See Audio Yume/Anou

Ace Bee

Headphoneus Supremus
See Audio Yume: Unexpected Brilliance
Pros: Sparkling Highs
Crystal clear crisp mids
Airy presentation
Clean background
Wide soundstage
Balanced Sound
Cons: Lacking Bass slam and subbass rumble
Disclaimer:
The See Audio – Yume is a sample that was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion in this review, as part of a review tour. I thank the team at See Audio for giving me this opportunity.

Specification:
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

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Introduction:
See Audio is a very new brand that I got acquainted with through Telegram. At firt, I was sceptical: meh, another new audio brand. I honestly was not expecting anything remarkable from them. So when I heard that I was having an opportunity to review it, I as not thrilled. Just another review, I'll get it done - that's what I thought. Little did I know I was in for a surprise!

I'm skipping the technical details as you can find them all online with a little research. Want to get to the sound part as soon as possible

The unit came as barebone as possible, just the iem capsules, cables, and some generic tips. Not that I was concerned. I put them on, and...I listened to quite a few songs.

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Sound:
Yume has a very unique sound, which is balanced and airy, and such balanced and airy that I have never heard in this price range! I was notably surprised at the very first listen and it has left a very deep impression on me - with a lot of positivities and some negativities.

Highs:
Yume has brilliant, energetic, and very airy treble. The energy is more focused on lower treble and less focused on upper treble, though. The sparkles in the high end instruments gives a very exciting touch to the whole music. Notes are very crisp, and can be a touch sharp on rare occassions. Highs do definitely grab your attention because of its brilliant nature.
In Muse - Showbiz and Evanescence - Bring Me To Life the cymbals and high hats were presented effortlessly, and were very easy to spot. The notes were very well defined and came alive.
In Steven Wilson - Pariah the light cymbal hits are clearly discernible, the sparkling background instruments give a very open feeling that the track deserves.

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Mids:
Crispy, clean, and firmly defined is how I would describe the mids. Mids are on the neutral side, and forward sounding. There are plenty of energy in the mids - which benefits the instruments, and female vocals a lot, and male vocals slightly less. On occassions the male vocals may sound very slightly on the thinner side, but nothing irksome. The mids all over is highly engaging with its clean, well defined, and airy presentation. The air present in the mids really breathes new life in the music.
The voice of Yao Si Ting in Scarborough Fair had a brilliant presentation in the song, with all the sizzles present in ample quantity, like a chilling wind.
Similarly, Evanescence - Bring Me To Life sounded brilliant with the energetic voice of Amy Lee and all the instruments.
In Battlestar Galactica Season-2 OST - Prelude To War the snare drum roll was surprisingly crisp and so well defined that I have not heard in this price range.

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Bass:
This is where things go downhill. The bass is...severly lacking, is what I must say. There is very less body, and audible subbass roll off. The slam is very very mildly present. May be this level of bass control was required for the airy signature See Audio tried to create, but it takes away the fun somewhat. Very short decay, less body, on rare occassions the drum hits and the bass guitar manages to sound slightly hollow and lifeless. On all the tracks I tried, I never found the bass up to my satisfaction. But this may be because of my inclination to a strong bass, so take my impressions regarding this with a pinch of salt.

Soundstage and separation:
The stage is quite wide, with moderate depth and moderate height. Because of the air in the mids and highs, the separation is outstanding for the price. I definitely look for stage and separation when I listen to a new iem, and suffice to say I was completely content with Yume on those fronts. All the different elements can be distinctly identified in the space created by Yume.

Comparison:
Vs. Penon Orb:
Penon Orb is a costlier iem by almost 90 USD, but the gap between these two may not be as much as the price gap. Orb has a smoother midrange and highs, that may sound slightly less resolving, whereas Yume with its crisp mids and energetic highs sound more resolving. Orb has a significantly greater soundstage height and more depth, but Yume has a much more cleaner background. This may also be a result of Orb having significantly more bass thump and rumble, which Yume lacks. Orb has a less airy signature than Yume.

Vs. Penon Fan: I will update it after my Fan is properly burnt in. But on a first listen, the Fan has a less resolving mids, but the highs are somewhat similar. Fan also has a more prominent bass that adds to the fun.

Conclusion:
I love bass. Well, not just bass, but it has significant importance to me. Yume lacks it, significantly. But even then I was not able to rate it anything less than 4 star. You know why? Because it is nothing short of brilliant on all the other fronts, and as much as I kept listening to it, I was just so drawn into its presentation of music that I really was not missing the bass at all! Marvellous is the word I have for it. I am still left amazed.

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abheybir

500+ Head-Fier
SeeAudio Yume/Anou - A new Vision for Music
Pros: 1. A little Bright yet Natural Tonality following Harman Curve
2. Good Dynamics and Soundstage capabilities
3. Adequate bass slam
4. An attractive design and good fit
5. Good Price to Performance Ratio
Cons: 1. Source Picky
2. Sound lacks body in overall presentation
3. Sub bass can be little shy at times
Introduction
SeeAudio has entered the international market with a gorgeous set of IEMs. Anou/Yume truly showcases the effort SeeAudio has put-in in its introductory product.
This IEM is an eye catcher in the first glance and an enjoyable listening experience afterwards. The first time I laid my eyes on its faceplate it got me bewitched, the logo first reminded me of “The eye of the Ra” and later moment it start resembling “The third eye of Lord Shiva”, The glitter all around it gave an impression of the aura of the IEM and thus it created a bit of spiritual moment for me. But while monitoring a bit extensively it showed its true form – The logo is a cleverly designed “S” alphabet in shape of an eye, thus representing the brand name “SeeAudio”. The other faceplate has beautifully autographed “Anou” over it. To me it is one of the most beautiful looking IEMs out there.

It has a translucent cavity that shows intricate placement driver units at work. A very sophisticated looking bass vent can be seen near the wire connectors. The earpieces came with 3 strand braided stock cable with 2 pin connectors. Cable's main connector is a textured cylinder with 3.5 mm jack. These IEMs have claimed to Low-Frequency Filter Conversion technology in designing inner acoustic structure along with Specific Harmon Target Curve Design and a 9.2mm Liquid Silicone Diaphragm DD Unit along with two custom-tuned BA drivers which I think would be exciting to discover in my further listening experience.

Coming towards the fit of this IEM, the shells are quite small with small nozzle that sits firmly over the outer side of ear canal and are quite lightweight that they have given me the best fit till now from any IEM that almost felt like they are custom designed as per my ear. Passive noise isolation is also very good, if one is planning to buy it for travels or other outdoor activities.

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Disclaimer:
I have received SeeAudio Anou/Yume as part of review circle sent from the brand itself in exchange of honest reviews. All impressions of sound are subjective to my own listening and my sources and is based on my experience with IEMs of similar hardware configurations and price range.

Sources:
For this review the unit has been paired to A&K SE100 (ES9038 Pro) and Fiio Q5 (AK4490) and LG V30+ and Vivo X50pro

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Highs:
Anou/Yume has sparkly highs which at times feels bit rolled off giving a relaxed upper mid texture. There is no sibilance or harsh tones at any point of time. Treble response is quite nice and brings out details in instruments like violins and cymbals. There is an overall airiness is all around the headroom with crisp details and overall gives a relaxed natural tuning at this spectrum range. At some tracks it does feel bit elevated on treble response. Overall listening to Jazz music is fun over this with bit elevation in sounds of trumpets and saxophones.

Mids:
There is uniformity throughput the mids section and a feel of airiness specially when listening to guitars, cymbals and trumpets. I felt bit inclination towards bright tonality but overall textured is natural and relaxing in this region as well. But only downside I felt is the absence of sound body in most of instruments. This is something of personal preference I would say and not at all a deal breaker unless you enjoy certain kind of music. Male vocals felt bit suppressed by music in some cases. Even powerful tracks like “Jùrame by Julio Iglesias” felt bit underwhelmed if considering only vocal representation but once combined with nice dynamics and soundstage it too became enjoyable.

Female vocals sound perfect on Anou/Yume I must say and have a representation just above the instruments. Listening to “Doing to Me – Cavego Remix by Astrid S” was indeed a very enjoyable experience with this pair of IEMs with all sweet relaxing vocals and electronic music flowing liquidly all over the headroom. Same was experience with many other tracks.

Lows:
Bass response is punchy and is quite detailed and textured. I find the sub-bass region bit shy even after turning on Bass boost setting on my Q5 DAC/AMP. Although, I enjoyed listening to my favorite bass-oriented track - “Tokyo Drift Remix by KVSH”, the bass was tight and precise and well textured but will not impress any basshead I must say. But if you are not a basshead and want a relaxing pair of IEMs for use in long duration then in that the bass response will not disappoint you at all.

Detailing/Imaging/Soundstage:
The dynamics, micro detailing and soundstage are very good as per price point of view and kind of hard to find in this price bucket. It brings out all the technicality nicely. This by far the best feature of Anou/Yume I would say and gives really value for money in this aspect.

Fine example of this is “A million Dreams cover by Peter Hollens” – perfect crisp female vocal and crisp yet relaxing upfront notes with a soundstage that immediately let gave me a theatrical experience as soon as I closed my eyes.

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Final Verdict:
SeeAudio Anou/Yume is beautiful, rugged and fun to use IEM with nice fit and relaxed sound signature its ideal for a daily use and as per my observation not at all meant for monitoring purpose but solemnly just to enjoy the music. The overall tonality is towards bit bright yet natural side, not harsh or sibilant at any point of time. The female vocals are lush on this one and if one is a fan of fine Jazz then this is perfect IEM for them in budget range. The bass slam is also detailed and punchy, but I will honestly not recommend to a bass-head. The micro detailing and soundstage are quite good for an IEM of this price range and is one of the strong points here. Overall, it’s a value packed IEM that offers one of the best price to performance ratio.


