Symphonium Audio Meteor VS Hisenior Mega5-EST

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Warm-tilted and unapologetically bassy, Symphonium’s 4BA Meteor aims for a thick, relaxed presentation that still feels refined up top. The bass carries notable mid-bass weight—authoritative for BA, if not as tactile or tight as the best DD sets—while the overall picture favors cohesion over knife-edge separation. What elevates it is the treble: impressively extended, smooth, and free of glare, adding micro-contrast and vocal texture that keeps the warmth from turning soupy. Imaging is only so-so, headstage feels enveloping rather than wide, and tonal clarity takes a back seat to body—but the tuning “hits different” in an inviting way.

Build and ergonomics mark a clear step up from Helios: a smaller, medium-sized metal shell with comfortable ingress/egress and generally easy fit, though security is merely average and the faceplate print/finish can look a bit rough under certain light. Accessory details may vary, but the package shown included a nice pocketable case and a well-behaved cable (watch polarity on 2-pin). At $600, it positions itself as Symphonium’s most approachable entry, boutique quirks and all.

Against peers, Dunu’s SA6 reads cleaner and more neutral with crisper imaging (its bass can be hit-or-miss), while Shuoer EJ07M “Kind of Lava” feels the most technical here—superb DD bass and slightly tame treble with a narrower stage. The Meteor carves its own lane: a warm-neutral, meaty signature with standout treble quality and a cozy stage that’s easy to live with. Verdict: a confident 4/5—not for clarity chasers, but a uniquely satisfying alternative for those who want rich warmth done right.

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Hisenior Mega5-EST brings a tidy, understated shell with a semi-custom fit that sits secure and comfortable on medium-small ears. The box is loaded—foam and silicone tips, a microfiber cloth, and a chunky Pelican-style case—but the included cable is a mixed bag: it looks great and handles well, yet comes only in 4.4 mm balanced, which will annoy single-ended users. Build is clean, nozzle a touch long for a slightly deeper seal, and overall ergonomics feel sorted.

Sonically, this is top-tier tuning. The FR hugs a neutral target with a tasteful sub-bass lift under ~150 Hz, midrange sits right where it should, and treble is polite rather than hot. The result is a warm-neutral, low-contrast presentation that’s easy to listen to for hours with solid imaging and separation plus a nice sense of front-to-back depth. The trade-off: initial transients don’t bite—bass and string attacks are clean but not snappy—so the technical “zing” is more good than great.

Against peers around $550, Mega5-EST slots between flavors: DUNU SA6 is warmer and sparklier up top but softer through the mids; Yanyin Canon 2 delivers chunkier, more physical bass and standout vocal texture; and Moondrop × Crinacle Dusk (on its analog cable) sounds cleaner, more clinical, with sharper bass attack and a tick more resolution. As a daily-driver tonality, Mega5-EST is excellent—the kind of curve that just feels “right”—held back only by middling incisiveness. Verdict: a solid 4/5 for sublime tuning, ergonomic ease, and relaxed refinement, with the caveat of the 4.4-only cable and merely moderate macro-dynamics.

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Packaging and accessories go hard: a wild Nightjar cable that actually behaves, a tiny waterproof case, foam and silicone tips, even a burlap sack. The shells are much smaller than other Symphoniums and easy to fit with the right tips (xElastic/SpinFit helped). Build and unboxing feel premium and the cable ergonomics are spot-on.

Tonally, this is a U-shaped, boombastic, in-your-face tuning—big bass, crisp treble, recessed mids—designed to shove the music right into the bubble. It’s energetic and aggressive, doesn’t change much with amplification, but can get prickly with some tips and then oddly dull up top with others. The treble lacks excitement, mid clarity feels veiled, and soundstage is limited; “bass-bass-bass” dominates while detail and air don’t keep up.

At $600, the value proposition is the sticking point. Back-to-back swaps against cheaper sets reveal clearer vocals, cleaner highs, and even better bass texture elsewhere, which makes this Meteor hard to justify. For those chasing slam, sparkle, and space, there are multiple sub-$200 options that do more with less. Verdict: stylish presentation and fun punch, but too pricey for the performance—many alternatives simply outshine it.

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Hisenior Mega5-EST (Anniversary Edition) hits with a rare mix of slam and finesse: a single DD + 2BA + 2EST that pours out a chest-pressing low end yet keeps the mids and treble startlingly natural. The magic is in the space—not fake wide, but convincingly three-dimensional, with instruments stepping forward, drifting back, and snapping into place. Tracks that should sound “live” actually feel like a venue, with reverb and air rendered uncannily well. Call it “neutral” if the graph says so, but the tuning is exciting, never sleepy, and it scales from an affordable dongle/amp to tubes without losing its character.

