruments can sound body-less with the sub bass focus plus the dryness of the whole signature. Even though I said that, the sub bass focus actually help to bring the mids up despite the graphs indicating a dip as a Harman signature would show, but really lacks some body as I said earlier. It is fast and snappy in portraying instruments though (they’re using BAs afterall), but I still prefer a more slower and natural snap.
The vocals are definitely the star of the show for the Yume, with female voices portrayed with very good detail and control without being sibilant and the male voice presented decently, so it makes an engaging listen with vocal tracks for me.

- Treble: More focused on the lower treble side of things. It has decent extension for me, and very detailed without getting sibilant. Cymbals and Sssses are handled without any sibilance. Details in this range are portrayed clean, but the lack of air may bother some people. It’s energetic without being too digital sounding, although the speedy snap of BAs isn’t what I prefer.

- Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: The soundstaging is average, a bit claustrophobic. More on depth than the width

Imaging is excellent with well-defined spatial cues and movements.

Separation is also excellent with very good definition of various elements; I think it might have something to do with the speedy rendering of the BAs inside.

Comparison:

- With Sony MH755: They’re in the same Harman signature more or less (MH755 being exaggerated Harman VS Yume following Harman Target 2020 to a T) but with very contrasting costs (MH755 @ 5-20usd vs Yume at 170usd), I want to do this comparison despite the cost differences because both are Harman contenders, which is very interesting for me.

Bass goes to MH755, because its slams better and with desirable mid bass response compared to the Yume.

Mids goes to the Yume, being more defined and detailed, but the MH755 is more natural in that presentation than the Yume will ever be.

Treble goes for the Yume, because it’s more controlled, well defined and detailed compared to the MH755.

Thoughts:

I give the Seeaudio Yume a bit of a lukewarm response, I’m seriously being honest. It’s a bit too boring (or analytical) for my tastes, unfortunately. Add the lacking mid bass response that doesn’t scratch my bare minimum for a bass response. I guess Harman isn’t good for my preferences. I hope Seeaudio can see the lacking bass response and add at least a bit of meat to the mid bass.
However, it is very good for vocal tracks or tracks that don’t use bass that much. I found myself very engaged listening to Takagi Masakatsu’s Kagayaki, with its field recordings of grandmothers singing lullabies with accompanying piano and folk music pieces. I almost cried honestly, so I guess I can still see a golden lining for it because what matters is how it portrays the music anyway. J

Thank you for reading!

Introduction​

For today's review, we're going to be looking at a new brand to the IEM scene, SeeAudio. More specifically, this review will cover the SeeAudio Yume which is their entry-level model at $170 which sports a 1 DD + 2 BA configuration. What's interesting about SeeAudio is that while they are a new company to the scene, I've heard rumours that they're founded from ex-QDC employees. For those unfamiliar with QDC, they make some of the best TOTL IEMs on the planet, with the QDC VX being the most notable. At any rate, if there's any truth to this rumour, it would certainly lend a semblance of credibility to their products compared to yet another random-name-generated ChiFi company.

Disclaimer: I received the SeeAudio Yume from Linsoul in exchange for this honest review. I have not been compensated in any other way.

What's in the Box?​

Following the footsteps of Moondrop, SeeAudio's packaging has an unabashedly Japanese influence to it. I won't comment further; I'll let you decide what to think of it.



Inside the box are the IEMs, a carrying case with the cable inside, and 8 sets of tips: 4 silicon, 4 foams. Oh and you get some cute (?) stickers I guess. The tips are generic but I quite like the 2-pin cable. Its soft and pliable with little cable memory or noise.
The IEM itself is a standard affair. A blue/black ergonomic resin shell that's comfortable in the ear. I will say the fit is quite tight and I get a really strong seal. It has an interesting faceplate design with its logo and embedded green speckles that glimmer beautifully when the light is just right.

Sound​

As usual, I like to open with my first impressions before really diving into talking about how I feel about them after listening for over two weeks or so. Three things about the SeeAudio Yume stood out to me immediately at first glance. One: the tuning is an excellent balanced-neutral signature. Two: the staging is weak. Three: its technical performance is middling.



