[drspeter]

Both are exceptionally well extended and have tons of air. Crimson feels edgier and peakier than the Helios, though I'd have to A/B test with the same tips and cable. Voices feel crispier on the Crimson, which I feel could become sibilance with the wrong tip combination.


I'm not the best when it comes to cable comparisons, but compared to the original 4w nova, it's got a larger stage and better separation, which makes transients pop out at me better.

Thanks a lot for sharing what you hear. Hope you enjoy your new IEM! Cant wait to have one for me too.

 

[SweetCans928]

Please re read my comments a few posts above as to why we have not released driver count yet.

There is nothing more to it. Thanks!

Maybe I'm blind lol, but I'm not seeing it.

 

[Retrorai]

Maybe I'm blind lol, but I'm not seeing it.

I ended up finding it in the pre-order thread. Here's the link.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sym...tion-pre-orders-now-live.969472/post-17704193

 

[drspeter]

I ended up finding it in the pre-order thread. Here's the link.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sym...tion-pre-orders-now-live.969472/post-17704193

Must be shocked if it turns out to be that Crimson is single DD or BA haha. But given that the IEM is 4 way, at least it will be 4 drivers?

 

[Not Catto]

HELIOS SE BEST

 

[Schmev]

HELIOS SE BEST

False

 

[Schmev]

Anyways I own crimson number 5 bought it right in london at canjam. I still love em after a week playing around but ran out of music to listen to lol.
If you guys have any questions feel free to ask

 

[AsciiJC]

HELIOS SE BEST

You really want the crimson, don't you

 

[drspeter]

yeah.. it was 4 BA driver setup..
https://zeppelinandco.com/products/symphonium-crimson
then the driver count itself is the same as helios. Even though we know that the driver number is not direct indicative for the sound, but I am curious what made an upgrade from helios that justifies ~50% price increase.

 

[drspeter]

Anyways I own crimson number 5 bought it right in london at canjam. I still love em after a week playing around but ran out of music to listen to lol.
If you guys have any questions feel free to ask

congrats. The IEM looks good like a premium product.
do you have (or auditioned side by side) any other IEMs similarly or more expensive that Crimson?
Hoe does Crimson compare to those competitors if you had some time to compare?

 

[Schmev]

congrats. The IEM looks good like a premium product.
do you have (or auditioned side by side) any other IEMs similarly or more expensive that Crimson?
Hoe does Crimson compare to those competitors if you had some time to compare?

Well it was next to the likes of Singularity and Storm. Over all I think the whole Subtonic/Symphonium/Nightjar table blew away all of the competition!
Its is really different to singularity different enough that I could justify owning both if one had the money.
I think its easier to go into details with the Crimson first. The bass is great, it knows to be present and rumbly when it needs to be but can also compliment other instruments and be present in the background when it wants to be.Also it doesnt bleed into the mids at all! The mids are great as well, there is not much to say about them they’re clear and distinct no instrument overshadows the other though it does do female vocals better than male ones(male vocals are still great though).
The treble is where it all shines for me (and where it all might go down for treble sensitive people) its really present but in a airy very pleasant way. It gives the crimson its distinctive sparkle that I couldnt find in other iem’s (especially in the price class). Like I said for some treble sensitive people it could be too much but for me its part of Crimsons extremely immersive experience that just hooks you in and makes you experience the music rather than hear it.
Obviously its also extremely technical, its timbre is stunning and the soundstage it delivers is impressive, depending on the music you listen to it feels like you’re in the same room with the artist and they’re giving you a private concert or you’re sitting in an opera house and listen to a whole orchestra.
For me it completely redefines its price class and its only the beginning of a great future for iem’s especially with all the hard work Symphonium put into it and keeps putting into their projects. A step stone for a new era if you will.
Now coming back to comparing them to other iem’s, Singularity, while amazing is just not the same thing and it doesnt try to be either. Its more laid back, something everybody can enjoy and think "wow this is a great iem" and knowing all the details of it just makes it more impressive.
Regarding storm, I sadly didnt have much time with it by the time I got to it I started suffering from listening fatigue so I cant say much about it other than I couldn’t recognize a single flaw in it (other than the struggle to get a good deep fit) it again, is different to crimson and I personally wouldnt compare these two but its much closer to it than something like singularity. The treble on storm wasnt as present as it was in crimson though it was still really good. Storms bass was just plain superior. I didnt notice any flaws nor anything special about the mids or technicalities I would’ve needed more listening time for that. I cant make a judgement about which one is better but I can see some choosing crimson over storm for a different flavor.
I also tried 3 64audio iem’s (U12t, U16t or s I don’t remember and forgot the third one) and was massively underwhelmed by all of them. The bass was either bleeding into the mids or wasnt there at all depending on the model. after the third one I just went to the next stand and decided that 64audio wasnt for me.
I also tried Elysian Annihilator and Diva but I didnt really spend much time there just enogh to recognize Annihilator as a good iem. Diva was also pretty good (Crimson better than diva though).
The one Iem that really made me consider getting it over crimson was the Helios SE though. I had to A B a tiny bit before coming to the conclusion that Crimson is just a step above Helios SE. while the sound first might seem kinda similar the more I listened the more I just fell in love with crimsons technicalities and that magical treble.
Sadly I didnt get to try Mest mk II or mk III.
However where I want to get at here is with these up and coming companies from Singapore we have an extremely bright future for iem’s infront of us where other producers hopefully catch up soon. The main thing we can learn from them, or more unlearn really is our perception of drivers and how the driver type doesn’t matter at all but only how they are implemented.

