By aspect — in detail
Sources split. Super* Review hears a doughy, slow low end that smears bass-guitar lines, Jaytiss calls it muddy with next to no sub-bass, LesModio writes "Muddy" on his tier list and ATechReviews wants more definition in the attack. The other side — a Head-Fi owner of all three passive MEMS tribrids, a Hangout demo listener, a HifiGuides buyer and Dracomies — hears the same lift as full, warm and clean: "the Reference but with more bass", "not muddy at all". Jays Audio sits between them: "fine", if a bit too warm at times. The graphs explain the vocabulary — the shelf does not stop at the sub-bass but carries 2–3 dB more 100–200 Hz than its Crinacle siblings, and a phone or high-impedance dongle adds another 3–4 dB.
Measured
Super* Review's coupler, four units: +6.6 to +9.4 dB at 20 Hz, +8.2 to +9.7 at 60 Hz and still +3.7 to +4.4 at 200 Hz (re 1 kHz) — about 5–7 dB over his target below 60 Hz and 3–4 dB over at 100–200 Hz, where the Daybreak sits +2.4 and the Reference +1.2 on the same rig. Unit spread is 2.8 dB at 20 Hz. On Audio Amigo's rig a 15 Ω source adds +2.6 dB and a 30 Ω source +3.8 dB at 20 Hz.
⚠ vs. listeners — The graph shows a moderate, upper-bass-heavy lift rather than a huge one; 'muddy' and 'full' are the same 200 Hz shelf heard as a flaw or a feature, and source impedance and seal move it by several dB between listeners.
Where it splits
soft, doughy or muddy — the attack lacks definition54%
“maybe a little bit on the doughy side, right? It's not the tightest, punchiest, sharpest bass attack, but it's got, you know, a decent amount of kick to it.”
Mark Ryan, Super* Review (video)
full and warm but clean — the Reference with more bass46%
“It's basically the Reference but with more bass. I don't think anybody would ever hate it.”
morphon, Head-Fi
Sources split. ATechReviews finds the midrange the strongest part of the set — warm, full vocals with real note weight, male voices especially — and forum owners hear it as less shouty and more engaging than the Reference. Super* Review hears vocals as diffuse and slightly disembodied, Jaytiss and LesModio a scooped 1–3 kHz region, and Dracomies, after grading female vocals A, finds male vocals "thin and like hollow sounding". Jays Audio sits in the middle — vocals clearer and more forward than the Odyssey, but "fine" once the added mid-bass starts to congest them. The measured ear-gain peak is actually higher than the Daybreak's; what differs is how little the response climbs out of the bass, so warmth reads as recession to some ears.
Measured
Ear-gain peak at 3.1–3.3 kHz, +9.5 to +10.1 dB re 1 kHz on Super* Review's rig (+8.8 to +10.3 across five rigs) — above the Daybreak (+8.8) and Reference (+8.5) on the same coupler, and within +0.2 to +0.5 dB of the JM-1 target across 1.5–3 kHz on the two rigs that serve it. The rise from 200 Hz to 2 kHz is only about 0–1 dB, versus 2–3 dB on the Daybreak and Reference.
⚠ vs. listeners — Nothing is missing at 1–3 kHz relative to JM-1; the 'scoop' several reviewers hear is the extra 100–300 Hz filling in underneath, which lowers the contrast between bass and presence.
Where it splits
full, lush vocals with weight — the strongest region34%
“Now, the mids here are great. They are a bit warm. Vocals sound full, and there's good note weight.”
Axel, ATechReviews (video)
diffuse or scooped — vocals lack body, male voices turn thin66%
“vocals I would say on this thing are a little bit on the diffuse sounding side”
Mark Ryan, Super* Review (video)
Mostly praised, with a clear minority report. Eight of twelve voices — including the two harshest overall verdicts — call the MEMS treble smooth, controlled and fatigue-free, the safest MEMS presentation on the market; several say it is the reason to buy. Jays Audio hears a harder, more brittle attack that only shows above about 70 dB or on cymbal-heavy electronic and K-pop tracks, and a group of Daybreak owners on r/iems reject it for rolling off the top octave. The measurements back both: the lower treble is the most forward in the Crinacle family, but as a broad plateau rather than a spike, and everything above 10 kHz drops away.
