silentdisko
100+ Head-Fier
Quality post, thanks!CanJam NYC 2025
New York has always been my favorite place in the world. The mix of cultures and food, all the different languages being spoken, all of the different shops on every street corner, the insane pace that the city moves, all of the shortcomings of living in the city, and all of the benefits... I don't think there's another city on Earth, certainly not in the US, that fully embraces the definition of a 'melting pot'.
I love it more than I express. Being from a major US city myself, Boston, I can fit right in with the crowd in NY, it's a little more intense than up here in Boston, that's for sure, but it's not some tall feat and I definitely don't feel out of my element. However... **CanJam** always makes me feel out of my element. The overwhelming amount of people, things to try, sights, and sounds is most definitely something every Audiophile should experience at least once in their life! It's an attack on the senses and I got to experience it again just a few days ago, so, here's my experience at CanJam NYC 2025!
Symphonium Giant - Very warm and extremely pleasing to the ear, these were a great listen! If I had to make a comparison to something a bit older, I'd say these are similar to the Meteors but with a bit more resolution and overall space within notes and less spice on the back end of the treble. Speaking of the treble, it's extremely smooth and similar to that of a Thie house sound with a bit more dynamics thrown in the mix.
Symphonium Prototype (all BA) - Slightly bright leaning but extreme techs. The resolution is off the charts but in a much more pleasing way than that of an overly bright set. Felix said they were going for a set similar to the Helios with a bit more bass and upgraded treble smoothness. I think they succeeded. Impressive bass for all BA. Timbre is on point. Smooth as silk.
iBasso DC Elite - @Jaytiss is right, this thing is a bit overrated… I’m glad I got to demo it before dropping $400+ on it. I have to be honest, it’s so similar to the BTR17 in terms of overall tonality and presentation. Details come off maybe a touch more effortless and spaced out on the DCE, but not nowhere near double the price worth. The build quality is very nice and the volume wheel is extremely tactile and is clearly nicer than the FiiO but, outside of that, I can’t see the benefit. Maybe I need more time with it but on the initial listen, my expectations were not met, but that's on me. I think they were too high to begin with...
iBasso Nunchaku - The tube mode is maybe a touch warmer compared to the AB mode, with some extra weight in the mids. The bass extension is very nice and the separation is quite on point. Good stuff
Basso DC07 - extremely solid little dongle with slightly pushed upper mids and good bass extension. The volume wheel feels super cheap, though. On such a small device maybe buttons should have been the way to go. Separation is very good, and so is a mid-bass thump. I’d say this outright beats the BTR17 in terms of pure SQ, but it does lack all of the features for the same price... Trade-off? (I ended up buying one with more listening time lol)
M15i - This is clearly more focused on delivering technicalities rather than a musical signature. The bass thump is a lot less emphasized compared to the DC07 but the upper mids are pushed a little towards the glare-y side. I much prefer the DC07 for the more musical approach but I can appreciate the focus on the technicalities.
Kiwi Ears x HBB Punch - These were kind of a disappointment, I can’t lie. Within 30 seconds, I took them out of my ears. The slightly strange tonality and sub-bass rumble was not up to where I was expecting it to be. I fully expect I need more time with these, at home, properly tip rolling and proper source rolling. Just by looking at the graph and reading reviews online, these should of been a home run for me. Go figure...
Thieaudio Origin - These were more my speed for sure. The talk about the bass being bouncy and elastic is 100% true. It really is bouncy and elastic and natural, that DD+BCD is working. I can definitely feel the vibrations in those sub-bass rumbles. Or maybe that’s just the DD doing its thing… either way, really nice. But the Titans still reign supreme for me. I think it just comes down to the actual bass tactility and speed. The Origin had more of a lingering bass note, whereas the Titans have a faster in-and-out type of approach where the mids and treble are almost not affected at all.
Thieaudio Valhalla - oh my goodness…. Best in show so far for me. Unreal vocal texturing, I mean, genuinely some of the best vocal reproduction I’ve heard to date. Rivaling the Diva, Mona 2s, DMs, and anything in between. Bouncy and tight bass impact with perfectly placed sub-bass rumble for the rest of the mix. Treble detail and timbre are pretty much off the charts. I am smitten… too bad they’re $2k!
