IEMs Reviewed by Smirk Audio

Subtonic Storm

• The best IEM I've ever heard. Best timbre. Super natural. TOTL tech. It's just good. That's all.
• Exceptional resolution, neutral sound signature. Hard to drive. The most detailed IEM I’ve ever heard.
• Easily at the top for resolution and dynamic contrast, accompanied by rigid transients and pinpoint layering.
• Pros: The most extraodinary normal sounding IEM ever. Amazing all-around. Cons: big and heavy shell.
• World-class resolution and layering. Extreme, almost exaggerated dynamics. Staging is large but not class-leading.

Elysian Annihilator 2023

• Powerful, impactful bass, the best treble I’ve experienced in an IEM, endgame-level detail. The bass might be too much for some people. Hands down, my favorite IEM.
• Treble extension is insane, I always think I'm over it, but I may never be over it.
• More of an all-rounder with better bass compared to the 2021 version, sacrifices some soundstage.
• Pros: More defined bass than 2021 version. Cons: 2021 is cleaner and more open sounding.
• Top-tier resolution with world-class treble. Great dynamics. Could use better bass texturing. An exciting listen.

Thieaudio Valhalla

• TOTL all-rounder with "endgame" tech across the board, a better tuned U12T with better bass texture
• Big fan, but lack fantastic air like some other sets.

FATFreq Grand Maestro

• The best basshead set. That is all. EXPENSIVE. If you just want bass HBB Punch way better value.
• Is one of those sets that can do it all. Very impressive.

Brise Audio Fugaku

• World-class bass dynamics and slam. Coherent and fleshed out soundstage. Full-bodied notes. Slightly relaxed treble and lower mids. Upper mids slightly forward. Cons: Price, requires proprietary...

Nightjar Duality

• Bass thunder, with impedance adapter fun and switches.
• Massive yet controlled bass. Lush timbre and well-extended, non-pesky treble. Bassy mode may be too bassy for some. Mids can be a touch forward on balanced mode.

Symphonium x Elise Audio Europa

• One of the best things Elise and Symphonium have done. Love it.

Canpur CP622B

• A good set, but lacks magic for me to justify keeping.
• Highly technical with great tuning and vocals. Punchy mid-bass with great sub-bass extension. Can sound somewhat unexciting and dry on some sources. Cons: Poor quality stock cable.

Elysian Acoustics Dio

• Excellent resolution and dynamics. Female vocals are extremely forward and the bass too elevated. Prototype demo unit from CanJam NYC 2025. Cons: Price, tuning.

Thieaudio Prestige LTD

• Clean and natural signature with treble emphasis. LOTS of details with airy treble without going overboard (better treble extension vs MK2/MK3). Bass is not as impactful versus MK3 but has better...
• The unit I reviewed had wonky bass, expect this to change if I review a unit with proper bass.

AME Mousa

• Energetic Bassy fun set, but so excellent.
• Cons: Price, bass bloat.

Craft Ears Omnium

• Dark Rich, fun beautiful.

Aroma Audio Fei Wan

• Impressive tech, is even better with EQ. Has a special sauce.
• Decent bass and lush, "wet" mids. Has a treble peak that can be pesky to some. Great overall techs. Cons: Price, treble peak, build quality.

FiR Audio Radon 6

• Solid set, enjoyable, fun.
• Engaging bass, decent mids, and vibrant highs. Suffers from coherency issues. Mids are a touch veiled. Decent staging except for depth.

64 Audio U12t

• TOTL tech. Mid-scoop can affect mids/vocal texture and placement, recessed midrange, treble is harsh at high volumes. Great bass detail, but could be punchier.
• Amazing bass (for a BA), top-tier resolution and detail-oriented signature.
• Just Smooth and nice, great all arounder with smooth technicals, but too boring.
• Terrific dynamic range and soundstage depth; the closest I have heard to a two-channel system in an IEM for these qualities.
• Pros: Extremely versatile signature, great bass and details. Cons: Potentially too safe tuning wise.
• Good resolution and dynamics with great imaging. Smooth, slightly recessed upper-mids with an upper treble peak.

Unique Melody MEST Jet Black

• Safe, clean iem.