SeeAudio Anou/Yume Vs Fiio FH3:
I have been using FH3 as my daily driver for quite some time now, Both Anou/Yume and FH3 share similar hardware configuration and have similar price bracket as well. Let’s see how they compare to each other in various aspects:

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Design:
Coming towards design part, Fiio FH3 and Anou/Yume both are very attractive looking IEMs, with Anou/Yume having a glittery faceplate with nice logos and writings and Fh3 having a wavy pattern in matte finish black paint. FH3 is bit smaller in size as compared to Anou/Yume but I would say that to me the fit of Anou/Yume is still on better side as compared to my FH3. Stock Cable of FH3 is bit stiff but with an L-Shape connector where as Anou/Yume comes with a nice braided wire with straight cylindrical connector.

Technicalities:
SeeAudio has mentioned about new features such as Low-Frequency Filter Conversion Technology in which they have added a precisely designed 33.91 cubic millimetre front cavity between the DD and the sound guide capillary and claims that It improves the overall consistency of the output and ensures that there is no multi-driver distortion. Apart from this they have added a 9.2mm Liquid Silicone Diaphragm dynamic driver unit to handle the lower end of the spectrum along with two custom tuned 2 BA drivers. Whereas, FH3 has a 10mm beryllium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver along with 2 Knowles BA drivers with FiiO’s patented S.TURBO Acoustic Design with 41.5mm tube in form of physical and electronic three-way crossover.

Sound:
Coming to sound, I would say that FH3 sound is bit on warmish tone with a lot emphasis on bass response where as Anou/Yume is bit towards brighter side. Anou/Yume lacks in overall instrument body and does not stand any ground in front of FH3 in terms of Bass quality and quantity. FH3 on other hand lacks in soundstage as well as dynamics and micro detail retrieval as compared to Anou/Yume. Both pairs have quite relaxing signature talking in terms of treble regions. So at the end I would say its all about personal preference if one is confused in choosing between these two pairs, in a nutshell if you are a bass head and enjoy good imaging then go for FH3 but if you want to experience a theatrical experience in budget with good micro detailing then Anou/Yume is the one for you.
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Redcarmoose

Headphoneus Supremus
Planet Yume
Pros: New Level In Tuning Sophistication
Specific Harmon Target Curve Design
Liquid Silicone Diaphragm 9.2mm DD
Two Knowles Custom Tuned Balanced Armatures
Fabulous Vocals
Best Fitting Universal IEM I’ve Ever Come Across
Really Very Pretty Looking
Comes With A Super-nice Cable And Assortment Of Tips
Detailed And Competent
Cons: Bass Authority Noticeably Missing Once-In-A-While On Some Tracks
Incredibly Source Dependent, Almost To A Fault
See Audio Yume Universal IEM
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1DD + 2BA Hybrid In-Ear Universal Earphone


PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Impedance
32Ω.
Sensitivity 106dB.
Frequency Response Range 20Hz-20kHz.
THD+N <2%.
Termination Plug 3.5mm.
Connector 2-pin 0.78mm


$169.00 USD

Laughably this review almost didn’t get written-up. Out of the blue Lillian from Linsoul Audio sent the Yume for purpose of review; but I completely disliked the IEM upon first listen. I almost wrote to Lillian to say I’m not going to be able to write a favorable review? I wasn’t sure if I should just send the IEM back, or what? Then I thought I would write an accurate and scathing review about the Yume, it would get my lowest score in history no less!

Interestingly enough the Yume has a fabulous complete sound signature; but the problem is a lack of bass impact. And due to its careful, prim and proper personality………there was simply no musicality at all…….none? If anything I wanted to emotionally write See Audio Headquarters and ask which member of management let the Yume out the door. They must surely test these things before gong into mass production?

Then I decided to wait and let the Yume burn-in over-night. Then I also decided to try the included cable and tips. The rest, they say, is history!


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Planet Yume
After picking up my luggage and making through immigration at Planet Yumi International Airport they simply let me wonder. I have to admit at first everything seemed wrong. Planet Yume was boring. A seemingly lifeless place. There was no color, no smells. A place very transparent with no character let alone emotion; no engaging thoughts reminding me of home.


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Then things began to change.............I realized this place had its own rules and I started to become acquainted with the facts and settle down. If I was to be happy here I had to learn a new way to live and a new way to interact with music. Maybe everything I thought I knew was wrong? Or possibly this was simply an alternative reality with its own rules and charms.

Slowly my ideas of right and wrong faded away, quickly being replaced by new ideas of correct........and how correct things now were. Everything now had its place. Nothing was left out and somehow the music was even more clear, definitely more clear than any $169.00 IEM?

Slowly…….over time the red flags started to be dropped…………in their place new flora and fauna. This region had a life of its own and existed by a new set of rules. How could I have been so wrong and more important…………how could all this seem so very right? As the fog cleared new vistas and horizons opened up…………..things became more real than ever. The best part was nothing was out of place and everything was ever so natural and pure. Pure because the timbre was there the detail was there. It didn’t have detail from brightness but segregation and order. The correctness was uniform and in balance....... how could I have been so wrong at first? I’ll never know?

One of the most confusing yet fascinating aspects of our hobby revolves around bass imaging. And while this imaging character is going on with full-size headphones..............we have an extra level of tune ability with IEMs and tip choices.

First and foremost the perception of bass imaging actually can give the impression of more bass quantity. This single concept is the center of this chapter. So the See Audio Yume for whatever reason does not have separation imaging as its strong point. The next multiplier is that the Yume parlays a relatively inconsequential bass personality. So if you study the style of the supplied tips a fairly interesting aspect starts to become revealed. The supplied tips are fairly wide-bore here. Not only that..........but that single bore diameter is used across every single included tip regardless of tip-size. Where this forced phenomenon really starts to get wild is with the extra-small (yellow) tips. Take note in the photograph below. As you can tell this bore diameter is a big deal with See Audio; to the level they are including one-of-a-kind custom tips. It’s safe to say they are serious about this bore diameter being used. Same bore with the foams, same bore with the silicone large and small.


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The Point:
See Audio is using bore diameter to adjust the imaging and soundstage. Not only that...............but due to the interrelationships between imaging and bass perception, they are taking the Yume to the next level. Go ahead a put your normal narrow-bore (bass adding) style of tips on and you will quickly discover the concepts at work here. The bass heavy narrow-bore tips may increase the bass tone in general...........but our imaging suffers which in-turn decreases our perception of bass.

Luckily Yume comes with a wide assortment of these special tips even to the point of the “L” tips being really large and the “extra-small” tips being really really small. When the tips are added to how fabulous the Yume fits all is well. As far as form-factor and fit, the Yume is the best fitting IEM I have ever come across in my history with the hobby! Obviously the fit may vary from individual to individual, but due to the longer nozzles and small size they fit me perfect.

The reason using the included tips is so important is that they are unique. The other reasons are primarily related to our overall sound signature personality. The Yumi is linear along the Harmon Curve and creates an exceptionally balanced and correct frequency response. But due to our borderline technical abilities, we are always at risk of the Yume lacking in musical engagement. To find happiness here we need to image all the bass available. We need to try and make the soundstage and big as it can possibly be. And finally we need to try and delineate the recessed lower midrange. That’s right, this IEM is sub-bass focused and our key to musicality here is to make the most of the lower midrange as possible.


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The good news
Once matched with the correct tips the Yume will parlay a fairly musical and engaging playback. I also need to point out that burn-in is mandatory here. The aspects of imaging and separation improve after 75 hours of burn-in. The missing soundstage seems to be created and the critical ounce of musicality seems to arrive out of no-where to save the day! Even if you don’t believe in burn-in just do it and thank me later. I write the above only due to learning so much about the Yume with-in use of these concepts. The Yume went from boring to relatively exciting and proper overnight with the right care. These concepts concern themselves with those small details that are always around delineating success or failure; you choose.

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The Harmon Target Curve:
As Sean Olive, senior fellow at Harman International describes it as.....

The ways things were......
“There were standards for headphone response, but no one was following them so there must have been something wrong.”
The resulting 2012 paper:

“The Relationship Between Perception and Measurement of Headphone Sound Quality”

http://seanolive.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-relationship-between-perception-and.html


Subsequently A Harman Curve:

“A frequency response balance many prefer.” That’s all it is right there!

In our review we are not questioning it, rather simply regarding it as a set of parameters to go with. There may be other ways to tune IEMs.


But......here is the Harmon Curve in graphical form:


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That’s all it is...... nothing more nothing less, except it’s based on IEMs sounding like the frequency response-tone of speakers in a room. All Harman is trying to do is emulate the vocals you hear in life and the added bass character from room response.............all in one frequency curve. Also it’s safe to say a number of manufacturers have used this data to make Headphones and IEMs.

SeeAudio says they use the 2020 Harmon Curve:


There is no 2020 Harman Curve Graph? Really the last Harman Curve was from 2017, so I guess if the (smoothing) adjustments from 2019 and the 2017 data was still accepted this could be the 2020 Harman Curve? And even if the “tune” did match the “Harman Curve”……………. we then have to wonder if it was matched with Knowles, or Sonion BA drivers? Surely every ingredient has its own personality regardless of measured frequency response. Of course we can agree that frequency response graphs just give us a set of clues and there is still more to the equation.

In reality we wouldn’t want all the IEMs to sound exactly the same even if that was possible! Regardless of marketing it’s safe to say offering the “Harman Curve” is a generalization at its best! :)

Rambling about Neutrality:

Remembering back around 2009 Donald North of Donald North Audio asked me if I wanted to hear a relatively unknown neutral headphone. I was at my very first Head-Fi meet and Donald was holding (towards me) the 1990s Beyerdynamic dt 911 full-size headphone. And just like Sean Olive said………………it was anyone’s take what neutral was. In fact the dt 911 was probably more mid-forward (than true neutral), but it was a cool headphone that had a name like a Porsche sports car!