Unfortunately, it looks like the DD of the right unit of my Yume is dead. It doesn't look like any other reviewers have this issue so I'll chalk it up to bad luck. I'll proceed with my review as normal keeping in mind that it will sound bassier in the left.

And yes, if you're familiar with Antdroid's target, the SeeAudio Yume does measure practically dead on except for the subbass. My own preferences line up very closely with Antdroid's target so its no surprise I quite like the tuning of the Yume.

Bass​

As a hybrid IEM, the Yume boasts a dynamic driver to handle its bass which is always greatly welcomed. Rather than a bass shelf popular with a number of tunings nowadays, the Yume goes for a downward sloping response starting from the subbass and gently landing in the low mids. This gives it a very clean midbass while maintaining subbass presence when called for. Quantity wise, the Yume falls within that Goldilocks zone of having just enough quantity to provide sufficient presence without being the centerpiece of the overall sound. Think Etymotic ER2XR's bass slope except with more subbass from the 60 Hz mark down. I think that's a pretty reasonable move lend more impact at the very low end.

Unfortunately, if you were looking for a thunderous rumble in the low end, the Yume doesn't have that. Instead, it offers a rather textureless one-noted bass punch. Not that there are many IEMs (if any, really) with great bass in this price segment but still, the Yume's bass does fall short against benchmarks like the Tin T4 and Moondrop Starfield. The bass of the Yume's direct competitor in the Thieaudio Legacy 4 sounds a bit like a supercharged version of what the Yume offers thanks to the ostensibly better DD in the L4. That said, it's hard to fault the Yume too much. The bass does what its supposed to: hit a well-crafted tuning target.

Mids​

The tonal balance in the mids is extremely good. The low mids transition cleanly from the bass and possess the very slightest uplift that keeps it from sounding sterile or lean. The upper mids has about an ideal pinna peak of around 3 kHz and strikes superb balance of being forward but not shouty. Vocals are well positioned front and center. Instruments have a very slightly relaxed sound without embellishment. No complaints about the timbre either unless you want to be excessively picky about its BA nature. Despite throwing a number of tracks at the Yume, its tonality maintains rock solid no matter.

I'd go so far as to say that from a tuning perspective, its mids is probably among the best I've heard in an IEM, including the $1,400 Fearless Dawn x crinacle. But what the Yume lacks is the addictive quality that comes with the Dawn. It lacks the technical performance of the Dawn that really elevates that IEM from simply great tuning to a wholly enjoyable experience. While tuning of the mids in the Yume is about as good as you'll get, it somehow fails to truly captivate me. I forget about it the moment I take them off. This isn't a knock against the Yume necessarily: the vast, vast majority of gear I've heard have a similar problem regardless of price. It's what separates IEMs that stand the test of time and those that don't.

Treble​

Like the rest of the IEM, the tuning of the treble is quite good though it does lean on the safe side. There's decent treble energy throughout though it does start to dip out in the upper treble. Once again, no real complaints. It passes my treble test pretty easily; cymbals and hats sound nice and natural, limited only by the quality of the recording. The overall "feel" of its treble falls between the bright touch of the Legacy 4 and the soft, overly dampened treble of the Moondrop Starfield. The lack of peakiness makes the Yume a strong choice for those treble sensitive but has just enough sharpness to prevent it from sounding totally dead.

Presentation​

From its outstanding performance in the tuning department, its technical prowess is downright "normal". Its soundstage has a noticeably in-your-head feel. Imaging is your standard 3-blob affair with little height or depth. While I always like to say that almost all IEMs suffer from this problem to some degree, the Yume does lean into this problem just a little more than its contemporaries. On tracks with great stereo panning, the soundstage and imaging sounds unnatural on the Yume, like there's a sense of a sort of artificial stretching of the stage rather than gentler, diffused sort of sound.

Admittedly, the resolution isn't as bad as I thought it was initially. Though I wasn't impressed at the start, now that I've spent a decent amount of time with it, its detail retrieval is better than the generic $50 range I would've initially put it in. But it's still middling. I'd say that it falls short of the Tin T4 and Moondrop Starfield but is competitive with IEMs shy of that benchmark. As for instrument separation, at least the Yume does a solid job here. Instruments don't feel like they're tripping over each other competing for stage space.

