Crinear Reference

[Redacted]

An IEM for $350?
Pass - I'll buy 15 or 20 perfectly good ones instead.

 

[KenMasters]

There are a number of bluetooth earhook options out there. All the Truthears I own use 2-pin .78mm connectors, as does the Crinear Daybreak. I couldn't confirm the connector on the Crinear Reference, but I'd be shocked if they went with a different connector. Something like this should work:

TRN BT20S PRO | Worldwide Shipping | TRN-AUDIO

TRN BT20S PRO is a wireless Bluetooth 5.0 modules. Qualcomm QCC3020 chipset. AptX/AAC/SBC HD codecs. 72 hours continuous playback. Learn more!

trn-audio.com

I did come across these, but some comments mentioned them not fitting correctly/securely?

 

[Xaviedie]

Just got a pair and have been testing.

Best set of IEMs ive ever used. Period. Agree on the HD600 comparison, but with the bass that you always wished was there.

Star of the show ironically is the bass, the definition and 'purr' on them is unreal without losing any sense of balance with the mids or treble. The treble is exactly what i'd want - perfectly smooth.

The best bit - i have absolutely no desire to do any EQ - it "just works" - out of the box.

Don't think unless some huge new technology comes along in the future i'll ever need to buy another pair of IEMs. Endgame for me.

Congrats Crin!

Another important point with the Crinacle reference => not EQ ^^

 

[Selkirks]

Having done quite a bit of Googling, it doesn't seem like there are any good wireless earhook options that fit these or the Truthears?

For comfort and affordability the KBEAR BT15 Pro is good. It worked well with all sizes of IEMs. For overall value I like the TRN BT30 Pro but other users have reported issues with it. Both should be fine with the Truthears. I like the Fiio UTWS5 (2025) but it is the least comfortable of the earhooks I've tried. It gets more use with headphones.

View attachment 530745

 

[KenMasters]

I'm still unsure about the wireless dongles so opted for a FiiO KA11 instead - I guess it's back to a wired connection for me!

Hovered over the Crinear Reference purchase button for a bit, but decided to jump into the shallow end with the Truthear Zero:Red first.

 

[Redacted]

Wireless is horrible unless you have no choice. Many people run BT at lowest common denominator to get compatibility between various codec types, but that has been well-covered.

I applaud your sensible spending, and "seeing how it goes" before wasting big sums for very diminishing marginal returns.

 

[Muca]

An IEM for $350?
Pass - I'll buy 15 or 20 perfectly good ones instead.

While 20$ iem sound decent, the difference is quite big. I guess you dont use 50$ speakers which you just eq.

 

[Redacted]

While 20$ iem sound decent, the difference is quite big. I guess you dont use 50$ speakers which you just eq.

Nope. I never bother with EQ for speakers. Not even with my 'phones TBH. I have thousands of albums, and I could end up EQing for too many of them, but I'd rather listen to the music than fiddle about.

I have three 'phones currently, two being IEMs - Crinacle Zero2 (is that what they are?) , and Truthear Gate, for various kit I have around the house and they sound terrific on every source.

Fair enough, I haven't tried $350 IEMS, but I have tried several over-ear 'phones, two of which my friend owns which cost him £500 and £1500, and both of my cheap IEMs knocked them into a cocked hat in a simautaneuos test. And if I trod on one, my wife would merely 'tut', which really would not be the case with $350 ones! And I probably don't ears good enough for the $350 ones.

But really, although I use them a lot, I do prefer proper stereo sound through speakers than binaural sound with earphones/headphones.

 

[muza_1]

While 20$ iem sound decent, the difference is quite big. I guess you dont use 50$ speakers which you just eq.

Speakers and IEMs are not the same, IEMs are minimal phase devices and as long as there is no excessive distortion frequency response is the most important metric for how they sound, so even a low cost set can be equalized to a given target curve, no matter the price or tech.

https://pubs.aip.org/asa/jasa/article/141/6/EL526/917945/No-correlation-between-headphone-frequency

 

[sm5]

I prefer the Crinear Reference over the 7hz Zero: 2 when both are equalized to the same JM-1 target. The Crinear Reference sounds pretty much about the same with or without EQ which is great! Not needing EQ definitely makes things easier to not need a specific headphone amp with EQ, and if you want to eq it: a 1-4 band EQ is probably all you'd need - so something like an ADI-2 with limited eq bands would be fine. DUNU S&S ear tips work well with these for me and audibly they sound the same with them as the stock standard tips.