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Back then I had Tyll Hertsen’s favorite open-back; the AKG k701. As many more flat headphones………the k701 could be called neutral with a splash of color. And in hindsight it’s very colored with a peak at 2.5K and 5.5K, and a diminished bottom-end making those peaks stand out more. The Sennheiser HD800 too, neutrality with a spike at 6K. Normally we can look at the Harman Curve adding its own level of excitement due to the subtle V that it is. And while the Sennheiser HD800 doesn’t graph out all that well it’s got talents in the time domain and flexes its muscles with transient responses....getting it its imaging skills.

What I’m getting at is it doesn’t really matter what the Yume graphs out to be. Though take note here kids………the Yume graphs out way more even and neutral than the k701 or HD800. Listening you can kind of note how there are no extra added valleys or dips. What we are left with is a pure example of the audiophile art……..as tasteless as water, as transparent as glass……seemingly without opinion or stance………simultaneously part of the audio replay process yet invisible.


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Take note the 8K peak above is a result of coupler resonance and doesn't actually exist.

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Note the differences at 1.5K-3K and L4 peak at 5K. Though from 2K back the two IEMs graph similar but are far from the same in reality.

If anything the Yume could use a dash of color maybe somewhere.......maybe.............maybe not?

The main IEM that comes to mind here competes directly at against the Yume. The Thieaudio L4 is a $195 1DD/3BA IEM that has a remarkable similarity to the Yume. For all intents and purposes they could have been made at the same factory. Same look, same air vent. The L4 has a 8mm DD and the Yume has a 9.2mm DD. But that’s folks where the similarities end. In fact a much better “tune” would be the midrange and treble of the Yume and the bottom of end of the L4! The Yume has no lower midrange. What we are left with is a substantial sub bass, but even that is missing some dynamics and physicality normally needed with the Harmon Curve to emulate the designed in “speaker-in-a-room” response. So while the Yume actually has all the desired frequencies it’s the quantity of bass frequencies that seem to be the biggest obstacle to enjoyment here. That and the Yume ability to offer great pace. Laughingly everything about the Yume makes me want to simply get the L4 out. Keep in mind though it’s simply the imaging, separation and low end excitement that the L4 exceeds in. Many would probably rather have the Yume’s midrange and treble like you see in this comparison graph? And while the forward midrange on the L4 may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I find the L4 way more exciting and musical in the end. My point? Graphs don’t always tell the full story and are really the last thing you need to see when judging the Yume.


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The Question Of Source:
It’s probably safe to say much of the confusion the Yume will incur will be based off people using it with an unfriendly source. It was arresting how many directions the Yume would go revealing source quality. This year has been a run of seemingly audiophile IEMs which would be not only grandiose from a phone, but full range and entertaining. Sadly here the Yume simply reports back what is there never glossing over or warming up a neutral or thin source. Such luck meant that phone playback was hit or miss depending on song files. Interestingly even while using Colibri FLAC with a MacBook Air the 3.5mm output was nice but cranky and nothing to write about. Though with certain really well recorded music it was nice. Moving to joining the FiiO Alpen2 E17K to the MacBook was a small add of improvement. Even taking the Yume to the Sony TA desktop was nice but not as involving of an improvement as you would guess. All and all the Yume needs to have warmer and fuller forgiving source feeds to bloom and smooth out. Any added fullness is rewarding and welcome as a small improvement. Using the Sony 1A and 1Z Walkman DAP players was simply the best offering a both detailed and warm source which just seemed to work with this IEM. The correct source gives you the freedom of getting success with the widest range of music. Many negative reviews have you guess that maybe they were not finding a complementary feed for the Yume. As mentioned earlier this IEM is also sensitive to revealing cable and tips changes too. If the right amount of patience is found rewards are plenty and real-life. It’s just that the transparency and criticalness of the pinna gain can in turn show the thinness and un-analogue quality of digital files. When sounding best Yume has been given well done recordings along with a fuller-smoother source playback.


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The Elephant In The Room:
This review would not be complete without concentrating on our missing lower midrange. Amazingly you can go hours with-out a thought of it being gone. The benefits become seen as nothing to clutter-up the midrange. In fact the subtle recession of low end goes pretty far to focus attention on our midrange and treble. So in reference to our multicolored “tri-bar” graph on the back of the Yume box; the treble and midrange and not boosted in any way. These tones exist noticed and especially detailed due to the balance left over after the low end departure took place. All and all to generalize here, we are left with a mid-centric IEM. But…….due to the purity at hand it’s not even that……..how can you describe something that has no form or character?


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The question of soundstage
Probably the most charming outcome is finding the soundstage ample and all inclusive to needs. As one of the first in a series of misunderstandings with the Yume...........................it ends the most rewarding and involving segment in coming to terms of what the Yume ultimately is! And while not super high or low, Yume shows the ability to actually win out on a whole slew of top performers in this price bracket and above. Needless to say it's wider than the Thieaudio L4 in the midrange tones and treble. Not only is the soundstage doing a great job, but prior thoughts of sonic congestion seem to be all but a memory?

Besides the image-size spreading out right to left............to the center and front.......the Yume holds a very natural and all inclusive feel that becomes an enticing draw factor. The realization of these gifts seems far too valuable to be found at our humble price point. In fact it's maybe the soundstage which aims to reward us with each and every use period.


Conclusion:
It’s actually surprising to me that I really love the Yume? Typically I gravitate towards thick bass heavy authoritative replay. And while the full frequency spectrum is replayed by our Yume, the frequency graph leaves out the true quantity of low end typically found in the world of IEMs and headphones. In my use I will find a few rock albums here and there which (at the time) surprisingly still don’t sound right due to this style of response and most likely never will. Common sense tells me what ever I write and how ever history unfolds the See Audio Yume will forever find a polarized ocean of listeners. Half of the folks will have found close to $169 perfection, and the other half as confused as I was at the beginning. Personally........I’m glad the See Audio Yume worked out in my use. In reality that’s what we want; manufactures coming up with new ideas and concepts……new products coming to market and the whole machine moving forward.

And while the Yume is not perfect, it is the perfect stepping stone for new and exciting ideas based off what it does
correct.

And to try and make a list of the final outcome here………much of it centers around vocals. The Pinna gain added is in many ways an absolute value that’s difficult to mess with. A tiny bit too much and vocals can become strident and forward. A little too little and the vocal placement not only looses detail, but it falls backwards into the mix, at times to the point of error. So in ending here……….it seems that while no IEM is perfect, there are perfect listening moments and there are even close to perfect IEM response characteristics.

The Yume does vocals perfect
I will stick my neck out to say the Yume does vocals absolutely perfect and in a league of its own for $169. These vocals are not synthetically boosted in an awkward attempt at vocals. These vocals have a charm, detail placement and texture to rival some of the best. In simple terms I call these vocals natural and correct. I would wager most will in fact find them this way. As far as the bass is concerned there is ample sub-bass but even that lacks authority and stature against many more competent rivals. On all accounts it was the perception of just a dB or two of added lower midrange that seemed to win me over in the end. Make no mistake that with the wrong tips the Yume can become lackluster and musically non-involving. Even due to the random variances of ear canal resonances, sound signature favoritism and genre demands the Yume may not inspire all. But for the inhabitants of Planet Yume it’s a place they can call home, a world unto itself free from red flags or alarm bells.

The Ultimate Work IEM:
And while the Yume may not be perfect it does have a perfect place. Due to ease of use and comfort, I can't think of a better IEM to use at the office. The fact is that its character, while involving.........also is in a way less distracting and immersive than some IEMs in my collection. While just as entertaining as my favorite IEMs, there is a special quality to the Yume that allows a person to think over the top of it all. Once your on-board Planet Yume there ends a lot to be grateful for. What better than to end this review with a small list of those features………………..

BOX TOP 2.jpg

BOX TOP.jpg

BOX  TOP 3.jpg

stuff.jpg

You get a instruction manual
You get two pair of M foam tips
You get two pair of L foam tips
You get one pair of silicone L tips
You get one pair of silicone M tips
You get one pair of silicone S tips
You get one pair of silicone XS tips

You get one free Copper $69.99 USD FAAEAL Hibiscus style cable
One "Yume" collectors card sticker
One set of small "Yume" stickers

One round hard-case



The Good:
Very special timbre in replay
Great separation and imaging
Natural sounding top-end treble

Some of the best vocals this price range has to offer
Class leading detail (In my experience)
An even and correct frequency response
Perfect Pace, Rhythm and Timing
The gift of soundstage
No hint of the regular BA metallic sheen
Fast

Best fitting universal IEM I’ve come across ever

The Not Good:
Source dependent
Missing bass authority on some tracks






TOTL See Audio Offerings:

140947054_247608670314186_1718869819256361299_n.jpg
see-audio-kaguya-4ba-4est-in-ear-monitors-iems-earphone-hifigo-587593_695x695.jpg
144122282_253547866386933_7510300989384759326_o.jpg


See Audio Company:
As of February 18th, 2021 there a (new faceplate) Hong Kong Edition (Hong Kong only) Yume IEM newly released.

While the Yume is See Audio’s most high profile release.........they also offer two other TOTL offings with the Kaguya, a 4BA and 4 EST IEM at $1399.00 USD........and the “NEO” a 10 BA Flagship priced at $1099.00 USD.


See Audio is made up of a core team of experts from the world of CIEM production. Formed as a project in 2018, See Audio started its first IEM production in October 2019. Since starting........See Audio has found newly earned notice due to their history, experience and technical savvy.