Comparison to Thieaudio Legacy 4​

The Legacy 4 comes in at $195 and in my review of it, I said that it represented a strong $200 benchmark. It's a well rounded IEM that has both solid tuning and technical performance. The Yume chooses the approach of min-maxing. It's easily the one of the best tuned IEM around regardless of price. But the presentation of its overall sound leaves a little something to be desired. Some combination of its weaknesses, be it the soundstage, the softer touch of its treble, its one-noted bass, etc. holds it back from being the new IEM to beat.

Personally, I'm not as enamoured by absolute tonal perfection. I find that as long as the tuning meets a general threshold of "good enough", my focus shifts to an IEM's technical performance and its overall presentation. As such, I'd rather take the Legacy 4 for its more complete nature than Yume's master of one. The L4 has more "character" to it that tips the scales for me, if that makes sense.

Should You Buy It?​

Yes. Despite prefering the L4, there absolutely is a place for the Yume. At $170, the SeeAudio Yume an easy top 5 or so recommendation for its price range and the best if tuning is everything you care about. If you never want to touch an EQ, nothing in the <$300 price range challenges it. To say it sets the benchmark for tonality in IEMs would be unfair to new contenders. And truth be told, I really don't want every IEM to follow the Yume's tuning. Variety is, after all, the spice of life. That said, while Yume may not be the spiciest IEM out there, it'll serve as a great reference in the future to remind myself what an ideal tonality should sound like.

In conclusion, I'll draw a possibly blasphemous analogy. I think of the Yume a bit like the HD600. It's not exactly the best headphone in terms of technical performance. It has a small stage (intimate, if you want a nicer spin), the bass doesn't really slam, and its treble is little smoothed over. But very very few headphones match its tonal performance and with no real competitors, the HD600 is my defacto recommendation in the mid-fi realm. In the same way, the Yume outdoes almost everyone else in the tuning department. Unfortunately, the IEM space is significantly more competitive than the headphone space and the Yume is going to need to fight for its market share. Still, hats off to SeeAudio. Their debut IEM to the most contested market space brings something more than worth talking about.

Written by Fc-Construct

I would want to preface this review with this disclaimer.
Seeaudio has not influenced my opinion in any way, I have bought this iem with my own money.

This IEM is a 2BA hybrid with one "liquid silicone" dynamic driver. I personally don't care it's just marketing jargon like moondrop's "diamond like carbon diaphragm.

You do recieve waifu standies, a keychain and poster though which I think, is pretty neat

Let's get on to the sound.....

Tonality
I have owned this IEM for about a month now and I can confidently say that what I like the most about the yume is it's tonality. It's ability to present top-end details without sounding too harsh and shouty in the highs.
Is great for the price, as in most IEMs in this price range there is almost always pitfalls or compromises somewhere. You could say that the technicalities such as clear imaging is a downfall for this iem, but I will get on to how to solve that later.

The highs
The highs un-EQed is not harsh at all, the top end is quite smooth. I do use EQ which could make top-end quite harsh but I don't mind personally. The drop in the highs makes this IEM sound like a closed back as it loses clarity for the drop.

The mids, really nothing to talk about in my opinion average detail and texture and lack body and can be a bit thin at times.

Bass
Mid bass clean, fast decay, solid bass, with decent quantity. Most likely because the inclusion on a dynamic driver instead of using BA bass.
lacks the punch feel of the bass although you can hear it.

Sub bass is decent and audible but does not dig too deep

Imaging
It is one of the little compromises in this iem, it is definitely passable, but just at the level of the competition such as the FH3 or the OH1.
the imaging on this iem is definitely passable, the center imaging might be a bit vague, but instrument seperation is handled with no problem.
However, with ePro tips, and a balanced cable, the image is very solid and imaging is basically the same as the unbalanced Fh3. However, ePro tips do lose a little bit of bass but nothing EQ can't fix.

For me if someone asked for a mid-fi IEM this would be one of my go-to's

Others would be the dusk, the legacy 4, and the starfields. Also depends on how the 2021 moondrop aria works out.

Disclaimer:

The unit has been sent to me from See Audio as a part of a review circle. I am not working or affiliated to See Audio and I am not being paid or influenced otherwise to say anything positive or negative about this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Note: Please note that my opinions and ratings are based on price, category, market competition and personal expectations and are subjective in nature.