Hercules Audio Moses

PMG Audio Apx SE

• Great resolution and layering. Great bass texture and punch. Mids have a small timbral issue. Refined, resolving highs. Analogue tone. Engaging yet non-fatiguing. Cons: Shells prone to cracking.

Thieaudio Monarch MK2

• Neutral tuning with one of the clearest mid-ranges. Natural and clean vocals. Great resolution, separation, and detail. Can be a little dry with its analytical presentation. Bass is well-seperated...
• Smooth, balanced tuning with natural vocals, beautiful timbre, and excellent tonality. Detail and could use more bass. Treble depends on ear tips. Outstanding tuning.
• Still a king, more neutral to my ears, than MK 3. Just wow.
• A solid improvement in imaging with slightly more palatable tonality than its predecessor.
• Pros: Cohesive, smooth, balanced, technical. Cons: slight treble wispiness.
• Good treble

Symphonium Crimson

• U-shaped/Slight V/W Shaped. Energetic treble. Great tech. Fun signature.
• Suffers from BA bass, but is exceptional outside of that.
• Colored tonality done correctly with incredible bass and dynamics. Upper-treble can be slightly too zingy depending on source.
• Excellent bass, dynamics, and resolution. Very large soundstage with great imaging. Mid/upper-treble may be too elevated for some.

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS

• Excellent bass dynamics and texture. Cold timbre and driver flex. Otherwise excellent technicalities and solid tuning. Cons: Driver flex, cold timbre.

Fort Ears Mefisto

• Demoed with "Temptation" cable.

Alpha Omega Fulgrim

• Elevated, bouncy, and dynamic bass. Somewhat normal sounding midrange and highs; pleasant for sure, if somewhat boring. Overall good set with a questionable price tag. Cons: Poor price-to-performance...

Unique Melody Mason FS Soleil Tomb

• Highly resolving, technical, and balanced across the frequency spectrum. Is shouty/edgy in the upper mids/lower treble. Cons: Price, treble peak.

Sony IER-Z1R

• Best of the best in most areas, but vocals and mids can be thin due to fit issues. Insane bass texture/detail and HUGE soundstage. One of the best trebles I've heard.
• Extended yet natural treble, realistic sub-bass focus and spacious imaging capabilities.
• Top-tier bass, treble, and soundstage height and width. I don't approve of the midrange these days.
• Pros: Incredible extensions on both ends. Cons: Lower midrange.
• Visceral, hard-hitting bass, sparkly treble, and a large, spherical soundstage with impressive height. Fit may pose a challenge for many. Cons: Poor fit.

Elysian Diva

• Dynamic driver-like bass, natural vocal reproduction, and an incredibly smooth tonality. Could use a bit more mid-bass for my taste. One of the best IEMs for vocals.
• Excellent BA bass and aggressive listen that maintains Elysian's house sound.
• Pros: Addictive smooth, natural treble....top tier tuning overall. Cons: mid bass shy.
• Forward, hyperpigmented vocals. Great tuning and solid techs. 3-way bass switch adds tuning versatility. An exciting listen. Cons: Build quality concerns.

Rhapsodio Supreme V3

• Cons: Price.

64 Audio U4s

• It's a solid set, with great build quality, but sonically isn't the specialist that I want it to be.
• Fantastic colored tonality with options, and the unique technical qualities to back it up. M12/M15 modules recommended.
• A tastefully colored U12t with a more intimate soundstage, a cutback in technicalities, and more bass realism.

Fort Ears Macbeth

Unique Melody x MusicTeck

PMG Audio Apx

• Cons: Price.

Unique Melody Amber Pearl

• Visceral bass, lush mids, and smooth treble. Great dynamics and overall techs. Cons: Price.

Alpha Omega Omega

Campire Audio Clara Ti

• Muscular bass with large bass notes. Male vocal timbre slightly odd, female vocals are nice. Some vocal grain present. Decent overall techs. Cons: Buy the non-Ti version for $1k less.

Soranik MEMS-3S

• Demoed using AP1 energizer. Cons: Requires energizer. Some QC concerns.

Quill Acoustics Satin

Campfire Audio Trifecta

• It's a tubed iem, very unique. Very hit or miss on music, love it or hate it.

