Frequency Response – 10Hz – 24kHz, ± 2 dB
Sensitivity – 106dB/Vrms @ 1 kHz
Impedance – 6.05 Ohms @ 1 kHz
Socket – Spring Loaded 0.78mm 2-Pin
Cable – 26 AWG Pure OCC Copper Litz
[4-Wire or 8-Wire Option Available]
Cable Impedance – 0.12 Ohms (3.5mm),
0.12 Ohms (4.4mm) @ 1kHz (8-Wire)
0.20 ohms (3.5mm), 0.20 Ohms(4.4mm) @ 1kHz (4-Wire)
Total Score
Introduction
Greetings to all Hifitopia readers from the last days of September. It is still hot in the northern hemisphere 🙂 Today I’m going to tell you about a product that I enjoy both reviewing and using. Here is the Symphonium Audio Crimson. An entertainment tool for some and an endgame for some. Let’s see what this iem offers us, which does its job very well.
I bought the product myself with the intention of writing an independent review. After spending about 200 hours (excluding burn-in), I started writing my review.
Design & Build
Package
Symphonium Audio Crimson comes in a very compact box. This is exactly what comes out of the box:
- 2-pin 0.78 mm interchangeable jack cable with 3.5/4.4 mm terminations
- Aluminum hard carrying case
- Double compartment satin pouch for shells
- Azla silicone ear tips xs/s/m/l
- Divinus silicone ear tips xs/s/m/l
It contains only the essentials and is reasonable. But the aluminum hard case, as great as it looks, is dysfunctional compared to a standard ser case. I wouldn’t want to carry a palm-sized thick aluminum disk in my bag. So a small soft case, maybe even a pouch, would be great.
Cable & Tips
The Symohonium Audio Crimson comes with a very nice and functional cable. I have the 4-core cable version. This nice cable is equipped with a very good jack switching mechanism. Simple, functional and not vulgar. I like that.
There is a very important detail here. The notched sides of the 2-pin ends of the cable must face outwards when inserted into the shells. Otherwise the polarity will not match properly. Please pay attention to this detail.
Comes with Crimson, Azla and Divinus tip sets. This is very good because normally it would cost an estimated 50 dollars to buy these tips separately. Congratulations to Symphonium Audio for their choice of tips.
Shells
Red frames and carbon plate surface embellishing the black and industrial stance. Stylish and small shells. The nozzles are a bit thick and not notched, not all tips will be compatible, but the tips that come with them are pretty good. The fit is excellent, which has to do with both the design and the size.
Synergy
Crimson is an iem with dominant air frequencies, recessive mid-bass and a U-shape tone. The female vocals are backward compared to the overall sound, and the mid-range is generally calm but full-bodied.
In addition, it is a difficult iem to drive, it requires a lot of power. The good thing is that it has an extremely isobaric frequency response. But you should be aware that you won’t get a good match with simple dongles.
Astell Kern KANN ULTRA With Symphonium Audio Crimson
This pairing is also a litmus test because it is not easy to find a source that matches Crimson so well. The resulting sound is both analytical and has enough warmth in the right spots. Astell Kern KANN ULTRA keeps Crimson’s midbass in control, adding color to the sound without adding thickness. Another specific point in this pairing is that the top treble has more air frequencies than the lower treble. This adds a special timbre to the sound and I love it, which wouldn’t sound so good if the Crimson had overly extended upper highs. But the planets are lined up like a string and the result is a bright enjoyable sound that is well balanced. The only bad thing about this pairing is that the sound is sometimes too harsh on the nu metal recordings. Other than that, I rate the pairing 8.5/10.
Symphonium Audio Crimson With Hiby RS8
When I saw Symphonium Audio products being sold as a bundle with Hiby products, I thought this pairing could be good. Yeah, I was right. I listened with both A class and AB class, I listened with 44-45/100 volume at H gauge over 4.4mm. I think the sound has a little more dynamics and emotion in A class. First of all, the sound I heard is technically exquisite, the resolution, detail retrieval and scene elements are extremely good for this price band. Another thing I found good in this pairing is the instrument textures and accuracy. The Crimson U-shape is an iem and matches incredibly well with the neutral-warm R2R sound with a slight mid focus. Moving and instrumental tracks are very enjoyable, I particularly enjoyed Five Finger Death Punch – Wrong Side of Heaven. The drums, guitars and vocals are both dynamic and realistic. My score for this pairing is 9.5/10.