Build Quality and comfort

Yume is a budget offering from See Audio, a 1DD+2BA configuration placed inside glossy black shell with a bit of design on the faceplate along with the branding and logo. The shell looks beautiful, and has a pseudo custom fit. The cable is 0.78mm 2 pin OCC cable with 3.5mm connector. There were 3 pairs of eartips of S, M and L sizes.

Yume fitted really well and was comfortable for long listening sessions. The shells are lightweight and doesn’t lead to any kind of fatigue.

Score: 8.5/10

Sound

The first thing I noticed with Yume is its excellent tuning, its fun as well as engaging at the same time. The tuning is inspired by the 2020 Harman Target. The overall sound signature seemed balanced and neutral to me.

The bass quality is really good and fast. The bass seemed slightly lower in quantity than my preference and lacks the slam. The sub-bass is light and lacked rumble. However, it is what the tonality is intended to be, and the bass is just adequate with respect to the Yume’s tuning.

The mids are however very clean and appropriately forward to my liking. Mids have good amount of details and separation is quite good too.

Highs have good amount of macro details and well extended. Highs are clean and crisp and has good amount of air.

Score: 8.5/10

Soundstage, Imaging, Separation

Soundstage of Yume has average width and depth, and helps keep enough space for instrument heavy tracks to not sound congested. The imaging was good and I was able to pinpoint each instrument. It has good instrument separation and layering and even though soundstage isn’t very wide, the layering and separation along with clean presentation is what makes Yume sail through complex tracks with ease. I never felt any congestion and these properties are really flagship level according to me.

Score: 8/10

Source and drivability

I believe neutral to warm sources will pair well with Yume. I have Ibasso’s DX160 and Pico Power amp. Both Ibasso DX160 PO and DX160 (lineout) to Pico Power paired well with Yume, however Pico Power improves the bass performance and makes the presentation musical and euphonic.

Yume does scale a bit when I moved to my desktop setup, Phi DecaDac (DIY R2R Dac) to Sapphire Amp. The highs became more crisp and oozed out all the details the drivers could afford, the bass had slightly more punch however still seemed lacking to me.

Comparison

A few months ago, I reviewed BQEYZ Spring 2 which I absolutely liked for its performance in the price range it is available. It was really hard to imagine some other IEM can come up and compete with Spring 2 anytime soon. Yume proved me wrong, with its excellent tuning and technical capabilities, Yume is now my favourite IEM under 200$. Compared to Spring 2, Yume has better tuning, more refined sound and excellent layering. Spring 2 had graininess in the highs. However Spring 2 has more bass quantity and punch and soundstage is slightly better than Yume.

Conclusion

Yume’s tonality is comparable to IEMs much higher than its price and even might be better than the most. Technically in terms of soundstage and detail retrieval it might still fall short of higher priced competitors. However, as per my experience, it will be really hard to find anything than can do better than the Yume around or even slightly higher than its price of 169USD. Yume is now my topmost recommendation below 200USD.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

The YUME come in a very pretty box with a robust amount of details on the back. Different size tips in both foam and silicone , a nice metal case and a very good quality cable are included.
Build quality surpassed my expectations and honestly they look amazing. I found them comfortable for long usage in both sound and fit.
The Yume sound nice and well balanced, the Bass: is punchy and tight, Sub Bass is rapid but present , Mid-Bass is quite detailed and textured.
Mids: are forward and positioned perfectly in front of the instruments, they are neutral yet there is a slight push in the upper Mids and lower treble.
Treble: has a fine amount of sparkle but a fast roll off, honestly I like that about them, they have enough detail retrival with out getting harsh in my opinion.
Soundstage: Stage is open and as wide as it is deep but never feels artificial, imaging is good too. In gaming it worked well for me.
Conclusion: See video.