 

[drspeter]

Well it was next to the likes of Singularity and Storm. Over all I think the whole Subtonic/Symphonium/Nightjar table blew away all of the competition!
Its is really different to singularity different enough that I could justify owning both if one had the money.
I think its easier to go into details with the Crimson first. The bass is great, it knows to be present and rumbly when it needs to be but can also compliment other instruments and be present in the background when it wants to be.Also it doesnt bleed into the mids at all! The mids are great as well, there is not much to say about them they’re clear and distinct no instrument overshadows the other though it does do female vocals better than male ones(male vocals are still great though).
The treble is where it all shines for me (and where it all might go down for treble sensitive people) its really present but in a airy very pleasant way. It gives the crimson its distinctive sparkle that I couldnt find in other iem’s (especially in the price class). Like I said for some treble sensitive people it could be too much but for me its part of Crimsons extremely immersive experience that just hooks you in and makes you experience the music rather than hear it.
Obviously its also extremely technical, its timbre is stunning and the soundstage it delivers is impressive, depending on the music you listen to it feels like you’re in the same room with the artist and they’re giving you a private concert or you’re sitting in an opera house and listen to a whole orchestra.
For me it completely redefines its price class and its only the beginning of a great future for iem’s especially with all the hard work Symphonium put into it and keeps putting into their projects. A step stone for a new era if you will.
Now coming back to comparing them to other iem’s, Singularity, while amazing is just not the same thing and it doesnt try to be either. Its more laid back, something everybody can enjoy and think "wow this is a great iem" and knowing all the details of it just makes it more impressive.
Regarding storm, I sadly didnt have much time with it by the time I got to it I started suffering from listening fatigue so I cant say much about it other than I couldn’t recognize a single flaw in it (other than the struggle to get a good deep fit) it again, is different to crimson and I personally wouldnt compare these two but its much closer to it than something like singularity. The treble on storm wasnt as present as it was in crimson though it was still really good. Storms bass was just plain superior. I didnt notice any flaws nor anything special about the mids or technicalities I would’ve needed more listening time for that. I cant make a judgement about which one is better but I can see some choosing crimson over storm for a different flavor.
I also tried 3 64audio iem’s (U12t, U16t or s I don’t remember and forgot the third one) and was massively underwhelmed by all of them. The bass was either bleeding into the mids or wasnt there at all depending on the model. after the third one I just went to the next stand and decided that 64audio wasnt for me.
I also tried Elysian Annihilator and Diva but I didnt really spend much time there just enogh to recognize Annihilator as a good iem. Diva was also pretty good (Crimson better than diva though).
The one Iem that really made me consider getting it over crimson was the Helios SE though. I had to A B a tiny bit before coming to the conclusion that Crimson is just a step above Helios SE. while the sound first might seem kinda similar the more I listened the more I just fell in love with crimsons technicalities and that magical treble.
Sadly I didnt get to try Mest mk II or mk III.
However where I want to get at here is with these up and coming companies from Singapore we have an extremely bright future for iem’s infront of us where other producers hopefully catch up soon. The main thing we can learn from them, or more unlearn really is our perception of drivers and how the driver type doesn’t matter at all but only how they are implemented.

what a great write-up! thanks a lot for your impressions. Now I am so jealous of those who picked up the launch edition of this IEM.
I can now understand how those were so quickly sold out. You actually compared it against all the competitors that I was debating with, so now I am quite confident what to buy next.

 

[o0genesis0o]

False

I read that line in Donald Trump voice (the “WRONG” meme)

Congrats on your shiny, btw.

 

[Retrorai]

The one Iem that really made me consider getting it over crimson was the Helios SE though. I had to A B a tiny bit before coming to the conclusion that Crimson is just a step above Helios SE.

Agreed and well put. Like I've mentioned earlier, the Crimson to me was slightly better than the SE in all aspects except treble, where it could go either way. Whether the extra energy is an improvement is up to you. Personally it reminds me of the first time I heard IE600. Deliciously spicy but almost too hot the first time I tried it.

I think in terms of cost to performance, the SE and the Crimson are similarly good. Crimson is a step up in almost everything, which justifies the extra $300-400 on the SE.

Now I wish I had Meteor to compare with as well.

Side note: I did do a brief listening of the Crimson alongside my friends' Tia Trio today. I think they can compete on the same playing ground. Wish I could hear both more, but the Crimson's bass is nearly on par with the Trio's DD. Both are wonderful IEMs with great technicalities without being boring.

 

[Retrorai]

Also curious as to which sources you all are pairing the Crimson with.

So far I've tried the Qudelix 5K, WM1AM2, and my JDS Atom Stack.