Symphonium Audio Crimson vs Campfire Audio Moon Rover
Both are iems that I like, keep in my inventory and find successful. There is a $300 difference between them, Crimson is more expensive. I used the Hiby RS8 to make this comparison, I listened to both through 3.5mm with A Class and H gain. I also did additional listening with the dongle for an alternative view.
Tonally, the Campfire Moon Rover is a more thinner-sounding iem that is more focused on the upper frequencies. Symphonium Crimson offers a more balanced profile while Moon Rover has a sharper U-shape profile. Crimson’s air frequencies are ahead of the other treble frequencies but in balance with the overall sound. In the Moon Rover, the air frequencies are again in the foreground but the highs are more balanced. In Moon Rover, the highs are more dominant and in the foreground compared to the overall sound. The midbass is slightly more prominent on the Moon Rover while the subbass is slightly more prominent on the Crimson. There is not much sub-bass extension in either instrument, while the Crimson is superior in this area in terms of note weight.
Both iems are very good and very ambitious in the mid-range. Moon Rover is brighter in this area and pushes the vocals forward, sharing the same focus with the treble in the overall presentation. Crimson is more balanced with more refined and separated mids. When we look at the overall picture, Crimson is more mature and balanced in terms of tonality, while Moon Rover has a higher-pitched, more sophisticated and slightly more subtle tone.
In Technical Terms
Both are highly resolved and detailed sounds. But the Crimson is better in some respects, with a more homogeneous technique and more texture overall. In terms of stage, the Crimson is a little deeper, both play close, while the moon Rover has more extension. In terms of separation and layering, Crimson is better. They are close in terms of positioning and holography, but Crimson is better by a nose. In terms of accuracy, consistency and sonic realism, Crimson is also more dominant.
Sound Of The Crimson
The Symphonium Audio Crimson has a very overall sound, very successful in almost every area and above average. The fact that it does this with a balanced, consistent and realistic tonality at a very good price is admirable.
Bass
Great for a configuration using only balance armature. It produces enough sub. Only the 30-40hz part is a bit low, the sub focus is around 60hz. This is good on the one hand because this is a desirable focus. On the other hand, midbass is a lit recessive. The Crimson is quite fast in the lower frequencies and it does it without loss of texture. It has lower frequencies that are within the natural range but don’t extend too far. Instrumentally it’s quite capable: it produces realistic drums and contrabass sounds. In addition, listening to bass guitar with this iem is very enjoyable because it’s easy to focus on the bass guitar while listening.
Mid
It has a very comfortable, effortless but effective midrange. Timbre-wise, it’s almost perfect, simple but with a presentation that contains all the microdetails. On Opeth – Requiem, the acoustic guitar sounds incredibly natural. It is also very successful in mixed prog metal recordings, jazz-blues genres and orchestral pieces. The vocals are very good, especially the tenor vocals and the general male vocals are very well done. Woodwinds and piano are also among the instruments that I really enjoy listening to in Crimson.
Treble
It has calm and soft highs but keeps the air frequencies in the foreground. It doesn’t always work best with sopranos who climb upwards because they are not in the forefront. Nevertheless, the harmonics are in the right place on soundstage and save the day. The cymbals are very restrained and natural without being overbearing. Even with sensitive cymbals, it can transmit subtle nuances without loss of texture. The S-S sounds dominate the ringing but the amount of extension is just right, making the Symphonium Audio Crimson a great Jazz headphone. Of course the SS-SS sound may be a lot for some people.
Technique
Resolution and detail retrieval are as they should be. Technically, Crimson performs above average in all areas. In addition, it’s very good in some areas, its layering ability is outstanding. Soundstage width and positioning are excellent, making for a solid imaging experience. The amount of extension is natural, reproducing both a realistic and dynamic sound quite accurately. This iem could be the endgame for many people for a long time, if not endlessly.
Last Words
Symphonium Adudio Crimson is a pretty solid option for what it offers and what it’s capable of. It’s a good choice for audiophiles who like balanced listening, listen to multiple genres, especially jazz-rock, and don’t want to spend over $2000. I would say that its technical abilities are an advantage for the price, it also has a very natural and realistic timbre and a well-balanced sound.