Build and kit are delightfully weird in the best way: the cable is a stout two-wire with fixed 4-pin hardware, the case is hilariously oversized (and oddly practical), and the box stuffs in a mountain of tips—foam and multiple silicone sets—so fit is basically guaranteed. Cosmetic quirks (“Febos” branding on the shells, Anniversary shells looking plainer than the regular version) are the only eyebrow-raisers. None of it matters once the music starts: the imaging is knife-sharp, dynamics pop, and that sub-bass rolls in like weather.

At around $550—aka Moondrop Variations money—this thing doesn’t just trade punches; it outperforms for the same reasons Variations became a benchmark, then adds more body, more staging, more goosebumps. The verdict is not coy: this is a straight 10/10, the kind of IEM that makes changing tracks feel painful because the current one sounds too good to leave.

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Thick, meaty mid-bass steals the spotlight here: kick drums and bass guitars hit with authoritative punch, driving songs forward with head-bobbing momentum. Despite being BA, the low end doesn’t sound like BA—impact is heavy, rumble is extended, and separation/texturing are fantastic, especially on instrumental tracks and Western artists with rhythm-heavy mixes. The treble surprises too: airy cymbal strikes cut through the warmth, violins/flutes glow with a smooth, non-fatiguing shine, and overall dynamics/scale impress—turn it up and it gets better.

Trade-offs show up in the midrange. That generous mid-bass can mask vocals on busier tracks, pushing them a bit distant and making textures harder to pick out versus cleaner sets like OG Monarch or QKZ x HBB’s DSP-tuned rivals. Note weight is more natural (never thin), but the set is warm-tilted rather than neutral, so vocal-centric ballads and mid-forward mixes can feel too cozy. As a targeted recommendation: for poly-rhythmic, low-end-driven genres it can be a grand slam; for all-rounder use, consider a slight EQ dip to the mid-bass to unmask vocals and open the mids—doing so keeps the Meteor’s energy intact while restoring clarity.

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Mega5-EST (Bass Edition) shifts the original’s polite profile into a fuller, more satisfying listen. It keeps the smooth, relaxing, inoffensive tuning of the OG but adds extra oomph and slam down low, coming across warmer and bassier without mid-bass bleed or muddiness. Separation and microdetail take a small hit versus the cleaner, “vanilla” OG, yet the payoff is a more musical, comforting tonality that grows with time—great for R&B and jazzier sets. Upper-end extension is present and airy from the ESTs, but it’s subtle rather than sparkly; vocals and treble don’t jump out, they sit naturally in a well-balanced mix.

Where it flexes in tonality, it yields some ground in technicalities. The bass has proper quantity and impact, but texture and tactility are a touch smooth versus fresher peers that sound quicker and more resolving. If a laid-back, cohesive presentation is the goal, this tuning makes sense. If the wish list includes bigger dynamic contrast and crisper detail retrieval, options like recent hybrids and tribrids push ahead in separation, control, and bass definition.

Value is the sticking point. At around $600, compelling alternatives undercut or outclass it: budget-friendlier hybrids offer tighter low-end texture and more engagement, while mid-tier tribrids (e.g., Oracle MK3) bring cleaner balance, better bass control, and an overall resolution lift—even if they’re not as overtly bass-forward. For listeners craving a comforting, slightly warm, and easy signature, Mega5-EST (Bass) is genuinely enjoyable. For those chasing technical performance per euro, similarly tuned sets like K4-style isobaric DD hybrids or punchier tribrids present a stronger case.

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Hisenior Mega5-EST arrives with a polished package, a rugged Pelican-style case, and plenty of tips. Comfort is excellent for long sessions. Sonically it favors an even-keeled, natural presentation with a touch of warmth down low. Bass has punch without the heavy, resonant sub-bass of its Dunu counterpart, which helps detail come through. The midrange is smooth and clear, vocals sit naturally, and treble offers good extension without fatigue. The big talking point is stage and imaging: the Mega5-EST throws a wide soundstage with strong layering and separation, though it’s a little more relaxed in focus than sets that push elements forward.

For competitive play the tuning is a mixed bag. In Apex Legends, the stage can feel so wide that subtle cues get a bit distant, and occasional low-end punch can blur separation during chaotic fights—performance sits around a B to B-. In Call of Duty it scores about a B- as well: immersive and impactful, but long-range tracking and lighter taps demand more effort. Valorant fares better at roughly a B, where gunfire pierces the mix and footsteps carry decent depth on tighter maps. Overall, Mega5-EST is a non-fatiguing, musical IEM that shines for music and general entertainment, and rates a B- on the Wall-Hack Certified tier list for competitive gaming.