Disclaimer:
This is a singular story regarding one person using an IEM, your results may be different. Best to read a range of opinions and try and demo before a purchase. The IEM in this review has had over 100 hours of continuous burn-in.

Oh? I almost forgot to include the Planet Yumi Soundtrack!
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Redcarmoose
Redcarmoose
Interestingly, I find it a totally enjoyable listen and still would not change a word of this review. Thank-you for the complement.
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Redcarmoose
Redcarmoose
Totally worth the money they ask! IMO
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H T T
H T T
I completely agree! I am a value/bargain hunter and the Yume definitely fits that criteria.

gab840

100+ Head-Fier
Anou - Not as Good as it Looks!!
Pros: Good for specific Genres
Looks & Aesthetics
Cons: Little inconsistent in performance
Average Imaging
Good Details which are holded up by odd presentation
Kinda source-picky
Yume and Anou are essentially the same 1DD+2BA , 169 USD IEM from See Audio. Anou having a different face-plate compared to Yume and being a Japan exclusive. Yume is the worldwide variant. Both are internally identical, with identical sonics.

1-removebg-preview (2).jpg


I got the Anou by the See audio for review in exchange for a honest and unbiased opinion.The review is based on my own personal experience with the pair. I am not affiliated or paid by anyone to write positive or negative about the product.

One thing which is certainly on the positive side is how Anou looks nice. Its look is certainly going to attract attention of people around, its multi-color eye-catching face-plate changes color based on the angle light is falling on it. Not only that you have the detachable cable with it which is nice. Close to full marks to see audio for this. The case is not finalized yet but still if the company uses the same case, its nice, small & sturdy.

3.jpeg


I used Anou with multiple smart-phones & then amplified via Fiio E17(USB-DAC/AMP).

Lets move on to the most important part without which all else is unnecessary, the Sound. Well now this was a tough one. There were some good times with Anou and else otherwise.There was inconsistency in Anou performance. One song is nicely produced by Anou & then then next two or three were just average. After listening over to more than twenty-five tracks of various genres one thing I can say sure that Anou's performance was becoming more genre specific , sometimes track specific too. I will give details of the genres that suits Anou below in the article .

The inconsistency which I mentioned was there for most of my entire listening session except for the starting period. The start was good . I listened to few tracks of synth wave (HOME : Odyssey - Tracks : Intro/Native & Odyssey) & the impression for the sound was that its a clean one. From few days I was having an itch to listen to the OST of my childhood favourite game, Prince of Persia : 3D( or Arabian Nights on Nintendo). It had a great Ambient & classical tuned OST, varied tracks with lot of instruments. Gotta say that started out well. Tracks sounded Good & clean. Instruments like Tabla, Flute, Sitar, Manjira all were well presented. One can easily hear & feel the sound coming from different parts of tabla. Ambience formed was from fine to good to great depending on the tracks I listened to. (I have heard these tracks a lot on a good pair of headphones so its nothing like the ambient provided by them because of their huge sound-stage.) Transition properties for various instruments, dynamics felt ok, much more was expected with further testing. Imaging was the one point which left me with more to desire esp. when compared to other earphones in the same price or cheaper like Tipsy TM1 wireless earphones which I reviewed recently.

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Moving from it I started listening to tracks not from any specific genre. And their the results were swaying. Coming from tracks above, I was expecting the same kind of performance but it wasn't there. The imaging wasn't up to the mark, instruments sounded congested on many tracks. Sound-stage was on the verge of average. All the axis (x/y/z) or say width,height,depth had kind of equal weight-age . Each of those is making their marks around average. Now some may be not a fan of big soundstage, so they might get happy with the "average" but then the problems comes with the imaging, the separation which falls flat on many tracks. Many a time the vocals are too upfront & all the instrument falls too much far behind it, that too much focus on vocals deteriorates the synergy b/w different instruments & cohesiveness of a song.

I think I shall directly come on to genres where it sounded great including some details on musical spectrum rather than going on in all detailing on how it fared step by step. Genres like classical, synthwave, rap, bollywood were the ones in which Anou shined. Other genres Anou lacked the muscial/fun/detail/balanced factors by a lot. Some or other were easily poorly represented on a song or other.That is inconsistency. A track purely based on treble and mids sounds average on it but whereas another track of similar tuning will sound otherwise. Sometimes treble is kinda okayish other times not good, mostly very dry lacking any shine or much detail. Similarly Mids are well presented other times it feels odd, vocals being too upfront with all instruments taking back-seat. Bass nothing to much speak about, just say average. Acoustic guitars were fine but electronic guitars ..damn few tracks by Jesper kyd and electronic guitars were so badly presented that eventually you will take out them from the ears and would like to check if all is ok with the product, is the cable connected fine?

Further I used it with amplification hoping improvements. More details in mids but still too upfront. Listening to Welcome within from Stuart Chatwood, there were more details when amplified but nothing to be amazed about as such. Dynamics were not good & the track sounded average. Watching an Attack on Titan anime scene, voices were well represented but all music & sound effects were pushed too much back behind the voices. Still details presented was good. Same went with listening few tracks from Hiroyuki Sawanao. Nothing sounded such which I can call great or close to good, only average. Do not expect much in bass department, its much below the neutral line, so the energy isn't there. Listening to Venice Rooftops-Jesper Kyed acoustics guitars are nice but overall the tracks fall because of its weak presentation in electronic guitar and then violins feel so recessed.Then few tracks pops up which were actually good to fine. Callas went away - Enigma , it was a little on the drier side but still it was fine to hear. As for me who has listened to this for more than hundredth times it wasn't bad. Few sections the details presented was upto the mark, it made me think that the slower tracks may actually suit the Anou. Actually I didn't expected the Anou will sound fair in this track to that extent. Repeating again,its good with ambient music, classical even synthwave to an extent. These genres are the one where it shines. Rap was another genre where it goes good. On Hindi/Bollywood songs it was good, but inconsistency was there. Vocals still were too upfront, treble was dry many a time. Separation of instrument wasn't that great neither the cohesiveness. Treble also hits hard on many occasions. Similarly there was an odd dryness on vocals. Sadda Haq- Mohit Chauhan sounded great but only issue was of upfront vocals compared to all other instruments. Like forcefully you have been asked to sit in just front of the singer itself with all the musicians taking a backseat(this was the only track in my list where Electronic guitar sounded ok or better). Enigma - Age of loneliness was average to good not great as the track itself is, say due to poor separation or upfront nature of voice presented and everything else way behind it. You see big girl - Gemie,I missed the crystal clear separation and sound-staging properties, infact it felt like a more 2d song to me , though mid bass came good in here not in quantity but quality. Listening to the first ten tracks of Shingeki No kyoujin - Season2 Ost in random order, it was the ape-titan track which was actually produced best by Anou with which I was content, though I didn't expected this track to be on the better side coming after all the other nine tracks which sounded average. And then there were other songs whose presentation felt more like a one-dimensional or 2D rather than being fully presented in a holographic manner.Anou is a bit picky on the source as with different set there was change in sound to a larger extent than what it should have been. Also there is little peak in the upper-mids/lower treble which could be an issue for some depending on the sensitivity of the user.

5.JPG


I believe that See Audio worked hard to make a good product with a slight different tuning and presentation but that's not suiting my ear. From my experience it is little inconsistent in the performance , sometimes it comes out very nicely on certain tracks/genres to mostly average on others . Overall details are good, holded by poor separation/imaging & average soundstage. Sound is clean otherwise, has quality bass but leaner, mids and treble are just fine.Those who were and are interested in Anou/Yume, I will recommend if you have the option, give a good time listening to it in detail before making final decision. A different ear might take on a different impression of Anou and might suit his/her audio setup or genre.
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D'Ford'Guy

New Head-Fier
See Audio Yume / Anou Review
Pros: * Clinical and balanced presentation
* Midrange presentation and texture
* Overall detailing and texture
* Good quality bass (when driven well)
* Good staging prowess
Cons: * Bass lacks intent and drive
* A bit finicky with source selection
* Spike in the upper mid / lower treble could be a problem for some
* Competition war will make life harder due to the acquired taste on tuning
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Note: For the full rundown on the overall technical rating, value for money rating withing the price category and beyond, do checkout my review on https://www.noobaudio.com/post/see-audio-yume-review

Disclaimer:
The See Audio – Anou / Yume is a sample that was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion in this review, as part of a review tour. I thank the team at See Audio for giving me this opportunity.


Introduction:
See Audio is a relatively new company from China. The Anou/Yume (reviewed here) is their entry-level IEM that sports a hybrid design (2 BA + 1 DD) and they do have premium offerings such as the Kaguya and Neo which seem to position themselves in the TOTL or near TOTL realm of things, atleast from a pricing standpoint. The unit being reviewed here is called the ‘Anou’ and has different names based on the market it caters to, ‘Anou’ being used for the unit being shipped to Japan and ‘Yume’ for rest of the world. As per See Audio, the tuning is essentially the same, except for the change in the faceplate design and the names ofcourse.