I prefer the JM-1 target over any other current target either way.

I also have a pair of Kiwi Ears KE4: I like them better than the Zero: 2s also. Reference or KE4: might depend on taste but both have much better build quality and fit for me than the Zero 2.

 

[pier25]

Anyone used the Reference for mixing/mastering?

 

[Chaz1952]

I'm trying to find an aftermarket eartip that matches the specs of the 'Standard' version packaged with the Reference. Their stock standard, medium tip offers me the best balance of sound, isolation and comfort. Suggestions very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[zonk]

I'm trying to find an aftermarket eartip that matches the specs of the 'Standard' version packaged with the Reference. Their stock standard, medium tip offers me the best balance of sound, isolation and comfort. Suggestions very much appreciated. Thanks!

for example KBEAR 07, Tangzu Sancai or something from Spinfit

"The CrinEar Reference has an official nozzle diameter of 6.0 mm at the retaining lip, with the main shaft measuring approximately 5.8 mm. The nozzle length is roughly 4.0 mm."
"If you are planning to buy or swap eartips, these specifications fall on the larger side, generally requiring ear tips with a core diameter of 5.5 mm to 6.0 mm for a secure fit."

 

[Chaz1952]

for example KBEAR 07, Tangzu Sincai or something from Spinfit

"The CrinEar Reference has an official nozzle diameter of 6.0 mm at the retaining lip, with the main shaft measuring approximately 5.8 mm. The nozzle length is roughly 4.0 mm."
"If you are planning to buy or swap eartips, these specifications fall on the larger side, generally requiring ear tips with a core diameter of 5.5 mm to 6.0 mm for a secure fi

Thanks. I've ordered the KBear 07 set and will welcome other suggestions.

 

[shinbojan]

These sound really good. They’re non-fatiguing, everything sounds correct, and nothing feels overwhelming.
I’m also lucky that this shell shape fits my ears really well.
There’s a bit more sub-bass than I expected, but I must admit I like that.

 

[pier25]

These sound really good. They’re non-fatiguing, everything sounds correct, and nothing feels overwhelming.
I’m also lucky that this shell shape fits my ears really well.
There’s a bit more sub-bass than I expected, but I must admit I like that.

I've been using it for the past couple of weeks.

I'm still undecided about the tonality but it certainly sounds clean to me with accurate imaging and decent depth perception.

I agree about it not being fatiguing but the reason is it sounds kinda soft on the high end and treble IMO. I do need to try more tips though. So far I've only used stock ones.

It does have some deep low end although I find I need to crank the gain to uncomfortable listening levels to hear them properly.

Honestly I'm still not convinced about the target (JM1 with a -1dB/octave tilt). Crinear claims the Reference delivers true perceptual flatness trying to mimic "high-end studio monitors in treated rooms" which really doesn't align with my experience with studio monitors. Even small near field 5'' monitors will provide more low end around 50hz at quiet listening levels (aprox 65-70db SPL). I would say the Reference sounds more like a 4'' monitor to me as far as low end goes.

I've tried them for mixing a project recently. So far I've found them good to check the mid range occasionaly but not something I would use as my main mixing monitoring.

 

[shinbojan]

You mentioned something really interesting: listening levels.
I listen to these louder than my other sets, which have some issues. For example, the Dunu 2000J sounds really good at lower levels, but becomes ear-piercing at higher volumes.

 

[beeface]

Andrew gives the CrinEar Reference a 7.5/10, the highest spot on his current ranking list. He concludes that it is one of the best IEMs on the market for those who want a versatile, high-fidelity tool that reveals the true character of their music [00:19:18].

I feel like their scoring system is broken if they’re declaring something to be the best and giving it 75%

 

[shinbojan]

I feel like their scoring system is broken if they’re declaring something to be the best and giving it 75%

It isn’t broken. A 10 means ideal in every respect. I actually like that they’re using the full scale, instead of the usual reviewer inflation where everything gets an 8–10.
And you can see the scores are improving over time — though a cynic might say that makes sense, given that their sponsor sells the newer stuff.

 

[thewas]

It isn’t broken. A 10 means ideal in every respect. I actually like that they’re using the full scale, instead of the usual reviewer inflation where everything gets an 8–10.
And you can see the scores are improving over time — though a cynic might say that makes sense, given that their sponsor sells the newer stuff.

Yes, like they often mention in their reviews they use an absolute scale and not the typical audiophile journalism superlatives rating.