INTRODUCTION AND DISCLAIMER:
The SeeAudio Yume is a hybrid in-ear monitor (IEM) that uses a dynamic driver in combination with two balanced armatures (BA). The Yume retails for $169 at HiFiGo. I received the SeeAudio Yume from HiFiGo in exchange for a fair and objective review.
This review can also be viewed on my blog: https://medium.com/bedrock-reviews/seeaudio-yume-review-d6d6b2273998
SOURCES:
I have used the SeeAudio Yume with the following sources:

• Qudelix 5K
• E1DA 9038D
• Hidizs S9
• Hidizs H2
• Hiby FC3

I have tested these headphones with local FLAC and Spotify Premium. Visit my last.fm page to get an idea of what I listen to.
PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:


The SeeAudio Yume comes in a large rectangular black cardboard box with a blue slipcover. The front of the slipcover is illustrated with Rinko, SeeAudio’s anime girl mascot. Technical specifications for the SeeAudio Yume are provided in English and Chinese on the back of the slipcover. The slipcover also features a frequency response graph for the Yume. The unboxing experience is appropriately premium for a product of this price.
The package includes a braided 5N Ohno Continuous Cast 2-pin cable with a 3.5mm single-ended termination, four pairs of silicone eartips (XS, S, M, L), four pairs of foam eartips (2 x M, 2 x L), and a disc-shaped metal carry case. I was pleased to see a real carry case and foam eartips included with the Yume. The Yume also includes an owner’s manual, a contact card, and a number of Rinko stickers in various sizes.
BUILD QUALITY / DESIGN:

The SeeAudio Yume has clear acrylic housings with inverted teardrop-shaped faceplates and a pseudo-custom fit. I cannot feel or see a seam between the faceplate and the shell body. The faceplates have a speckled pearlescent finish. The left-side faceplate is embossed with a stylized “S” and the word “See” in a T-shaped orientation, whereas the right-side faceplate bears a sunray motif and the word “Yume.” According to SeeAudio, future production runs of the Yume will have different faceplates. The dark-colored housing body is nearly opaque, but one can catch faint glimpses of the internal components if the IEM is held up to a light source. The 2-pin connectors are flush with the surface of the housing. There is a circular silver vent just below the 2-pin connectors. The metal nozzle caps have a mesh cover and a thick lip for securing eartips. The nozzle width is average.



The 2-pin cable included with the Yume is very attractive-looking. The cable uses a quad braid below the Y-split and a double helix pattern for each side above the Y-split. It is not tangle-prone and I have not noticed significant microphonics using it. It also incorporates a plastic chin-adjustment slider, an inclusion that is both rare and appreciated. The cable’s 3.5 mm termination uses a straight metal housing with robust strain relief. The cylindric Y-split hardware uses the same metal for its construction. “SeeAudio” is faintly printed in white text on the jack housing. There is no strain relief at the Y-split. The cable has slim, barely noticeable pre-formed earguides below the 2-pin connectors. The right 2-pin connector has a red plastic base, but the 2-pin connectors are not otherwise marked.
COMFORT / FIT / ISOLATION:
The SeeAudio Yume is intended to be worn cable-up only. The earpieces have a moderate insertion depth and are very comfortable to wear for extended periods. Secureness of fit and isolation are above average. The Yume does not have driver flex.
MEASUREMENTS:


My measurements were conducted with a Dayton iMM-6 microphone using a vinyl tubing coupler and a calibrated USB sound interface. The measurements use a compensation file derived from relating my raw measurements to published measurements from Crinacle and Antdroid. The measurements are presented with 1/24th smoothing. There is a resonant peak at 8k. Measurements above 10k are not reliable.
SOUND:
The SeeAudio Yume has a Harman-ish tuning, meaning a distinct sub-bass shelf that falls away early enough to avoid mid-bass bleed, a healthy amount of pinna gain, and a distinct lack of upper treble. What is most interesting about the Yume’s tuning is that when I attempted to create an equalizer preset for the Yume using Room EQ Wizard based on Toranku’s target curve with the default flatness target value, the program indicated there was no need to make adjustments. Setting aside the potential implications, the immediate result is that the Yume has pretty close to what I would call my ideal tuning.
The Yume has excellent sub-bass extension. Sub-bass is emphasized over mid-bass. The Yume offers enough rumble and slam to please non-basshead listeners. The bass is clean, textured, and dynamic. Bass resolution is middling for the price point. Indeed, across its frequency response, the Yume underwhelms in terms of its detail retrieval.
The Yume has a clear, slightly cool midrange. The lower midrange has body but not warmth. Though still fairly forward, the Yume’s upper midrange drops off faster than many other Harman-inspired IEMs. This avoids harshness in the presence region. Male and female vocals are roughly even in their emphasis. Female vocals are slightly more vibrant. Male and female vocal intelligibility are good. Like the bass region, midrange detail retrieval is mediocre and grainy. The Yume has a fairly natural timbre and mostly avoids BA plasticity.
The Yume’s treble presentation is weighted towards the lower treble. The Yume’s treble is very sparkly, almost too much so. Percussion in this region is slightly too splashy. There is a crinkling tinsel-like quality to cymbal hits. On the other hand, the Yume’s detail retrieval in the treble is better than in the bass or midrange. As mentioned earlier, the Yume’s upper treble rolls off quickly and air is limited. Instrument separation is very good. The size of the soundstage is average, as is the Yume’s imaging.
AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SOURCE PAIRING:
I did not find the SeeAudio Yume to be particularly demanding in terms of its amplification needs. I did not notice hiss with any of my sources.
COMPARISONS:
SeeAudio Yume ($170) vs Moondrop Starfield ($109)