Test Rig:
Aune T1s Hybrid Tube Amp/DAC, Marantz SR5014 & LG G8X ThinQ


Tale of the Graph, Tonality & Presentation:
Tonality is very good overall. Linear to slightly upper mid focused and has all the traits to be classified as harman neutral with not much bass boost (sub-bass is done decently but mid bass to upper bass seems flat and lacking the required elevation), atleast nowhere close to what the ‘Marketing Graph’ would seem to suggest, or my review unit is a dud. Either or, this seems to present an interesting problem to the consumer in the sense that when an OE pushes out a graph for the masses, I would expect it to give you a fair idea as to what one should expect in terms of a high-level presentation or tonal cues. In this case, it does seem that the graph and the sonic attributes part ways the moment one ACTUALLY listens to the iem on their own. The Graph seems to suggest a V signature with sub-bass focus, recessed midrange and an intense or sort of intense upper midrange energy. What I do hear though, is not much upper-bass atall and a significant lack of extension as an add on. What’s there is relatively flat and uncolored with a hint of warmth (very little). Mid to upper bass is quite lean, where it seems to not have too much meat on the bone in the 100 to 300 Hz range, lending to a note weight in the lower midrange which is just shy of being full and rich. With a powerful source, you do get the slam, but the energy in the lower notes seems to be held back considerably, quite strange considering there is a ported single dynamic driver doing the duties on the lower frequencies.

1612098818701.png


What i would like to speculate on the lack in bass extension or quantity / significant roll off / quick decay is that a lot of OE’s tend to play around with the crossovers in a multi driver setup in a way that, inorder to avoid bass bleed into the midrange, the crossover frequencies of the bass driver is set to die out rather quickly, which is great for midrange being left uncluttered, but also affects note weight, body and that wow factor one looks for on a lot of tracks. I would rather prefer better tuning of the bass driver than to cut it off with a limiter in terms of a crossover bar, however, these thoughts aren’t confirmed by See Audio, so a grain of salt here.

Moving on to the actual midrange presentation, it’s a bit recessed but linear up until the upper midrange peak. There seems to be a good amount of micro detailing and texture without over smoothening being involved which is good and kinda expected from a BA setup in this price range. However, the upper midrange can be a hit or a miss based on one's sensitivity to how much upper mids one can take and the specific frequency which tugs at you the most. For some it’s the 3-4 kHz peak that might cause fatigue, for the rest it mostly is in the 6 to 9 kHz zone which leads to spiciness and a stinging sensation of sorts / or like we audiophiles like to call, the sibilance region which when listened to for a considerable period of time, can bring about a ringing sensation of sorts. I personally am not a big fan of the Harman target based tuning because most manufacturers tend to take the tuning too far, so much that even though it does meet the Harman Target based tuning to the T, it does not necessarily sound natural in term of timbre or tonality. The Anou / Yume, is somewhat right in the middle of what I prefer to be perfectly natural sounding.

There is plenty of energy in the upper mids without it coming under the dreaded aggressive category, however, it is more of a plateau in the 2.5 -5 kHz than a spike, which seems to work well, especially when paired to warmer source like the Marantz SR5014. Upper midrange remains relatively smooth but there seems to be a spike somewhere near the 7-8 kHz region (could call it lower treble too) which can be a bit tizzy, based on source and quality of tracks being played. Not to generalize or quote my quantification, but 85% of the times, peaks and spikes / sibilance will be in control. Its borderline on the verge of misbehaving, but just about knows where to draw the line eventually. YMMV based on source though and if your source is clinical and tending to bright sounding, the Anou / Yume could be a handful, specially for someone who is very sensitive to treble peaks.

Treble performance can be classified as adequate. It is not so much as to make the presentation a V signature (or maybe it is), and its not overly rolled off to lack the sense of airiness in the overall presentation either. High hats and cymbals have good timbre as well as energy without being overly forward or a complete miss and the sense of depth and airiness is done well. There is scope for a far better upper treble tuning and sadly, the Anou / Yume doesn’t like the massaging of EQ anywhere whatsoever in the slightest or likes to get all splashy on you.

From a resolution perspective, this one's clearly mid-fi with varying grades if one had to rate the bass, mids and treble separately. With leniency in mind, Mids can get an ‘A’ grade, Treble can pass with a ‘B’ and the Bass is well, a ‘C’ considering I expected a lot more flamboyance in the bass department if there is a DD playing ball.


Soundstage, Instrument Separation & Imaging:
Staging abilities are handled very well, specially considering the price bracket but its not Top of the Line or Mind Boggling by any means either. Depth and height is perceived tall and deeper than the actual width on offer. It is hard to listen to iems and convince yourself that you are listening to full size headphones, let alone feel like you might be live at the place of play. That said, the presentation on the Yume / Anou isn’t very spatial not does the centre image actually feel dead centre, more like a fuzzy off-center of sorts. Perceived width does extend slightly beyond my ears but that is the upper limits of the extension. Overall, the presentation does feel realistic yet more intimate than open at the same time. Instrument separation is above average with quick transients and decay. Complex tracks did not posses much trouble to the Yume /Anou, and the lack of outright bass quantity, further exaggerates this feeling that the iem feels effortless in its transients which may not necessarily be true. Imaging is well, accurate enough for what a closed-in iem should showcase. Far-off cues and dead centre imaging does have a bit of fuzziness and vagueness but nothing out of the ordinary.


Scalability:
Specs on paper might denote that the Anou / Yume should be very easy to drive off portable sources like a smartphone or entry level DAP with its rated 106 dB/mW into 32 ohm. All this holds true except for the uncanny fact that the Anou / Yume needs a powerful source with a slightly warm tint to sound right or scale well. Don’t take me wrong as this is not going to suddenly make the Anou / Yume sound like an Andromeda or take the resolution up, to that of the U12T. However, the stage does improve a bit and the sense of air or openness is enhanced, dynamic range is considerably better and most importantly, the bass slam and the lower treble smoothness ensures a euphonic presentation and tries to fill in little holes in what can be called a near flawless presentation otherwise.


Mods:
A Simple tape mod to cover the ported bass vents on the top of each earpiece helps get the sub bass and mid bass up by at least +1dB / +2dB (not measured but audibly perceived) with really good effect. Even the slight spike at 7kHz / 8kHz seems to be evened out. All of this, or pure placebo, it did work for me and your mileage may vary as it’s a subjective hobby afterall.


Conclusion:
The See Audio Yume / Anou does have balance and coherency going for it with a near neutral and uncolored presentation which not many can boast off in the sub 200$ price range. Is it outright the best in its price range or without its quirks? Honestly NOPE. But that said, it still is amongst the top contenders in 2021 if you are on a budget and looking for this very type of presentation / tuning. Not to forget, the macho looking faceplates and excellent build quality. Just don’t take their graph too seriously. There’s more cheese there than required in a cheese burger! Overall, a good job by See Audio which lays the foundation for what could be an exciting 2021 for newer products to follow through.
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A
Apex Eight
Nice review. What < $200 hybrids do you think are better?

EuphoniousMedia

New Head-Fier
SeeAudio Anou - Technicality leader under 300$ !
Pros: Harman tuned, great overall tonality.
Amazing technicalities.
Wide soundstage.
Great fit.
Default cable is remarkably good.
Easy to drive.
Cons: Treble might get fatiguing for a few people.
Bass quantity leaves something more to desire.
Introduction :

SeeAudio is a new audio company originated from China. They were known for a few CIEMs that they used to make. Their new lineup includes Yume/Anou, Neo and Kaguya. While Yume and Anou are the same IEMs but Anou is Japan exclusive, both are sonically identical but have different faceplate designs. While Neo and Kaguya both are meant for those who are seeking TOTL sound. Both Kaguya and Neo are expensive pairs while Yume/Anou is the perfect way to enter into the budget segment of 150-200$ price bracket.

Disclaimer :

The review was tested at 169$ and all the judgement was made keeping the exact same price in mind. We're not responsible for any price change that might alter this review.

This item was graciously provided by SeeAudio for review in exchange for a honest and unbiased review. The review was written by the team in our own accord and no thoughts or judgements were altered in any way.

Purchasable link :

HiFiGo (Global Market)
Linsoul (Global Market)

Specifications :

yCE3ZISTM01Lb0MxpKsrVB__MgmssxJleyOr8-5iZWOj2cDvVY4V2FaJ-vNGfxD54RxnkrDIaLJUsJ8gD6E5ejrhBQ5yR6bxmY7UwSDPZlOUBIJrBa7rqB2jSLLOSkImZPz5gFu-


Unboxing and Accessories :

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At the time of reviewing Anou, SeeAudio didn’t send in the complete packaging of the product because it was not prepared. However, it came with IEM, wire and some tips. The final box of Yume/Anou will have the Rinko character. In terms of accessories, you have the IEM itself along with a hard case, inside the hard case you’ll find 5N OCC cable. Coming to the tips, you have a total of 6 pairs and it’s enough for anyone who likes tip rolling. Not to forget some basic literature it comes with. Unboxing experience should be pleasant with this one and suffices the 169$ price bracket.

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Source: SeeAudio Telegram.

Case and Cable :

Cable that comes with the box is a 3.5mm unbalanced cable. It’s a 2 pin (0.78) cable and material of choice SeeAudio went with is copper. It has a rubberised texture to it, the cable braiding feels secure and tight. The Y-split is made out of aluminium and the chin slider works pretty well. The connector has an aluminium cladding on which “SeeAudio” is etched. The cable build quality feels very superior and it behaves pretty well. There are no microphonics with the provided cable.

This unit was sent out for review by SeeAudio in the early days of production when box and case was not decided, due to obvious reasons, can’t comment anything on the make and quality of the case. It’s a round metallic case with SeeAudio logo on top.