Letshuoer Cadenza 12

• Pre-Production Unit with a different tuning. A better version of the U12T vocal/tuning wise, no mid scoop and wonkiness. (#1 or #2 vocals for me). Vocals are sweet, extended, open, airy, but also...
• Great timbre good on classical. Detailed and analytical, but too Safe.
• More 'musical' tonality with a touch of spice in the treble. Technicalities could use work for the price.
• Pros: One of the best treble-head set. Lots of micro details. Cons: Treble will be too

Soranik MEMS-3

• Demoed using AP1 energizer. Cons: Requires use of an energizer.

Symphonium

Thieaudio Monarch MK3

• Better low-end texture and overall more engaging than MK2, but lacks the mid-range/vocal magic, so depending on your preference either is great. Still TOTL tech like MK2. Great all-rounder.
• More bass, treble, and detail than the Monarch MK II. The vocal magic of the Monarch MK II is gone. I prefer the Monarch MK II for its tonality, vocals, and timbre, but I get why some prefer the MK...
• Fatiging at times for me, too fun at times.
• Still perplexingly poor bass performance, but improves upon the Monarch MKII's treble extension noticeably.
• Elevated, well-textured mid-bass. Pleasant mids. Elevated upper-treble may be pesky to some.

Vision Ears VE10

• Lush and mid-bassy set with no obvious tuning issues. Technicalities could be better at this price range.

Melodic Artification Alter Ego

• Textured, punchy bass. Great staging width, okay depth. Resolving midrange and slightly polite highs. Slightly dry timbre. Great all-rounder.

Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor

• Immersive soundstage. Euphonic, lush mids, and inoffensive treble. Lacks incisiveness and upper mids can get a little intense. Cons: Price.

Aroma Jewel

• Demoed on Eletech Victoria cable (not stock). Very fleshed out stage with convincing depth. Strong imaging, layering, and res. Bass can use more body and decay.

Dunu Mirai

• Bright leaning set with great tech. Clean mid-range, sharp imaging, sparkly female vocals with decent amount of air. Does get fatiguing and sharp on more energetic tracks and genres like...
• Expensive for what it is, lean, and bright.
• Pros: Refrence, beautiful timbre, open stage. Cons: Tuning may be boring for some.
• Lot of fun IEM. Is it perfect? No. Treble could use a little work. Harmanish take on low end with relaxed top end.

7th Acoustics Supernova

• Super smoooth. TOTL dynamics and treble air - dunno how they managed this airy and smooth with only BAs. Very clean, no sharpness, or sudden peaks, endgame separation and detail. Only drawback is...
• Natural king. Special iem at any price.
• Nearly immaculate tonality, coherency, and timbre with reasonably good technicalities.
• Rich, honeyed timbre. Well-tuned with solid techs. A very smooth listen. Could use better resolution and incisiveness.

Oriolus Traillii

• Dull microdynamics and treble at a not-so-dull price.
• Very natural and balanced-sounding set. Exquisite voicing and tuning. Soundstage is somewhat intimate. Bass is plasticky and lacks slam/texture. Cons: Price.

Noble Audio Onyx

AME Raven

qdc x MusicTeck Emperor SE

Canpur CP74E

• Punchy bass with some bass body bloat. Pleasant, euphonic vocal timbre with good note body. Decent treble minus the lower/mid-treble dip.

Canpur CP54E

Oriolus Traillii Ti

FitEar Creator

Softears Volume S

• Amazing vocals under $500 with the stock switch/clear tips or tangzu sancai regular (no impedance boost) with amazing vocal scaling. Recommended for higher volume listening like ballads, slower...
• Studio 4 with DD bass, great bass texture, tonal accuracy, forward vocals, and natural timbre. High impedance mode sounds bright. A benchmark for tonality and timbre.
• Probably the best iem of 2025 so far...
• Fantastic IEM for the price. Super sharp and standout

Hisenior Mega5-EST

• Neutral, clean, well-balanced, monitor like, great tech, but boring. Just get the TOP PRO, Oracle MK3 or Volare, or Xuan Wu Gate.
• Great tuning, neutral with bass boost, smooth, safe, and balanced. Could use more detail, incisiveness, and excitement. Very neutral, "plain water" sound signature.
• Let's call a spade a spade, this is boring.
• Very bouncy bass but midrange sounds sucked out and has some oddity. Original sounds more coherent even if less exciting/detailed.
• Pros: Exceptionally tuned across the board. Cons: Could use more "wow" and details.
• Fantastic tuning.. it really does not get better. Technical performance could be better.
• Well-tuned and great techs at this price point. Lacks dynamics and the mids are a little lean. Otherwise a great all-rounder.