SeeAudio Yume (Blue) vs Moondrop Starfield (Red)
Moondrop Starfield Review. Radiant | by Alec | Bedrock Reviews | Medium
The SeeAudio Yume and Moondrop Starfield sound similar but there are a few key differences. The Starfield is bassier overall, with slightly more emphasis on the mid-bass. The Yume’s midrange has a more natural tonality. I did not hear a huge difference between the two in terms of timbre. The Starfield has a much more airy treble presentation with superior upper treble extension. Overall, the Yume sounds more realistic to me. Soundstage size is comparable between the two. The Starfield has slightly better instrument separation and imaging. The Starfield also has superior detail retrieval across its frequency response. The Yume comes with a more premium accessory selection, as befits its higher asking price.
CLOSING WORDS:


To me, the combination of the SeeAudio Yume’s packaging aesthetic combined with its tuning signals SeeAudio’s intent to compete with the likes of Moondrop and Tanchjim. If the Yume is any indication of their future efforts, they have a good chance of being successful.
The Yume can be purchased at the link below:
SeeAudio Yume 1DD + 2BA Hybrid In-Ear Earphone — HiFiGo

Rating: 8.6
Sound: 8.5

Intro​

New IEM companies keep sprouting up and it's hard to keep track of them all. SEEAUDIO is one of them, and with the YUME they want to fight for a place on the market in the middle class. With the NEO or KAGUYA they still have slightly higher priced models, but the YUME more or less represents the "door opener" in the highly competitive IEM market up to $200. There are already three models of this in-ear, which have been adapted depending on the market (tuning) (Japan - ANOU and a YUME-HK version). The standard YUME is available everywhere, the other two only in the respective country/state.

The YUME is a hybrid, consisting of a DD and 2BA. In the run-up one could already examine some graphs, which looked very promising, but do these advance laurels also confirm in the listening test?

Handling​

The YUME is already one thing, damn comfortable. The shape of the case is very ergonomic and also due to the compact size, there should be little difficulty in achieving a good fit and thus a very good seal. The included tips also contribute to this, which have paid off just as quickly for me with other IEMs. Especially the silicone tips, which are available in 4 different sizes. The same selection of foam tips is also provided.

The cable (8-core, 2-pin, copper) is haptically very appealing and the round transport case is also wisely chosen. The packaging is perhaps a bit too big, but you eat with your eyes. Fortunately, the anime was not also transported onto the faceplate, but a somewhat simpler, but quite decorative design was chosen.

In a nutshell: the YUME is haptically and workmanship-wise on a very high level, without any noticeable weaknesses.

Sound​

The key words for the YUME are clean and clear. Even if one could accuse it of being boring, it is for me one of the tonally best in its price range (especially in the mids).