Measured
5–8 kHz sits +3.7 to +5.6 dB over Super* Review's target (Daybreak +2.0, Reference +2.6, EP321 +3.5 on the same rig) with the 8 kHz level at +7.7 to +9.7 dB re 1 kHz — the highest of the family — but as a broad plateau, then −3.3 to −1.5 at 10 kHz and −3.8 to −1.2 at 12 kHz. Seating depth moves the 6–10 kHz resonance by about 2 kHz and 8 kHz by up to 9 dB.
⚠ vs. listeners — The brightest lower treble in its family is the one most listeners call smooth: no narrow peak, a MEMS transient that several describe as clean rather than splashy, and a rolled-off top octave that trades air for ease. Insertion depth decides which camp a given ear lands in.
Where it splits
smooth, controlled and fatigue-free — the safest MEMS treble yet73%
“surprisingly this thing is really quite smooth and quite controlled in the treble”
Mark Ryan, Super* Review (video)
hard-edged at volume and short on air above 10 kHz27%
“MEMS only noticeable at volumes 70dbs+ or on certain energetic tracks that is electronic/high frequency heavy where treble/cymbals has a brittle attack/decay instead of a splashy/airier/smooth extension”
Jays Audio, r/iems
Tonality
Contested · 13 srcSources split. The larger group hears a coherent, warm-tilted JM-1 — "the safest" of the three passive MEMS tribrids, a Reference with more body, an all-rounder with no obvious flaws — and Jays Audio calls it balanced, if familiar. The other group hears colour, and disagrees about which colour: Jaytiss and LesModio find it too warm, thick and scooped; Super* Review finds it oddly bright, contrasty and clinical despite the bass; one owner calls it "not too anything". The graph is both warmer below 300 Hz and brighter at 5–8 kHz than the Reference, which is how one earphone earns both complaints.
Measured
Against the JM-1 target (Audio Amigo and Jaytiss rigs): +4.4 to +5.4 dB at 20–60 Hz, +2.1 to +3.1 at 100–200 Hz, on target across 1.5–3 kHz, +2.3 to +4.4 at 5–8 kHz, about flat at 8–12 kHz — a bass-boosted JM-1 with extra upper bass and extra lower treble on both ends of the midrange.
⚠ vs. listeners — Both colour camps are reading real deviations: the 100–300 Hz excess is what 'too warm' hears, the 5–8 kHz excess is what 'oddly bright' hears, and which one dominates depends on seating depth and source impedance.
Where it splits
a warm-tilted JM-1 — safe, coherent, easy to live with58%
“the Silicon is an all-rounder that shares a familiar tuning from Crin, but now with a little more texture at the cost of timbre.”
Jays Audio, r/iems
coloured — too thick for some ears, oddly bright and clinical for others42%
“It does not really sound particularly warm to me. It sounds a little bit more on the kind of clinical forward sound”
Mark Ryan, Super* Review (video)
Soundstage
Contested · 3 srcThinly covered and split. Fresh Reviews, testing in Apex, CS2 and Valorant, finds the space wider, more open and more thinned-out than the warm sets he had been using. Dracomies calls the stage average and forgettable, and Jays Audio notes that layering takes a hit in busy passages because the fuller mid-bass pushes drums, brass and male vocals forward. Few other sources address it.
Where it splits
wide, open and spacious — thinned-out in a useful way for gaming29%
“The sound stage feels wider, and the imaging is very good.”
Fresh Reviews (video)
average and forgettable; layering crowds when the mix gets busy71%
“Layering can take a slight hit at times/not as clear due to the fuller mid-bass boost that pushes drums, brass instruments, and male vocals more forward giving it a busier playback”
Jays Audio, r/iems
Praised for placement precision by the sources that speak to it: pin-point on LesModio's tier list, "very precise" in three shooters for Fresh Reviews, a little more tactile than the Daybreak for Jays Audio, with Super* Review crediting the MEMS for clean separation between sounds. Dracomies is the dissent — separation only average and occasionally muddled. Competitive for the money rather than a standout.
“The placement of all of the audio cues is fantastic.”
Fresh Reviews (video)
“Jm-1 + Bass Tilt - Muddy, Mids Recessed, Nice treble and pin-point imaging but bad for price”
LesModio, IEM tier list
“Good imaging, resolution, and attack - competitive for the price, but not a value standout”
Jays Audio, r/iems
“I didn't think it was good separation.”
