Thanks to a tip-off, I bought some Symbios for a, uh, tip-off.
Tips tested: Symbio N, Symbio W, Comply T200, Spinfits CP100.
IEM: Ocharaku Flat4-Akazakura Plus
A double-DD IEM with stellar bass punch and decay, sweet mids with accurate timbre, very wide staging, and a treble that tells you your recordings aren't up to scratch.
Source: QP1R
Album: ABBA's Gold in 44.1/16 FLAC. I was in the mood.
Symbio N: They are very comfortable and isolate very well. Sound-wise, they lend a natural, slightly warm tilt. The bass has very good texture. Punches fast and hard, with what I call a "butterfly flutter" decay characteristic of the Akazakuras that makes it captivating. The bass is tightened a bit but still impactful. The mids are clear and airy, capturing the amazing timbre of the IEMs. The treble is detailed and very clear, but GIGO (garbage-in-garbage-out) applies here. A bad recording will pierce your ears. Soundstage is very natural with accurate spacial cues. Overall it's a natural and detailed signature.
Symbio W: Like the N they are superb in comfort and isolate nicely. These give the airiest signature and the biggest soundstage of all the tips. It's more neutral compared to the N, the bass has less punch and more spaces between the notes. Mids and vocals take a hit though, they don't sound as effortless and natural as the N. Perhaps because the smoothness/detail scale got bumped to the latter just a bit. Treble is more promiment than the N, and this combo unlocks "super treble" mode my friend, where you get the most detail, most air, and most sibilance if you're not careful. I'm sure it won't be as bad with other IEMs, since the sharp treble is a characteristic of the Ocharakus themselves. The W's are not treble-centric, but generally reveals more detail.
Comply T200: One of the stock tips that came with the IEMs, depending on preference you might love them or hate them. No doubt, comfort and isolation exceed that of the Symbios, but at the price of SQ. The bass impact and decay is similar to N, and each note is a touch woolier. Mids and treble, however, sound veiled compared to both the Symbios. In terms of smoothness/detail it's definitely skewed to the former. It can be a good thing, since it's by and large the most easy-going signature of all the tips tested here, but it lacks excitement too. So it's a great pairing if you're not sure of the recording quality of your tracks. One last peeve with Complys. Keep your ears clean or that's it.
Spinfit CP100: The other stock tips that came with the Akazakuras, Spinfits are for me, great interim tips. They fit well, until you try something with foam. They sound good, until you take the time to tip-roll and mess with bore diameter. They're my go-to until I find something better. Fit-wise, they're comfortable, in the sense that it's very light and flexible, as opposed to the snug fit of the others. Isolation is less than the others. As for sound, the Spinfits curiously has a softer but woolier bass compared to the rest. The impact is less, and the decay lingers on a while more. Some texture and detail, particularly in the mids and treble, are not as clear compared to the rest. While Spinfits are quite spacious, the pairing with the Akazakuras aren't ideal. The airiness (spaces between the instruments and notes) is fine, but within the notes, they sound a bit hollowed out compared to the rest, like they lack note richness.
So, in order of preference while paired with the Akazakuras, I rank them Symbio N > W > T200 > CP100.
As to picking either N or W, pairing is important too. For example I prefer W with my Rhapsodio Galaxy v2, as the tips lend some stage size and air to the sound.
In short, Symbios are awesome! And they look snazzy too. I hope with this tip-off, you'll be inspired to tip-off other people about them, or do your own, uh, tip-off.