DCg4AIWX3y7D-Am9XNW2THJwF2qL8RRhqIawPKnc8V2b_Xfcy2CwBM59_VLjblRFcJVDaiGiZAaUmXciX4vggo6ucDiPf3hu1hbO816NvybCm9wgYv6QGWkbyYHvFxo1aVqbBBsF


aAHp09qMVyQ3FvnrQ9ZDdnAZzR0Phgummt7U-QWyTW4quOA0jHlBaWY9bOXXjfIAy9v18pDZTZqJw8f5TTijOMGA6djzfB2mSJ-QXTx9Sg96u9PlVyGGAyBk1DAEdm2yAcMwjIxG


IEM quality and fit :

2Sxt0fdz79ZyOpj0H--1VOwcyWV7WeuJkI9AgBUdY5ijwSdILvMj5padRtaQXA0YoPtPqh46QwPONxKHvljgkuGM14mvupNLvXy21GK7MBfEWnQp0LAMaZdjGq0nAKRVROE0wPTI


SeeAudio did a splendid job with the aesthetics of the IEMs. The Yume/Anou come with 2 different types of faceplates and both of them have this “glitterish” gem type design which changes color under different lighting conditions along with some SeeAudio branding. It looks very tasteful and it doesn’t feel overdone in any way. The shells are made out of acrylic resin and are quite reminiscent of Audiosense DT200 shells. Both Yume and Anou look really good when held closely in hands. Coming to the fit, since these are made out of acrylic resin, they are really light weight. They are not like those heavy metal shells like KXXS or FH3. The nozzle is short and doesn’t go in very deep but they are very comfortable for long usage and are ideal for anyone who doesn't like heavy shells.

Sound Isolation :

The SeeAudio Anou are built from acrylic resin, they are shaped like the inner ear. They share the exact same shell as Audiosense DT200 and both do an amazing job blocking outside noise. With Final Audio tips the seal achieved was top tier. They isolate sound very well considering the fact that they are made out of resin. One shouldn’t be concerned about isolation on this pair.


The Driveability and sources used :

SeeAudio Anou are fairly easy to drive, with only 32 Ohms of impedance and sensitivity of 106dB they are easily driven off by any source. A good DAC/AMP combination is recommended as it was quite evident in testing, it helped open up soundstage and didn’t lack any sub-bass that it did with DDHiFi tc35i. The best pairing came along with BTR5 and Topping NX4 DSD, the sound was clean without any noticeable hissing, the bass had an impact and the overall sound felt complete.

Sources used are:
  • DDHiFi 3.5 mm to lightning
  • Topping NX4 DSD
  • FiiO BTR5
Measurement:

LwTObs83EU510zpsRmDlF0xm_S9hnkTlrCYvXjW4X7dA9ps_vkoatxFIyeRRg6bNgpPthMLPm1vyZ1e2GXxeWN3Nif0KDp_7Ep1op5n86v5kqfHB80ckJMMwisrRSz40jpAl3Lig

Note: Frequency Response graph of SeeAudio Anou courtesy of Crincale. All the credit for the graph goes to the author.

The Sound (4/5) :

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Bass (3.5/5) :

To cover all the low-end frequencies, SeeAudio is using 9.2MM “liquid silicone” diaphragm. The bass sounds neutral and enough to please everyone. The midbass emphasis was felt greater than subbass. There’s no bleeding of midbass into lower mids, the bass is fast, punchy and accurate. Due to the subbass being a little shy, the energy and rumble was missing and always felt a little more to be desired. It’s very neutral overall and the quality seems a priority here rather than quantity.

Mids (4.5/5) :

The mids are neutral and do not sound recessed nor do they sound too forward. The male vocals have the heft they need, the female vocals sound a little more forward than male vocals. Lata Mangeshkar from “Jiya Jale” felt lifelike and full of emotions. Some may find 1Khz to 3Khz slightly more boosted than they like but overall midrange is non-offensive without any harshness in instruments or vocals.

Treble (3.5/5) :

The Anou’s detail retrieval is excellent thanks to a well extended treble. The treble has a peak from 6Khz to 8Khz which makes the treble fatiguing to listen to after some time. Not everyone would find this offensive but at least to my ears, I found it fatiguing over time. Tip rolling helped to tame down the treble spike a little bit with the help of foamies and after many hours of listening, the “mental burn-in” set in and it was not as harsh as day one. The cymbals sound great, the high hats in Led Zeppelin's Whole lotta love sound the way they should, it made the overall pair very engaging and enjoyable. The only concern would be the 6Khz-8Khz peak.

Imaging (4/5) :

Imaging is great with this pair, it gives a 3 dimensional experience and instruments project themselves at the right place. Enigma MCMXC a.D which has so many instruments and opera verses which Anou handled with ease.It became very easy to pinpoint location of every instrument placed in 3-D sphere of audio immersion.

Soundstage (5/5) :

Soundstage is the USP and forte of Anou.
Soundstage is exceptional for the price. It’s one of the best in this price range, rather it’s one of the best under 300$ price brackets. It has both height and depth presence which actually represents the sound on a huge scale due to this. It is very immersive and you can make out different instruments playing at different distances very easily. It stays true to recording and doesn’t make anything sound thin and unnatural. It sounds like a hall with big speakers. Once you close your eyes, Anou takes you in a very huge room.

FiiO FH3 vs SeeAudio Anou :

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FH3 already received a lot of praises from reviewers all around the globe claiming to be one of the best IEMs in 2020 under 200$, so it is fair enough to compare FH3 to Anou since both of them punch way above their price point. Both share exactly the same configuration of 1DD + 2BA, although the dynamic driver on FH3 is beryllium coated and helps with bass texture a lot. (will touch on this later)

Accessories set :
Both come with plenty of accessories out of the box, both come with a hard case and countless tips for those who like tip rolling. Main concern here has to be with FH3 since it comes with a wire which is not really great. It is stiff and doesn’t behave well in comparison to Anou’s cable.

Build : Both of them are built really well but FH3 feels more premium to hold in hand due to that aluminium body, Anou looks more pleasing to eyes.

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Note: Frequency Response graph of SeeAudio Anou vs FiiO FH3 courtesy of Crincale. All the credit for the graph goes to the author.


Sound : First off, let's start with the overall tonality of both IEMs. The FH3’s tonality is balanced with a lot of emphasis on the bass, whereas the Anou’s tonality is just a little bit towards the bright side. When it comes to bass, the FH3 blows away Anou. Looking at the graph above, both Anou and FH3 show approximately the same amount of low end presence but somehow Anou’s quantity felt a lot less compared to the graph. FH3’s bass was textured, fast, thumpy and enough to satisfy bassheads as well as non-bassheads. The main reason for this could be the beryllium coating on FH3. Mids shine better on Anou as compared to FH3, FH3 midrange isn’t recessed in any way, but the female vocals on Anou really makes it a great set. Mids on Anou are lush, they sound accurate, female vocals sound more forward compared to male vocals. Some may find Anou’s upper midrange a little bit forward as compared to FH3. Nonetheless, both have excellent midrange but giving Anou a point extra for well done female vocals. Both pairs have a very well extended treble, Anou’s detail retrieval is greater than that of FH3, there’s a slight treble spike in Anou making it fatiguing to ear’s after long listening session, now this can change from person to person but I did find it fatiguing. FH3’s treble is a little tamed from 6Khz to 8Khz, making it smooth, non offensive and a “fun” tonality overall. Technicalities is what makes Anou stand above FH3, the extra 40$ you spend for Anou is if you’re after the enormous soundstage that Anou offers. Anou’s soundstage is a lot bigger compared to FH3, the soundstage depth is amazing and feels like you’re sitting in a room with speakers. Testing IEMs on a daily basis and never have I come across soundstage this big under 300$ while staying true to recording. Imaging is also on point but I found FH3 imaging to be better. Making out different positions of instruments is easy on both of the pairs.

Fun sound signature : FiiO FH3. :crown:
Technicality master : SeeAudio Anou. :crown:
Detail retrieval : SeeAudio Anou. :crown:
Well executed bass : FiiO FH3. :crown:
Value for money : FiiO FH3. :crown:

Reference Tracks :

● Lata Mangeshkar - “Jiya Jale” for female vocals.

● Yosi Horikawa - “Bubbles” for imaging.

● Enigma MCMXC a.D - “Callas Went Away” For detail in instruments.

Conclusion :

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SeeAudio entered a very competitive market under 200$ when there are options like FiiO FH3, Moondrop KXXS and Tanchjim Oxygen. SeeAudio proved that newcomers can compete very well with every other IEMs in this territory. The contents, the wire it comes along, the beautifully crafter color changing shells, the sound, the technicalities all come along and make it a very robust sounding pair. It can be easily recommended to buy this set without thinking twice. This is very “Audiophiliac” tuning and will please almost everyone.

Rated :

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All grades are given keeping price to performance ratio in mind, better grade doesn't mean it's the best.
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gadgetgod

1000+ Head-Fier
SeeAudio Anou Review: Perfection Under 200$?
Pros: Relaxed non-fatiguing sound signature
Very beautiful design
Sweet natural tonality
Performance in its segment is simply perfect(Under 200-300$)
Cons: The fit might not be the best for people with small ears
Sub-bass is a bit shy
When I first heard of SeeAudio a few weeks back I was super hyped to try out their very first pair of in-ear monitors, the SeeAudio Anou. I was actually approached by a very good friend of mine who was organizing a review tour for this IEM here in my country. As the pair reached me about a week back, the pair got released internationally with the name of SeeAudio Yume. Both the Yume and Anou are the same product from SeeAudio. They just have different faceplate designs. The Anou was released a while back in mainland China and it has got superb reviews from the people who got to try it early. The pair rocks a triple driver hybrid setup with very beautifully designed earpieces. It is available to purchase from HiFiGo for just 169$. Let’s begin with the review.

You can also check out my review on my blog at the link below:-
https://gadgetgenerations.com/seeaudio-anou-iem-review-perfection-under-200/

Buying Link from HiFiGo:-
https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-yume-1dd-2ba-hybrid-in-ear-earphone
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SeeAudio:-

Well, I guess this is their debutant pair in the market so the brand also needs an introduction. SeeAudio is a new brand focused primarily on combining creative frequency response adjustments to create exquisite looking, elegant sounding earphones. The core team consists of professional acoustic engineers with many years of experience in the development and production of customized earphones. Their very first pair, the See Audio Anou right here is said to follow the Harman Target Curve. Let’s find out how it performs.

