Does any body understand the new Crinacle ranking list
I want to upgrade from my Etymotic ER4XR
I was eying the monarch mk II because they ranked so high and was S tire in both tonality and technically
Now it seems everything is knocked down in the technicality section , even the
64 u12t , & right now I don't see any neutral IEM that gets to be s tier in tonality and technicality
So any help getting a top tier IEM excels on tonality and technicality
( and no v or u shaped)
Personally I have high respect for all that Crin done for the measurement space and I even was one of his biggest patrons, founding the measurement tool. I am grateful for everything he did in this department.
However nowadays I feel Crin flew somewhat away from reality with his rankings. I stopped treating them as any kind of clue, guide or advice. It's been too many times that he said that something is bad that turned out to be one of my favorites - and also too many times I was dissatisfied with his high-ranking IEMs.
The biggest dissapointment probably was the praised IER-Z1R, which is too bassy, has spikey treble and recessed unnatural mids with 1BA thrown there to marry the 2DDs together, and you can feel the technicalities being nothing special. Then the Hidition Viento R, which is just harshly tuned with highs bordering on being (un)acceptable and again nothing special technically - it's nowhere near being at the top of any ranking. I also can't understand high rankings of QDC monitors, having had 8CS, now also V14 and tested VX in the past - all of them rather average. Then there's completely obliterated Final Sonorous X and Lab II, which are classics treated as trashy pieces of art here. Many well known IEMs are not even on the ranking. We could go on and on.
TLDR is: do not treat rankings as a guide. Try all the best reviewed IEMs for yourself. And I would also add: prefer CIEMs over IEMs, as it's really worth it to learn how to order and use them, even is some purchases would end up in trash. Nothing can beat a great CIEM.
You can have a look at my collection in the signature section. From neutrality and technicality standpoint I can tell you what I would definitely purchase again:
1. Ambient Acoustics MAD24 - 24BA which is not only a marketing gimmick, but really work as a technical monster and neutrally tuned reference monitor.
2. Craft Ears Aurum+ - you need to ask them for 4EST implementation - a diffuse field neutral with an elegant touch of subbass and ethereal feel, at a great price for value.
3. Aroma Audio Jewel - a superb reference monitor for a high price, with several dB at the low end (still not enough for many, so you can say it's neutral), also an ethereal "electrostatic" feel like Aurum, even better technicalities but lower value for bucks.
Some things I have are very hard to come by, like for example Tralucent IEMs closed in custom shells for me by third companies. But from things you could buy straight from the street, I would get myself at least 2 out of 3 of the above CIEMs if you're a neutralhead like me.
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