Moondrop Variations

• Very clear with lots of detail. Sub-bass has a nice rumble and texture. Amazing treble extension and stage air. Female vocals are vibrant and shines. Mid-bass cut is real, affecting some genres and...
• Great sub-bass, Harman tuning, and excellent detail. Can sound thin. A solid benchmark.
• Sub-bass-focused signature with Moondrop's clean tuning makes this one of the best $500 tribrids.
• The more I listen the more perfect I find it.
• A more refined B2 Dusk with better bass texture and treble extension.
• Pros: Great separation and details. Cons: Thin lower midrange.
• Great tuning, neutral timbre, and a satisfying bass with a sub-bass focus. Solid all-rounder.

64 Audio Volr

• Well-textured, satisfying bass. Vocal timbre is slightly off. Upper-treble peak can get a little hot. Cons: Unnatural vocal timbre.

qdc 8PRO

Symphonium x Elise Audio Helios SE

• A better-fitting Helios with a bass lift. Excellent bass and treble. No glaring weaknesses.

Empire Ears Odin

• A Legend X with the bass properly controlled and the resolution one step higher.
• High-clarity signature that invokes a sense of stateliness.
• Pros: Well textured bass, good control, pleasing tones.

64 Audio tia Tri

• Rich bass with a mid-bass emphasis. Treble has a few peaks that can get spicy. Cons: Harsh treble peak.

Symphonium Helios

• Great technicalities. Lacking that last leg of refinement in terms of coherency.
• Exceptional treble with solid bass. Great techs. Some may find the midrange a bit clinical. Fit will be a dealbreaker to some. Cons: Poor fit.

Unique Melody MEST MK3

• A more neutral/slightly warm MEST MK2, less aggresive, easier to the ears, same technicalities. A little overpriced ngl.
• Holographic soundstage. Relaxed upper mids and treble. Overall detail. A safe tuning.

Moondrop S8

• Harman-like sound with plenty of detail. BA bass. Smooth, detailed, and balanced tuning.
• More faithful to the Harman target compared to the A8, with a smoother bass response.
• Special set.
• Excellent treble extension and detail retrieval.
• Pros: Smooth engaging harman signature with fun bass. Cons: BA timbre.
• Very resolving with a sweet, pleasant timbre. Good mids and treble. Average bass. Upper-mids may be shouty to some.

Nostalgia Audio Tesseract

qdc Emperor

FlipEars Legion

• Fun and bassy, v-shape, great low-end slam and texture, full, rumbly, solid tech imaging, and cool faceplate... but price is a bit high.
• What this does well, it does very well. Fun set.

Unique Melody Maven II

Nightjar Singularity

• Rich bass with great overall tuning. Pleasant timbre. Resolution could be better. Treble could use more liveliness.

Elysian Acoustics Apostle

Noble Audio AGIS II

Softears

Unique Melody MEST Indigo

FiR Audio Xenon 6

Elysian Pilgrim Noir

• Good but expensive. Recommended if you can find it for around $500. Direct upgrade to the AFUL Explorer. Scales great. Reminds me of the EJ07M but a bit smoother and less dynamic. Prefer it more than...
• Bassier than the original Pilgrim with similar resolution. Sound is similar to the original Pilgrim.
• Way different than Pilgrim OG, less bright. Smoothe.
• Relaxed at the vocal region compared to orignial Pilgrim. Too expensive. Texturing is a little bit better than original Pilgrim
• Cons: Similar to Pilgrim OG at twice the price.

CrinEar Meta

• 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...
• Versus similar priced IEMs this is probably the IEM I would be buying. Very nice IEM and a little bit on the contrasty side.

Campfire Audio Alien Brain

Noble Audio Shogun

Symphonium Giant

• Super warm and thick, mid-bass centric, basically the Meteor with less treble and more low-end, needs power, turns into basshead at higher volumes, very bassy.
• There's warm, warmer, then a huge gap, then the Giant. Warmiest.