The bass is not necessarily a force of nature, rather a breeze. Sure, a more powerful punch and authority could certainly have been gotten out of the dynamic driver, but that was apparently not the tuning goal with the YUME. The bass has a sub-bass emphasis, but it looks more promising on the sheet paper (graph) than it sounds. On the one hand, this is certainly due to the fact that many pop, rock or acoustic mixes emphasize more the mid-bass to create a more fun punch, or the selected instruments do not really reproduce the sub-bass. On the other hand, the YUME is almost deathly flat in the upper and mid-bass, which makes it almost anemic and sterile, and the sub-bass can hardly get anything out of this. It lacks musicality and a bit of dynamics, so to speak. At times, it reminds me more of a clean and precise BA bass (but with better depth) than a dynamic driver. This is certainly a major point of criticism for many, as this very presentation cannot be perceived as particularly lively and rather monotonous. It simply lacks some warmth and punch, but the bass makes up for it with accuracy and speed. Likewise, I find it quite detailed when you get into it. Still, it's a bit too little level in that area for me. The sound quality can't be denied, but it doesn't peddle it.

The mid-range is the YUME's sweet spot. Clear, transparent and tonally very authentic, describes the listening experience very well. While they may lack a bit of bass impact to make them a bit fuller, I find them close to my ideal as is (the MOONDROP S8, for example, would be an IEM that comes even closer). There is actually little to criticize the YUME for here tonally, but also technically. On the one hand, the slight coldness and here and there it lacks a bit of body and power, but that is ultimately a matter of taste. Above all, I like the reproduction of instruments. No matter if piano, brass or guitars, everything sounds very realistic and clean, almost too clear, which brings us back to the topic of "sterile". Voices have a natural timbre and you quickly get lost in the vocals, no matter if woman or man.

The treble is handled by the "bugaboo", the KNOWLES 33518 (identical in construction to the 300095). Why bugaboo? Many budget IEMs use BELLSING, or KZ variations of the Knowles driver, which are often poorly implemented and the driver has fallen somewhat into disrepute. Unjustly, actually, because if you are able to take the sharpness out of it and dampen it a bit, you get a very detailed airy high frequency with a fine resolution. The YUME manages this very well. The high-frequency sounds neither cheap nor artificial, but very grown-up. It lacks a bit in extension, which was deliberately cut, but I am very pleased with the tuning work in the treble range. Sibilants are thankfully in short supply and even if the YUME sometimes sounds a bit brighter than it should, it works cleanly and consistently in the treble. To dispel the prejudice: the 30095 can be an excellent tweeter BA if you have the tuning know-how and, above all, the will to apply it. It is not for nothing that the driver is also found in many TOTL IEMs. Nevertheless, of course, the treble is also not perfect and especially in the upper range goes a bit out of air, but for me the two BAs (29689 & 33518) harmonize very well with each other.

Even through these two BAs, the technical characteristics are remarkable. The stage has a lush extension and likewise the imaging is excellent. If now the bass would develop a little more pressure from below, you could certainly create an even better layering and a more rounded overall picture, but for my sensation the YUME perform here really very well.

Outro​

Is it fun to listen to music with the YUME? Well, that is in the eye of the beholder. For some, it may be too unmusical or even emotionless. Sometimes, however, it is precisely this sober observation that is so appealing. The YUME is serene, without mood swings, no matter what you put in front of it and it has to plow.
In other words, the YUME is quite honest, and you either appreciate that or prefer to be wooed. I waver back and forth with the YUME, sometimes with the fervent wish that the YUME flatters my ears more, or slams me in the face with even more brutal facts, like I'm used to from a Moondrop Blessing 2 (which, by the way, is also not my first choice in everyday life). The YUME couldn't quite match its resolution, but you can definitely talk about its little brother here. The Blessing 2 (B2) is more neutral in the bass (but still more physical) and has the greater extension in the treble. Nevertheless, the two IEMs are tonally very similar, especially in the midrange. Here, the point even goes to the YUME for my taste, as it doesn't bring the slight garishness of the B2 and generally plays in a more relaxed manner, but can keep up in detail and separation.

For me, the YUME is a very competent IEM that does a lot right, but not perfectly. Frankly, I find it lacking by a few dB in the bass from 200 Hz. Also due to the somewhat emotionless presentation, it is certainly not a general recommendation, especially for the mainstream, but it is a fantastic addition to the IEM collection (if you are looking for some diversity in signatures here) and one of the most tonally authentic of its guild (midrange). However, not necessarily something for everyday use or in between. Musicians and producers might even rather enjoy the neutral and realistic playing style of the YUME.

Thanks to OARDIO for the review unit.
https://www.oardio.com/see-audio-yume-anou-iem-global-worldwide-international-earphones.html


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