These have seen some use...
Letshuoer C12 - God damn these are quite good. They weren't the newest version unfortunately, Joesph didn’t have them on hand. It’s a shame they don’t make these anymore because they’re lovely. Warmish without sacrificing on techs. In fact, they’re quite technical, with great staging and super engaging bass. I wouldn’t say these are the last words in mid-range texturing and res, but the overall signature is very pleasing.
Not the final design.
Letshuoer S16 - These are a new Prototype Planar from LetShuoer and right off the bat I can say that they’re warm with fast transients and good bass tactility. I’m not sensitive to planar timbre so take this with a grain of salt but the overall timbre and tonality are very pleasing. Good techs, of course. Slight glare in the upper mids on the highest of notes. Really good bass texture and impact, like, impressively good.
Elysian didn't have a Diva on hand... they let me know that they're being phased out...
Elysian Anni 2023 - as good as I remembered it… every bit as incredible. Still one of my top dogs.
Elyisan Apostle - Kind of flat and not as dynamic as I’d like. It’s going for a neutral with a bass boost kind of sound and for $700 less, I’d go for a Thie set around $1k. Layering is impressive, and vocal clarity is good, but the texture is not particularly a stand-out if I’m honest. Hmmm, I'm not so sure, there doesn't seem to be anything special here imo.
(a few minutes later....)
The more I let them settle in, I can understand why these are priced the way they are. They’re a slow burn. Layering and resolution are actually impressive. It’s an effortless approach here and it takes time for your brain to adapt. For my HRTF, stage depth and instrument separation might be some of the best I’ve heard without forcing any part of the FR.
UM Maven II - as soon as I pressed play I thought, “These are fun” - big, dynamic sound on these that sounds incredibly fun. Treble is just the right amount of splashy without sounding brittle or harsh in any way. The bass is sufficiently punchy, it has a great thump behind the initial attack (which is a little blunted). The resolution is fantastic, stage depth and width for my HRTF are pretty great. Love the looks and build quality of these, too.
UM Stardust - The new entry-level set from UM and it’s great. Warm leaning with hefty vocals and well-extended but slightly subdued treble response. I enjoy it. The bass is on the blunted side if I’m completely honest but the upper mids and lower treble are slightly forward in a really wonderful way. These are another sick-looking IEM... I like this design language UM is going for!
UM Prototype QUADbrid - DD/BA/EST/BCD - these are going for a reference style tonality with texture and resolution all over the place. From the bass to the mids to the treble there are tons of details to be had. Enjoyable IEM, but for $3k+, I’d happily skip it. They don’t sound… “special” but I can see where someone would fall in love.
UM Mest Jet Black - The stage depth and width is kind of absurd on these. At least to my HRTF. instrument separation is immediately jumping out at me as impressive and not like anything I’ve listened to today so far. Not to mention, they are like jewelry. Very good-looking IEM. The cable needs a lot of work, though, it felt cheap and thin and very tangly. These scale like crazy, smaller details are cutting through the entire mix with ease and I’m picking up on those smaller details for the first time. Very cool. I dig these. The bass texture is on point. I could use a little more I suppose but the upper mids aren’t boosted and out of line so the bass level is probably perfect for the rest of the FR. I really like these. The Ceramic shell feels uber premium and extremely comfortable for my ears to boot!
Flipears Legion - WOAH. This is the craziest implementation of a BCD I’ve ever experienced and it’s not even close LOL they sound like a big, bold V-shaped tuning with crazy powerful slam in the mid-bass and slightly too-forward vocals but holy bananas is that BCD nuts!!! These are fun as hell. The aesthetics are still polarizing to me, I'm not the biggest fan but I also don't hate it. I can most certainly appreciate the craftsmanship though. Especially for a set under $1000!
