Tanchjim Origin VS CrinEar Meta

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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Tanchjim Origin and CrinEar Meta use 1DD and 1DD+2BA driver setups respectively. Tanchjim Origin costs $280 while CrinEar Meta costs $250. Tanchjim Origin is $30 more expensive. CrinEar Meta holds a slight 0.2-point edge in reviewer scores (7.1 vs 7.3). CrinEar Meta has slightly better mids with a 0.4-point edge, CrinEar Meta has significantly better dynamics with a 1-point edge, CrinEar Meta has slightly better details with a 0.3-point edge and CrinEar Meta has slightly better imaging with a 0.3-point edge.

Insights

Metric Tanchjim Origin CrinEar Meta
Bass 7 7
Mids 7.1 7.5
Treble 7.4 7.5
Details 6.8 7
Soundstage 7.3 7.3
Imaging 6.8 7
Dynamics 6 7
Tonality 7 7.7
Technicalities 7.1 7.5

Tanchjim Origin Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Shuwa-T Audionotions Precogvision
Jaytiss Tim Tuned Gizaudio Axel Z-Reviews Jays Audio

Average Reviewer Score:

7.1

Generally Favorable


CrinEar Meta Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Jays Audio Smirk Audio Z-Reviews Audionotions
Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

7.3

Generally Favorable


Tanchjim Origin User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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CrinEar Meta User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

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Tanchjim Origin Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

7.1

Gaming Grade

A-

CrinEar Meta Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

7.5

Gaming Grade

A

Tanchjim Origin Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A-
  • Pleasing tonal balance with good technical control. Minor quirks present but not distracting. Demonstrates decent genre versatility.

Average Technical Grade

A-
  • Competent technical presentation. Handles separation and detail well in most tracks, with modest soundstage and acceptable imaging capabilities.
Bass A-
Strong, well-defined bass with good texture. Delivers satisfying punch and rumble without overwhelming other frequencies.
Mids A-
Excellent midrange with natural timbre and great detail retrieval. Vocals are forward and emotive with lifelike instrument reproduction.
Treble A-
Excellent treble: airy, extended and well-controlled. Great micro-detail retrieval without sibilance or harshness.
Dynamics B
Good dynamic expression with solid impact. Handles volume contrasts well while maintaining good transient snap.
Soundstage A-
Excellent spatial presentation - wide, deep and tall. Precise instrument placement with clear separation in all dimensions.
Details B+
Good resolution with clear articulation of nuances. Reveals recording nuances and maintains clarity in complex passages.
Imaging B+
Good imaging with precise instrument placement. Clear localization within the soundstage including front/back positioning.
Gaming A-
Good fundamental spatial awareness for most gaming scenarios. Handles basic positioning well but may lack nuance in complex situations. Value-to-cost may not be optimal for gaming-focused users.

CrinEar Meta Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A
  • Well-executed tonal character. No major flaws with good technical control. Smooth presentation works with multiple genres.

Average Technical Grade

A
  • Good technical performance. Clear separation and decent detail retrieval across various tracks. Soundstage shows reasonable width and depth.
Bass A-
Strong, well-defined bass with good texture. Delivers satisfying punch and rumble without overwhelming other frequencies.
Mids A
Excellent midrange with natural timbre and great detail retrieval. Vocals are forward and emotive with lifelike instrument reproduction.
Treble A
Excellent treble: airy, extended and well-controlled. Great micro-detail retrieval without sibilance or harshness.
Dynamics A-
Excellent dynamics with great contrast and speed. Transients are crisp and micro-details are clearly articulated.
Details A-
Excellent detail retrieval: highly resolving without being clinical. Effortlessly reveals micro-details and textural subtleties.
Imaging A-
Excellent imaging: precise and stable placement. Instruments occupy specific points in space with tangible positions.
Gaming A
Clear spatial presentation handles directional cues effectively. Distinguishes key gameplay sounds while maintaining decent immersion. Value-to-cost may not be optimal for gaming-focused users.

Tanchjim Origin Reviews

Jaytiss 7.8 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
A- Tech
Great Clarity, exceedingly tip sensitive.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
- Jaytiss
Mids: A- Treble: A- Dynamics: C+ Soundstage: A+
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Tim Tuned 7.5 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Beautiful timbre and treble Bass can use a bit more...volume

Tim Tuned original ranking

Tim Tuned Youtube Channel
- Tim Tuned
Bass: A+ Mids: A+ Treble: S
Gizaudio Axel 7.5 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A- Tech
Smooth, detailed, and vocal-centric sound. Cohesive, vocal-focused tuning with dynamic bass, smooth extended treble, and excellent detail. Could use more sub-bass.

Gizaudio Axel original ranking

Gizaudio Axel Youtube Channel
- Gizaudio Axel
Z-Reviews 7.2 * score normalized
Jays Audio 7 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A- Tech
Just buy Fission. A cleaner/less warm LM, smoother EA1000 (fermats a little more resolving), very balanced, clean, and neutral sound. Very tough competition.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel
- Jays Audio
Shuwa-T 6.7 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
B+ Tech
One of the more balanced sounding Tanchjim iems, vocal centric Quantity in the bass region, more noticeably the subbass

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

- Shuwa-T
Bass: A- Mids: B+ Treble: B+ Soundstage: B+ Details: A- Imaging: B+
Audionotions 6.5 Reviewer Score
Yes, it's expensive for a single DD imaging and separation is top tier with very good layering - frankly, I haven't heard many sets near this price that have done the same. There is a bit of subbass roll off but midbass hits hard. It's on the brighter side but never becomes shouty or sibilant. Timbre is good with vocals a bit forward in the mix. Tuning nozzles are a gimmick - they all sound the same. A better Kato in every way. I had a lot of trouble with fit on with this set - did not have the same problem with Hana 2021. Previously Owned

Audionotions original ranking

Website (Audionotions)

- Audionotions
Precogvision 6.5 Reviewer Score
B+ Tuning
B+ Tech
Japanese flavor of tuning (mid-bass and upper-mid focus) finally done justice. Strong technical chops and slightly forward.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
- Precogvision
Bass: B Mids: A- Treble: A- Dynamics: A- Details: B+ Imaging: A-

CrinEar Meta Reviews

Super* Review 8* * score normalized
Versus similar priced IEMs this is probably the IEM I would be buying. Very nice IEM and a little bit on the contrasty side.

Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel
- Super* Review
Jays Audio 7.5 Reviewer Score
A+ Tuning
A+ Tech
Bright-leaning all-rounder with sparkly treble sauce. Great tech for price and great accessories. Good coloration that's not vanilla and safe as other crin collabs. Can be fatiguing at higher volumes, tip dependent, rec sancai wide/regular or Softear Ultra Clear/EPZ clear tips.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel
- Jays Audio

CrinEar Meta lands as a clean, balanced, slightly bright-leaning all-rounder with a distinctly sparkly treble. The top end carries a “special sauce” — sharp attack, quick decay, airy cymbal splash and strong micro-detail — creating an open sense of space with tidy separation and layering at around mid-volume (~65 dB). Bass and vocals sit at a “normal” distance: clear and resolving but not emphasized; expect punch rather than deep sub-bass rumble or chesty slam. Fit is tip-dependent: stock silicones can sound peaky; clear soft EPZ tips keep the shimmer without harshness, while “white” Tongu Senai tips smooth the treble further.

Technically, Meta punches above its $250 bracket, hanging with sets like Dusk 3.5 and Estrella for resolution and imaging despite not using ESTs. Timbre stays natural and the build/accessories feel solid. Trade-offs appear when cranking volume: the treble rise can turn fatiguing past ~75–80 dB, especially on bright, electronic-leaning tracks. Genre picks lean toward pop, J-/K-pop, rock, metal, and indie instrumentals at mid-volumes, where the upper-mid cut reins in hot mixes and the sparkle makes cymbals addictive; for hip-hop/rap/EDM, some will want more rumble, slam, and note weight.

Versus Ziigaat Estrella, it’s apples to oranges: Estrella brings more low-end authority and smoother treble with vocals popping forward, while Meta counters with a brighter, sparklier presentation better for K-/J-pop and bands. Against other bright-neutral sets (Dusk, P5+2, Brain Dance), Meta sounds fuller in the low end with a more natural, less sizzly treble; compared to Canon Pro, it’s the more energetic and less laid-back choice. For pure vocals, Volume S, EPZ P50, or Cadenza 4 remain stronger. Scaling champs like Ziigaat Odyssey and AFUL Explorer take higher volumes better but trade away some of Meta’s detail sparkle. Limited-run caveat aside, this is an easy recommendation for listeners wanting a balanced daily driver with distinct, glittery treble at sensible listening levels.

Smirk Audio 7.1 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
A- Tech
check links for more info:

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

- Smirk Audio
Bass: A- Mids: A Treble: A Dynamics: A- Details: A- Imaging: A-

Z-Reviews

2025-08-29
Z-Reviews 7 * score normalized

CrinEar Meta lands as a limited-run, $250 bass-tilted collab that’s already sold out—and feels like a “little baby bass monster” in the best way. Build is clean and understated: aluminum shells with rose-gold accents, a nice interchangeable cable, and an overbuilt hard case that embarrasses most sets at this price. The nozzles are chunky (think Chronicle’s Red/Daybreak vibes), so foam or “render”-style tips help with seal and comfort. Specs are oddly opaque—driver configuration isn’t listed anywhere—yet the package still screams more value than expected.

Tonally this is unapologetically V-shaped: elevated bass that punches on cue, crisp treble that reaches in and gets attention, and a clear midrange that can read V because the ends are lively. The stage is intimate/narrow, giving a “small loud room” energy that’s exciting but can trend fatiguing over long sessions. Crucially, it passes the body-movement test—put on a groove and there’s immediate “wiggly-wigglies”—where a safer, cleaner sibling like Daybreak can feel a bit too polite. Meta sounds less filtered, more gusto, more fun; Daybreak is the seat-belted version.

Chain matters: with spatial enhancement (think soundstage wideners on a fancy DAC), the main gripes fade and the presentation breathes, though even stock the tuning remains engaging and lively. Net take: this is the version of Daybreak many wish existed—more out of the box, more toe-tapping—so it gets the nod on sheer enjoyment. New? It was a steal at $250. Used around $200? No-brainer collector keep if that energetic, bass-forward V is the target.

Audionotions 7 Reviewer Score
Similar to Moondrop Dusk (the non-Dusk collab with Crin) but a step down overall sonically (tonality and techs) but a step up in ergonomics and build quality. Unboxing experience is excellent and almost excessive, especially for the price. U-shaped tuning with a focus on deep and powerful bass and sparkly treble. It's an exciting listen and for a first entry from a new brand, it's quite commendable. That said, it lacks a bit of refinement and control on both ends of the frequency response. Bass quantity often overwhelms the mix and there is something odd in the treble that adds an aritificial shimmer that detracts from timbre. Mids are very nice but probably needs a bit more body to balance out the treble and bass. I'd suggest a broad eq down of the bass shelf and some toning down especially of the higher treble region. Previously Owned

Audionotions original ranking

Website (Audionotions)

- Audionotions

Tanchjim Origin User Reviews

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CrinEar Meta User Reviews

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