Disclaimer:-

I got the unit as part of a review circle organized here by SeeAudio themselves. I am not affiliated or paid by anyone to write positive or negative about the pair. All the thoughts, impressions in this review are my own impressions made after listening to the pair throughout the last week. I would like to thank SeeAudio for seeing the potential in me and making me a part of the review tour. Check out their Facebook page from the link below:-
https://www.facebook.com/Seeaudio2020

Packaging & Accessories:-
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By the time the unit landed in our country, the retail packaging was not ready for Anou. So I got just the earpieces, three pairs of ear tips, and a 4-core braided copper cable. The case in the pictures used in this review is my personal belonging and won’t be a part of the final packaging. As per the brand, the Anou/Yume will be bundled with four pairs of silicone ear tips and two pairs of foam tips. About the case, I have no information provided to me.

Build Quality:-

The Anou is a very beautiful looking pair of in-ear monitors with black ergonomic earpieces. There is a glittery dual-color pattern on the faceplates with orange and green shade along with the SeeAudio branding logo on the left earpiece and Anou on the right. The earpieces look like they are 3D printed and are made up of Resin material. They have a vent near the two-pin connectors to neglect any DD driver flex. The aluminum nozzle is of a short size so the penetration isn’t too deep in the ear canal. The pair overall looks quite amazing and eye-catchy.
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About the bundled cable, it is very soft and has a metallic Y-cable splitter. The 3.5mm Termination Plug also has See Audio branding printed on the casing of it.

Fit:-

With a small nozzle, the earpiece doesn’t go deep into your ears. It actually sits firmly on the outer side of the ear canal, though to my surprise the noise isolation is quite good. I got a very good fit but I doubt for fit with people with small ears as the earpiece fit my medium-sized ears completely. Other than that no complaints here from my side.

Driving The SeeAudio Anou:-

The SeeAudio Anou is quite easy to drive. It has 108dB sensitivity at 32Ω impedance ratings. For the purpose of this review, I used the pair with my smartphone Honor View 10, my hi-res player iBasso DX120, and my desktop Topping E30+L30 stack, and here are my findings.

With Honor View 10 Smartphone:-

I had to push the volume for about 80% and the pair sounds decent. But to be honest, it lacked extensions at both ends with this pairing. The volume was adequate but I felt the lack of extensions as with other sources.

With iBasso DX120:-
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The player rocks the pair at just 50% volume. Bass feels deep and punchy, also the treble extensions are just fabulous here. Plus the pairing here has a cleaner background as compared to the smartphone only. The DX120 is not a very powerful player, but it surely powers the pair well. So I would suggest getting at least a hi-res player for using the Anou to its full potential.

With Topping Stack:-
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Some of us might think that this is overkill for an IEM with such low power requirements. Well, I thought the same but L30 features -9dB low gain so why not try the pairing. With the Topping Stack, the combo is just superb, the background is super clean, there is no background noise, the bass punch is real. Though the main difference between the other two pairings is the staging. The soundstage actually opens up here though the pair has more depth to its stage than the width and it's pretty evident with this combo. Loved this combo the most.

Sound Quality:-

In terms of sound quality, the Anou is quite a transparent pair with a neutral sound response. I loved how precise the bass slams drops and with such a rich texture. It actually compliments the other frequencies very well. The mid-portion shows a great sense of airiness and depth. Both the male and female vocals stand out with a rich sense of lushness, I just loved listening to my favorite track by Damien Rice, The Blower’s Daughter. The treble portion is a bit laid back providing a smooth non-fatiguing response even in complex tracks like Dani California by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Simply loved the overall sound output for its smooth non-fatiguing presentation.
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Lower End:-

The real lower end opens up when paired with a better source such as DX120 or the E30+L30 combo. It feels quite punchy and has an emphasis on the mid-bass region. doesn’t sound overdone by any means. I noticed the bass slams were precise and controlled well within its region. They were brought out quite beautifully whenever the drum kicked in Instant Crush by Daft Punk. Sub-bass is a bit shy though comes out in bass-heavy tracks like the Bad Guy by Billie Eilish.

Mids:-

The midsection is quite natural and transparent. It produces an amazing sense of airiness on the stage that makes acoustic instruments, Pianos sound beautiful and detailed. The acoustic guitar in Heart Full Of Wine by Angus & Julia Stone sounds pretty detailed, simply loved it. For vocals, I found that both the male and female vocals stand out in the pair, and conveys the emotions well. When Yao Si Ting sings Speaks Softly My love, I just get lost in her voice, simply magical.

Highs:-

The higher frequencies are presented in a laid back manner, but that doesn’t make the pair boring in any way. It retrieves crisp detailing in instruments, just that there is no sibilance or fatiguing in Violins, Electric Guitars, or mouth organs. With the SeeAudio Anou, I was able to listen to music for hours in a single sitting without getting tired.

Soundstage and Imaging:-

I loved the soundstage representation of the SeeAudio Anou. It has more depth to it rather than width and presents a very beautiful airy stage for your music to shine on. In terms of dynamics, the pair performs quite well and shows good imaging/layering characteristics.
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Final Verdict:-

For just 169$, I just can’t believe how well the SeeAudio Anou performs. It has a bit of shyness in the sub-bass portion and a slight bit of roll-off in the upper treble portion, but that doesn’t stop the pair from performing. It performed quite well for the genres that I prefer(Rock, Pop, Indian Regional, Vocals) and presented me with a relaxed non-tiring sound response. I would recommend the Anou eyes closed for its super smooth music presentation. Now on to some comparisons.

SeeAudio Anou Vs Etymotic ER2XR:-
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>Both will have their own fit issues with the users as one deeply penetrates(ER2XR) and the other sits on the outer cavity of your ear(Anou). Anou might give fit complaints with users with small ears.

>The Anou presented a better soundstage with a good sense of depth while the ER2XR had a narrower stage presentation.

>The ER2XR produces a more natural response, better sub-bass while the Anou presents a more fun and smoother presentation.

SeeAudio Anou Vs BGVP DM7:-
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>The DM7 has an aggressive sound as compared to the Anou.

>DM7 produces better bass extensions.

>Anou sounds smoother while the DM7 sounds brighter.

>DM7 costs almost double the Anou.

chinerino

100+ Head-Fier
See Audio Anou/Yume Review
Pros: Well tuned Harman, good extensions, All-rounder, Fit, Gorgeous aesthetics and Solid Build
Cons: A slight peak in its treble that may cause fatigue, some may find upper-midrange a little forward
More Reviews at www.perrivanaudio.com!

Driver Setup: 1 Dynamic Driver, 2 Balanced Armatures

Price: US$169

Intro

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Disclaimer: This review set is a demo set graciously lent to me by Daniel at Oardio and the review is written of my own accord and all thoughts are my own. The See Audio Anou/Yume is available for purchase from Oardio through their website should you find yourself interested in a pair.

This is a review for the See Audio Anou/Yume. See Audio is a relatively new company originating from China that started from constructing CIEMs. The Anou/Yume is their entry-level IEM that sports a hybrid design and they do have premium offerings such as the Kaguya and the Neo that caters to those that are looking out for new TOTL offerings in the market right now. With regards to the naming convention, the IEM has 2 names, "Anou" being used within Japan and "Yume" for rest of the world and this review, I will be using "Anou" as the unit that I reviewed was the Japan release version but they are essentially the same thing. You can know more about See Audio on their Facebook Page.

Build Quality and Fit (Score: 9.5/10)

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For this review, only the IEM and case was given to me without the box so I could not comment or review with regards to the accessories and the overall package itself. Moving on the build, the Anou is well made and the material seems to be some acrylic resin which is the norm for most CIEMs. The colourway and design is another stroke of brilliance where there are multiple colours depending on the level of exposure to light and the angle it hits the IEM. The Anou comes with a copper cable that is soft and well built with no obvious weaknesses in its construction and connections. Kudos to See Audio!

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As for the fit, I have to say that it is superb! Everything just fits my ear perfectly and there are absolutely no discomfort or quirks when wearing it for longer listening sessions. I would expect that most people should have zero complaints with regards to the fit as it is as one of those designs that feel as if it is a CIEM. Great job See Audio!

Sound (Score: 8.7/10)

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As we can see here, a very Harman-neutral type of tuning which we can expect most to find little to no fault to it when listening to the Anou.

Sources used
  • Ibasso DX120
  • iPhone XR
  • Atom DAC and AMP
Music and Albums, I listened to
  • Alan Walker
  • Billie Eilish – When we all fall asleep, where do we go?
  • Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture
  • Cigarettes After Sex
  • One Republic – Dreaming Out Loud
  • Kodaline
  • Keane – Fears and Hopes
  • Nino Rota – The Godfather OST
  • Fedde Le Grand – Cinematic
  • ARTY
  • Halo OST
  • Czardas
  • Lauv
  • Scary Pockets
  • Hans Zimmer
  • Aladdin OST
  • McFly
Bass (Score: 8.5/10)

The Anou's bass sounds authoritative in general with sub-bass as its lead. The Anou's sub-bass provides good rumble and body to tracks and it helps the mid-bass thumps and punches by giving the sense of a full-bodied attack that can satisfy most listeners. It has very little to none mid-bass bleed which aids in clarity and separation, also a respectable sub-bass extension which is an awesome combination for enjoyment!

Mids (Score: 8/10)

Vocals do not sound too recessed and they still can take over the centre stage whenever needed. Male vocals are clear and distinct without being overpowered by its basslines, female vocals do sound relatively forward in comparison but by a little to give off that energy to listeners. My take is that it is still within my own threshold but I would expect some people to be bothered by the upper-midrange gain that the Anou has and may find it relatively too forward for their tastes.