Supernova Prototype - These were smooth as silk. Timbre is as good if not better than my Monarch mk2 across the FR. Bass is nicely implemented and well-balanced within the mix. The treble is subtle, I could use a little more splash-up top but the resolution is extremely well done. Overall a balanced sound signature tilting more on the warm side with a mid-bass punch. Overall really nice. Not flat sounding while still being very balanced. There is a small vent facing the ear on these as well, I tried to take a pic to show ya'll. The guys from Bloom couldn't tell me if that was similar to FiR's Kinetic bass tech, and I honestly didn't notice it too much, but I cannot 100% confirm if it's doing anything or not... still, it's interesting that they're trying something new!
Campfire audio Clara - These were dynamic and the resolution is up there with some of the best I've heard. Mid-bass has a very respectable punch to it. I dig it. Slight glare in the upper mids/lower treble. On busy tracks, it can get congested due to that upper mids glare.
CrinEar Project Meta - very much a Meta-tuned IEM, it lives up to its name. I will admit it is very clean, the upper mids are kept in check and the timbre is very natural. No weird peaks or anything of that nature. Not overly warm either, but still nicely clear with very good resolution. The design and stock cable feel top-notch and premium for sure. The chamfered edges on the shell are such a nice touch and when I mentioned that to Crin, he seemed proud of it so, kudos to him on that small touch.
NightJar Duality - holy Jesus Christ. There are 2 bass settings to these and when I first listened to them, I thought it was on the “boosted bass” setting…. That should tell you everything.
In all seriousness, I can say confidently that I prefer the Titan's overall signature. The Duality is extremely, and I mean extremely warm with a massive sub-bass lift that is already almost too much on the lowest setting. On the high setting, the sub-bass is actually an incredible accomplishment in personal audio engineering. Is it too much for me? Yes absolutely. But there is 0 distortion, it is still rumbly and somewhat clean (Titan has a cleaner rumble) and details in the music aren’t completely lost, surprisingly. Overall, they made me chuckle on a few tracks. But you NEED a desktop amp to run these. Even on desktop mode with the BTR7, they weren’t being run to their full potential @ 100/120 volume. Without desktop mode just normal high gain, anything over 100/120 volume, and there was a distinct distortion on every mid-bass kick. No bueno… overall, really fun IEM. But for that money, I’d hard pass.
I ran out of files I could attach :')
OG Helios - These are WAY warmer than I expected and honestly right up my alley when it comes to tuning. The techs are off the charts, the resolution is impressive, and so is sound stage and imaging. These are similar to the Crimson in a lot of ways but they have a better fit (slight pressure on first insertion), but otherwise, no pressure builds up after about 15 minutes of listening. Sub bass is rumbly but mid-bass is slightly blunted and most would probably say they’re lacking. I really enjoy these… to the point where they might be a future purchase if I see a pair in the classifieds. I was fully expecting these to be overly bright and lacking in the bass, but I was so wrong. At least to my ears.
I also had another go at the STORM, Meteor, and Crimson while I was there hanging out with the crew from Symphonium. The STORM is... the STORM. It's incredible. The Crimson is still one of the best bright-leaning sets I've heard to this point and the Meteor... ah the Meteor. Genuinely one of my favorite IEMs I've ever listened to. The fit was better this time with the tips they had on them, but I know after a while they'll start sliding out and irritating my ears. What a shame.
In terms of listening impressions, I didn't get as much as I hoped to but that's okay, there's always next year! There were a few IEMs I really wanted another shot at though, like the stuff from Canpur, QDC, and Alpha/Omega. The Musictek table was always full of folks listening and I figured I'd better keep it moving to an open spot if I want to make good use of my 5 hours there. Still, I had a great time. The highlight of my day and the sticking memories are definitely the ones of the folks I met and took some pics with. Crin, Ted, Mark, Caleb from Bloom and the rest of their crew, Joseph from Letshuoer, and of course, the guys from Symphonium - Felix, Mikol, and Gary, thanks again for your hospitality at your booth. I spent way too much time there...
This was a long one but if you made it this far, thanks so much for reading! I hope to meet some of you guys there next year maybe. Until then, cheers.
I'm glad you enjoyed the Helios and surprised they fit you better than the Crimson.
How did the new Symphonium prototype compare and did they say anything about price, release date? Super interested in these if they offer something that differentiates from the Helios. The look is spot on.
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