64 Audio Nio VS Symphonium Crimson

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The 64 Audio Nio is a hybrid with 1DD + 8BA that leans into a richer, warmer presentation, trading ultimate microdetail for slam and engagement. Build and comfort are solid with a classy case upgrade; fit can vary, but tip selection helps. Technicals are mixed: imaging and separation are clean, staging is a bit intimate, and treble resolution is good via the TIA driver without sounding sharp.

The headline feature is the swappable apex modules. M15/M20 push the Nio into basshead territory—big sub-bass, head-nodding punch—while MX reins in the low end for a more balanced tonality that suits acoustic, jazz, and classical. Treble is well-extended yet relaxed; with the right tips, the 5 kHz energy avoids harshness, keeping the overall tuning smooth and non-fatiguing.

Against peers, the Nio’s strengths are its dynamics and configurable bass; its weaknesses are detail retrieval and stage size versus benchmarks like the 64 Audio U12t. Listeners chasing maximum clarity and air may prefer U12t, while those wanting hybrid physicality and tunable low-end will find strong value here. Verdict: choose M15/M20 for guilty-pleasure thump, choose MX for balance—the Nio remains a versatile, engaging high-end option.

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The 64 Audio Nio enters as the most affordable set in this lineup at $1,700, a hybrid with 1DD + 8BA and swappable apex modules. Its core tonality is warm and a touch laid-back, with the M15 module pushing bass toward “too much of a good thing”—thick, soupy, and less resolving. Swapping to the M10 cleans things up: bass settles closer to neutral, top-end clarity improves, and the presentation feels more balanced overall. Detail is respectable rather than showy, and while the Nio can be bassy, it doesn’t deliver the most controlled low end when boosted. The standout trait here is timbre—the most natural-sounding of the group, especially with M10 installed.

Used as a daily driver, Nio with M10 suits listeners who want a smooth, natural tonality without treble bite; with M15, it veers into warm-thick territory at the cost of separation and perceived detail. Against 64 Audio’s own stable, it doesn’t reach the U12t’s BA bass quality or the Trio’s stage depth, but it offers an easygoing, organic listen that some will prefer on timbre alone. Verdict: 4/5 with the M10 module; drop to 3/5 on the M15 due to excessive bass and haze.

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Symphonium Crimson lands with a bang: a four–BA, four-way crossover design that somehow delivers epic energy without a dynamic driver. Tonality reads neutral-bright with thunderous sub-bass—not a basshead hump, but a slab of solid, deep extension that stays clean. Mids stay clear for vocals and strings, treble rises for sparkle and excitement, and the presentation spreads out like pulled-apart audio “shreds” across a big canvas. The effect is clarity, detail, and slam that feel bigger than the driver count suggests, making music and film scores straight-up addictive.

Technical notes matter here. Nominal impedance is a weirdly low ~6Ω, so source pairing can swing results; the set scales and sounds happiest on robust gear that can keep low-impedance loads stable. Despite the armature array, coherency stays intact, dynamics hit harder than expected, and volume headroom invites goosebumps. It’s not a “bass monster,” yet the sub-bass authority and lively treble make it exciting rather than polite, with imaging that feels wide and tactile.

Ergonomics are the gripe list: the short nozzle can challenge seal and the premium cable lacks a formed ear hook, encouraging twist and loosening—tip rolling (even reversed-orientation tricks) helps. Build is flashy—carbon-fiber shell, red inlays, metal case that’s too hefty for travel. Pricing sits around $1,500 (or $1,700 with 8-wire cable); for sheer fun, impact, and best-in-brand performance, the value argument holds. For all-day softness, something like Twilight stays comfier; for movies, big scores, and “wow” sessions, Crimson feels like a must-grab and arguably the best Symphonium to date.