Instruments sound natural most of the time but I do find that trumpets in "Halo OST" sounds too forward and may sound too glaring when it comes to tracks that have huge dynamic ranges. Layering capabilities are good but I felt that it can be improved on which I noticed when comparing to other offerings which I will touch on later.

Treble (Score: 8/10)

The Anou has a detailed, spacious and sparkly presentation in its treble region and although the graph shows a huge spike within that sibilance region, it is not that devastating to my ears in reality. I do pick up some sibilance and fatigue over time and depending on your sensitive regions (7kHz to 10kHz), you may or may not be more vulnerable to that spike.
With all of that, I have to say I really enjoyed the high hats and cymbals when listening to Aladdin's "Friend Like Me" which really showcases the energy the Anou is capable of. On "1812 Overture", Flutes do stand out with that smooth shining tone that can soothe anyone listening to them.

Overall

With a close resemblance to the Harman Curve, it should please most listeners as it is a tried and tested tuning preference. I would consider the Anou to be a decent all-rounder performer that houses a relatively fun-sounding signature and at the same time having technical abilities such as soundstage, layering, detail retrieval, timbre and tonality.

Comparisons

Moondrop Blessing 2
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The Blessing 2 do sound more immersive and possess a higher technical capability ceiling that outperforms the Anou but it loses out with regards to extension, and a more pleasant upper-midrange that many find the blessing 2 to be too aggressive. My take is that I do prefer the blessing 2 as it has a much larger soundstage, midrange layering, and detail/separation and I could fix its flaw with EQ when needed which cannot be applied to the Anou. Nevertheless, Anou holds a better value as it is about half of the Blessing 2's price.

Thieaudio Legacy 3
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The Legacy 3 (L3) sounds warmer and musical which loses out on detail and separation that the Anou can produce. the Anou on this end gives more attention to layering, separation and articulation which made it sound cleaner in its bass and mids. They are stage somewhat similar but with female vocals standing out more in the Anou and male vocals in the L3. I would say the Anou edges the L3 in terms of treble performance which I find the L3 to be lacking on but it eventually boils down to taste and preference. For example, I will prefer the L3's midrange and vocal qualities depending on tracks you listen to as well as mood. Similarly for the Anou, I prefer the Anou when it comes to clarity, energy and for that good old Harman flavour!

Conclusion

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The Anou has already convinced me as being one of the top contenders under the $200 price bracket with its brilliance in design, build, fit and sonic performance. I am happy to say that I will recommend the Anou to anyone that is looking for a great all-rounder pick that does most genres well with a good mix of attributes that resembles higher-priced, premium offerings.
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machinegod

New Head-Fier
See Audio Anou: Transparent to the T! (vs BQEYZ Spring 2)
Pros: Neutral-balanced sound signature.
Exceptional soundstaging capabilities.
Excels in transparency and dynamics.
Cons: Lacks a bit of treble sparkle.
Could use some more bass extension and quantity.
Build and Fit :
The faceplate of Anou takes into account scattered pearlescent flakes which changes color subtly when it catches light at different angles. It changes from reddish brown to gold and sea green to ultramarine blue. The design is sophisticated and it isn't chintzy or gaudy to look at. The color shift is lowkey and won't be attention seeking on the streets. The Anou is universal fit, the fit is perfect for my smaller than average ears. I can even insert it deep in my ears, which attenuates the noise a lot, resulting in some serious passive noise cancellation.
It uses the 2 pin 0.78mm to 3.5mm SE interface. The cable material is 5n OCC copper. The cable weave is thick and almost completely flexible, it does have the tendency to hold a small kink here and there.
In terms of accessories you get 4 pairs of silicone tips and 2 pairs of foam tips.

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Amp Needs :
It's rated at 106 dB/mW at 32 ohm. Specs would suggest that this can be driven off a phone or portable dongle DACs. But I found myself almost maxing out my Zorloo Ztella MQA almost all the time to get the best results.
Which is indicative of the Anou requiring more power than its specs would suggest. Anou is best suited for high volume listening (off these dongle dacs) as it unravels the soundstage and dynamics much better with more power. On dynamic/quiet recordings, I found myself going up to 90% volume on the Ztella, which is considerably more than all the other IEMs I have tried on the same recording. Anou behaves very differently when you throw some power at it. Anou scales noticeably with a good source, so I would recommend using a good dongle dac like Zorloo Ztella MQA which is sufficient to take the Anou to it's full potential at high volumes.
I also paired the Anou with the budget dongle dac Tempotec Sonata HD Pro and had to open a lot of volume off it too, to get much improved results.
So in a nutshell, Anou for some reason needs more power than its specs would suggest and it scales damn well too. It does sound good off a phone, but you really want a dongle DAC/Amp for the best experience.

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Sound

Bass

The entire bass region is surprisingly neutral. It has enough presence and forwardness to satisfy all save the bassheads who live for the thump. There is no midbass emphasis or bleed into the lower mids, in turn making the sound appear less congested and avoids being too warm. The bass never gets in the way as it is fast, yet you can always feel its presence, and for most of the times, it doesn't feel lacking to a person like me who is allergic to too much bass. It doesn't have the deep rumble and chest digging thump however. I would consider the bass in Anou to be very well balanced. I did find myself wanting some of the rumble sometimes on my usual test tracks.
But that lingers on being nitpicking given how coherent the bass is.

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Mids
The mids are neutral, with no hint of shoutiness or honkiness, neither is it laid back in any sense making it V shaped , nor is it too forward. There are no awkward peaks in this range and the tonality in the mids is very realistic and lifelike. The vocal performance is accurate, with just enough energy in the upper midrange.
Lower midrange depth and body is just in perfect balance. Even better, the positioning of vocals isn't artificial. It is true to the source. It shows the difference in recordings with laid back and forward vocals like it's cakewalk. The depth in placement is easy to visualize, which makes the experience much more immersive.

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Highs
The treble region is smooth. It's tuning is on the laid back side. It complements every genre I throw at it. For most people, the overall treble region will appear "natural". It avoids sibilance by conservative tuning in the susceptible regions. There is a roll-off in the upper treble and brilliance/air region which results in a slight lack of sparkle and brilliance, which is the only realistic gripe I have with the Anou. I ended up wanting just a bit more of that sparkle which would complete the picture.

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Soundstage and Imaging
Now we're talking. The Anou's soundstaging capabilities is exceptional, class leading rather. And the imaging comes up right behind it. The Anou doesn't make everything sound wide, no.
But what it does is still remain true to source, i.e, it reflects the soundstage in the recording considerably better than any IEM I have tried till date. Listening to poorly recorded Djent music like that of Meshuggah, it appears flat and narrow just like it was recorded. But on music that is recorded good or even excellent,
the width is honestly jaw dropping. Like the usual David Chesky recordings, if you're sitting in a small room, you will be tricked into believing for a moment that you are listening to speakers.
The soundstage depth is astounding. Not just in front, but it extends almost to the back.
This crazy soundstaging capability enhances the layering of music to an extent that it even beats many mid-fi headphones. Putting on wide binaural recordings, the entire stage is presented to you if you close your eyes.
Bass direction, instrument placement in this scenario is really commendable.
For the first time on listening to Letters by Yosi Horikawa, I got to see some good semblance of soundstage height from an IEM that costs $169, which even headphones in the $500 range can't reproduce.
The imaging is spectacular given how good the soundstage is. Maybe sometimes I found the image distinction to be slightly fuzzy (very slightly, can be improved with better source).

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Dynamics
Macrodynamics/Microdynamics are stellar. Anou is unrestricted when it comes to dynamics and in this case the dynamic range bottleneck is probably from other components of your chain (or in almost all cases, the recording). It clearly reflects the dynamics of the recording. With more power comes considerably more dynamics, the soundstage seems to unravel even further. It's as if Anou comes to life the more you push it.

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See Audio Anou vs BQEYZ Spring 2

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*
Spring 2 seems impossible to get a good fit with, using the stock tips. The stem is too short and I never got a good fit with it. Using aftermarket tips might help in this regard. Anou fits snug like a piece of a puzzle in my medium ears.

*Anou requires more power than the Spring 2 to come to life, I consistently found myself reaching for more volume to let the Anou sing.

*Anou and Spring 2 have vastly different tonalities. Spring 2 has a more aggressive and forward tuning in comparison to the Anou which is much more balanced and neutral. The bass of Spring 2 digs considerably deeper and has enough rumble. The quantity of bass is enormous and it has thunderous impact, but it does bleed into the lower mids, unlike the Anou which has lesser quantity of bass and lacks rumble in comparison but has no bleed/bloom issues.

*The treble region in Spring 2 is grainy and the lower treble is splashy and spiky which throws off the tonal balance completely. I found it hard listening for more than a few minutes due to it's splashy lower treble which makes anything in that region sound tinny and compressed. Anou is leagues ahead in tonal balance and timbre in treble with no graininess to speak of. When it comes to speed and microdynamics, the Spring 2 has the upper hand.

*In soundstage and imaging, I would say that imaging on both are on par. In the soundstage department, I found Anou to beat out the Spring 2 in depth, the width are more or less similar, again found Anou to reach out slightly farther, but not notably more. But when it comes to transparency in the soundstage (i.e reproducing the original track's width and depth, not making every recording sound wide and/or deep) the Anou is clearly the winner. Even comparing outside the soundstage, Anou has more transparency being truer to source.

*To wrap it up, the Anou and Spring 2 trade blows when it comes to technicalities but the Anou is miles ahead when it comes to timbre, tonality and transparency.

Conclusion
Easily leads the sub 300 USD class of IEMs if what you're looking for is a transparent and balanced sound.
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