Elysian Pilgrim

• Clean, clear, all-rounder, similar tuning as the Dusk but with better vocals, bass quality is great as well, aethestically pleasing too. If you want a clean all-rounder, or sensitive in the 3-8K,...
• Elysian house sound with a balanced tuning, textured sub-bass, smooth mid-range, well extended treble, and excellent resolution. I prefer more bass. One of the most resolving IEMs under $1000.
• Great little set to consider for those after an Elysian Product.
• Pros: Most technical sounding IEM under $1000.
• Not a bad IEM. Very solid but in this price range it's really competetive. Very safe tuning.

Symphonium Audio Meteor

• Meaty textured mid-bass, but can be a bit much. VVery warm sound. Library dependent. Airy treble, but vocals are a bit pushed back and buried.
• I'm just not a fan of the tuning, but I can see how others might like it.
• A fun U-shape through and through, at the expense of some detail. Fantastic bass and upper-treble extension.

FiR Audio Krypton 5

Symphonium Titan

• Most balanced bass set I've heard so far without sacrificing the fun/texture/impact in the low-end. Open staging, full sounding, deep sub-bass, vocals aren't buried either. No big peaky treble, good...

DUNU x Gizaudio DaVinci

• Warm leaning with thick, thumpy mid-bass that hits pretty deep and hard. Decent vocal and treble extension, although female vocals are warmer and huskier. Good for hiphop, rap, r&b, but low-end isn't...
• Bass-boosted meta tuning with excellent detail and a grand sound. Bass may be too much for some.
• Bass kind of pops off in the worst way possible.
• A little bit too bassy. imaging is impressive. If you are looking for a bassy set with great imaging, this is a good option.

Ice Labs Prismatica Gold

Ice Labs Prismatica

AFUL Explorer

• High volume set, very immersive, scales great with no sharpness, wide staging, enough detail/extension, good bass, just crank it up and enjoy the music.
• Smooth, relaxing tuning, great bass with good slam, rich mid-range, safe treble. Upper mids may be too relaxed for some, treble is a bit dark. Perfect for rock and metal.
• I own two and gave two away. So yeah, I kinda like it.
• Relaxed upper mid-range. Vocals sound a little bit more forward than instruments. Smooth treble performance.

FiR Audio Neon 4

Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk

• Great resolution and separation. Vocals can sound recessed/thin, and is sibilant at higher volumes. Uneven and grainy treble. Clinical, thin, and not as musical as others sets.
• Pros: Very well tuned with great bass responsse.
• Great midrange with a natural timbre. Could use better bass and treble quality/extension. Mids may be too forward for some.

Oriolus Monachaa

• Poor Value, I can't recomend it.
• Very nice bass and decent treble. Midrange timbre and decay sound off. Technicalities are average for its price range. Cons: Poor techs/price, vocal timbre off.

qdc x FitEar Superior EX

Truthear Nova

• NEED FOAM TIPS makes the treble smooth and clear. Very clean harman sound with smooth but well extended treble/one of the best treble under $200, no roll-off. The pinnacle of trying not to offend...
• Harman tuning, great detail. Lean vocals, could use more bass. A solid reference.
• Nice set, great bass. Too much upper mids.
• A little bit thin and shrill sounding. Hexa costs half as much and it's the better IEM.

FATFreq Scarlet Mini

• Crap ton of sub-bass but still very well-controlled (for the most part). No mud or mid-bass bloat, uppermids/treble are smoother than Maestro Mini, still somewhat balanced without having the low-end...
• Ohh this set is a special love affair with BASS. Not Neutral lol.

InTime Miyabi MK2

AFUL MagicOne

• The resolution and clarity at this price is so lovely.
• Sounds quite good but not exceptional. Not a lot of depth. Nothing is sharp or aggressive. Take it for what it is
• Pleasant female vocals and decent bass. Male vocals are forward and treble has some grain.

Tanchjim Kara

• Clean and natural midrange focused signature that's right up my alley. Open and airy staging with great instrument layering. Still very resolving even though it lacks the last bit of treble detail....
• Has nice treble, good technicals. But it's super expensive for me.
• Pros: Very smooth and organic midrange, great treble. Cons: Lacking some bass dynamics.
• Cons: Better options for the price.

Final Audio E500

• Very well-balanced though plagued by the usual E-series QC problems.
• For users who like ear buds, it's a great little set.
• The most well-tuned Final Audio IEM with a balanced, fairly neutral sound.