CrinEar IEMs by Crinacle

[Heinzfi]

Some infos that I've seen in a group:
- Daybreak under $200, full production run
- Meta under $300, limited run
I didn't see any info about the driver config or the project reference yet but it should be available pretty soon

Someone mentioned that EPZ is likely the OEM and now seeing the shell and nozzle design, it indeed looks pretty damn similar.

EPZ P50

 

[Jimbob54]

I do not like cables designed for recessed connections shipped with flush shells .

I maintain that font /design is possibly terminal .

 

[Human Bass]

Some infos that I've seen in a group:
- Daybreak under $200, full production run
- Meta under $300, limited run
I didn't see any info about the driver config or the project reference yet but it should be available pretty soon
View attachment 430845View attachment 430846
View attachment 430847

Someone mentioned that EPZ is likely the OEM and now seeing the shell and nozzle design, it indeed looks pretty damn similar.
View attachment 430848
EPZ P50
View attachment 430849

I have the P50 and love it. Extremely well balanced. Only wished the nozzle had a lip, the smooth nozzle increase the chance of the tip falling into the ear.

 

[Matias]

Too bad the Daybreak "broke" the budget <50 USD of great IEMs like Red and 7Hz Zero 2.

 

[InfiniteJester]

I have the P50 and love it. Extremely well balanced. Only wished the nozzle had a lip, the smooth nozzle increase the chance of the tip falling into the ear.

Is the open back a gimmick or does it improve the soundstage?

 

[Human Bass]

Is the open back a gimmick or does it improve the soundstage?

It is still an iem, so the soundstage wont be huge. But it feels very natural and little to no pressure build up. It is a very detailed set, I suspect it would be sibilant if it were closed, but works wonder with the open design

 

[Jean-Paul Petrosyan]

It reminds me of the Topping logo font. A company not known for their quality aesthetics.

Personally, I find them ugly all around. The super glossy cheap looking resin shells (why not make it transparent?), the nozzle without a lip, the font of the brand name and it's size, the brand name itself. Even the faceplates while safely plain, still somehow look bad to me.

It may come off as pure hate, but it is what it is... My personal opinion.

I hope they'll change at least some aspects of the design...

 

[Lord Victor]

I do not like cables designed for recessed connections shipped with flush shells .

I maintain that font /design is possibly terminal .

Agreed - I really wish companies would stop making 95% of cables have the extended termination, when they're (in my experience) quite rare in the actual IEMs. I have a whole pile of IEMs and only 1 pair has that termination. So I basically can't buy aftermarket cables for them, as the extra length of the connector makes the earhook too big/dysfunctional

 

[Matias]

"Both Project Meta and Project Reference will cost under $300, while Project Daybreak comes in even cheaper at under $200."

https://www.****************/2025/02/headphones-stole-show-canjam-nyc-2025/

 

[Jimbob54]

"Both Project Meta and Project Reference will cost under $300, while Project Daybreak comes in even cheaper at under $200."

https://www.****************/2025/02/headphones-stole-show-canjam-nyc-2025/

So you'd have to think there will be a:

$100-150 Daybreak
$200 ish Meta (maybe 250)
£250-290 Reference depending on the Meta pricing.

I think DMS said the Reference was the one he heard that was interesting.

 

[Matias]

Here Crin describes all 3 in more detail. From his description I think the Reference would be the most interesting for me, but it is also the most expensive, although all 3 under 300 usd... Reference is still prototype, Meta and Daybreak are more final and closer to launch.

 

[HELIAS]

Here Crin describes all 3 in more detail. From his description I think the Reference would be the most interesting for me, but it is also the most expensive, although all 3 under 300 usd... Reference is still prototype, Meta and Daybreak are more final and closer to launch.

Would be interesting to hear what Crinacle's proposal of a "flat-sounding" IEM sounds like. Below is Super* Review's measurement of CrinEar Reference's FR, plotted with the Harman Target (long dashed line) and the 5128 Diffuse Field with 10dB tilt (short dashed line). The Reference adheres to the 5128 DF in midrange and treble, and is between Harman and the DF in bass.

Link to this graph: https://squig.link/?share=IEF_Comp_Target,Harman_Adjusted_Target,∆_5128DF_-_10dB_Tilt_Target,CrinEar_Reference_proto

Personally, I've been eyeing Softears Studio4 but the Reference is making me hold off.

I'm italicizing Reference to avoid confusion since we'll of course be talking about many "reference curves" when discussing this pair of IEMs

 

[Matias]

We could see before in his videos the Neumann speakers he uses, but in this video he made it explicit: his "house curve" for tuning IEMs is a pair of Neumann KH120 + KH750 sub in an acoustically well treated room. Which IMO is ideal: straight into studio reference, and preventing circle of confusion.

Edit: well, the reference for the Reference, that is. Then he turns up the subwoofer level to his liking and tunes the Meta and Daybreak accordingly lol.

 

[Klonatans]

We could see before in his videos the Neumann speakers he uses, but in this video he made it explicit: his "house curve" for tuning IEMs is a pair of Neumann KH120 + KH750 sub in an acoustically well treated room. Which IMO is ideal: straight into studio reference, and preventing circle of confusion.

That's how I want my IEMs and headphones to sound (in my case the reference is KH150 with elevated subbass). So far without EQ intervention I haven't heard anything similar. And what's especially puzzling is why the cherished Harman tuning in IEMs and headphones sounds so unlike neutral reference speakers or even neutralish Hi-Fi speakers in the upper midrange and treble.

 

[Jimbob54]

Appreciating they are various stages of development but Daybreak and Meta clearly come from the same OEM. Reference looks very much like a Ziigaat/ Thieaudio unit (shell shape and yellow text print on the inside).

 

[oratory1990]

I was able to test them at CanJam NYC. Loud environment and only a few minutes of testing, but man, the Daybreak caught my eye (ear)

 

[Jimbob54]

I was able to test them at CanJam NYC. Loud environment and only a few minutes of testing, but man, the Daybreak caught my eye (ear)

Interesting . Suspect the limited run Meta might be the popular choice for a blind buy for many.

 

[oratory1990]

The Meta is good! But was lacking a dB or two at 5 kHz and up. I had the same issue with the Dusk he showed me last year.

This is at a level where we know that just the shape of the ear canal (and how it differs from person to person) will affect this exact frequency range.

 

[InfiniteJester]

I was able to test them at CanJam NYC. Loud environment and only a few minutes of testing, but man, the Daybreak caught my eye (ear)

Would you care to elaborate, please? Thank you.

 

[mc.god]

From just the graphs I think that project Reference would be my sweet spot.