Dracomies (video)
Detail
Strong consensus · 8 srcBroad agreement that resolution is competent and a step up in texture over the Daybreak — sharper transients, nice micro-detail, "detailed enough" — but nobody calls it a resolution standout, and Jays Audio, Super* Review and Head-Fi's morphon each place it below the Binary EP321 or the CrinEar Reference for clarity and separation. "Solid entry. Just not revolutionary" is the tenor.
“Silicon is a little more tactile in the imaging, and slightly sharper in the details, adding a little more texture and less smooth overall”
Jays Audio, r/iems
“Higher resolution than the Dunu Davinci. More refined than the Daybreak. It's a solid entry. Just not revolutionary.”
morphon, Head-Fi
“Surprisingly MEMS drivers do not destroy eardrums and deliver high frequencies very smooth yet detailed enough. Ultra-highs rustling enjoyers will stay unsatisfied here though.”
iemocean, HifiGuides
“There's nice micro details to it.”
Jaytiss (video)
Dynamics
Contested · 7 srcSources split almost evenly. ATechReviews hears good impact and physicality for hip-hop and EDM, Fresh Reviews heft with a fast attack, Dracomies punch and power once the tips are right, and a HifiGuides owner finds it more engaging than the Reference. Jaytiss says the bass never feels impactful for the price, Jays Audio ranks the original Ziigaat Odyssey a step above it for slam and dynamic contrast, and Super* Review finds the Reference tighter, punchier and more felt despite having less bass.
Where it splits
soft and slow — not impactful for the money49%
“And even though there's less bass on the reference, it just sounds tighter and punchier and more felt.”
Mark Ryan, Super* Review (video)
One of the two points of near-agreement: a medium, semi-custom clear shell that locks in and disappears. Super* Review slept in it for two weeks of travel and ATechReviews calls fit stability excellent; Jaytiss, Jays Audio, Head-Fi's morphon and a Hangout demo listener all report a snug, comfortable fit for average ears. The caveat is the nozzle — 6.5 mm at the lip by two reviewers' calipers — which three commenters with narrow canals ruled out on that number alone, and Jaytiss flags small ears as a concern. The stock tips are widely swapped.
“Comfort is great on the silicon for long listening sessions, and fit stability is excellent.”
Axel, ATechReviews (video)
“It's gonna fit most ears and I think it should fit most ears pretty well.”
Mark Ryan, Super* Review (video)
“It fits me well, but for those with tiny ears, it might be a concern.”
Jaytiss (video)
“Thanks for always showing nozzle size. 6.5mm unfortunately too big for me.”
mooli-eyener, YouTube comment
Measured
Nozzle lip 6.5 mm (ATechReviews: 5.7 mm below the lip; Super* Review: 6.3–6.5 mm). Rated 16.5 Ω, 119 dB/Vrms.
The shell wins everyone over — solid, dense filled resin, a see-through body that shows the tubing and the flat black MEMS chips, a screw-lock modular plug and a generous accessory set that several reviewers say belongs on a dearer set. The cloth cable is the recurring gripe: microphonic above the chin slider for every reviewer who mentions it, "extremely" so for Jaytiss, with a loose slider and cheap-looking ear hooks for Super* Review. The blue vented faceplate divides the forums, and one Head-Fi member wants a black option.
“This is great build quality.”
Axel, ATechReviews (video)
“I actually think these things are really stinking good looking.”
Mark Ryan, Super* Review (video)
“The cloth cable does pick up some microphonic if you have a beard, or if it rubs against your clothes, so just a heads up there”
Jays Audio, r/iems
“for that price with that faceplate? OOF”
Apprehensive_Ebb_626, r/iems
Isolation
Thin evidence · 1 srcBarely discussed. Jaytiss says the bulbous shell isolates well; the faceplate is vented and several reviewers swapped the stock tips, both of which will move this. Too few voices to call a consensus.
“So, it does isolate well.”
Jaytiss (video)
An exact tie by weight. One side — Super* Review, Jaytiss, ATechReviews, Head-Fi's morphon, a HifiGuides owner — sees a surprisingly complete $250 package: the build, fit, accessories and the smoothest MEMS treble yet. The other — Jays Audio, Dracomies, LesModio, the r/iems Daybreak thread and the critical posters — sees a sidegrade to the $169 CrinEar Daybreak that gives up air and timbre for texture, "bad for price", worth it only at $160–180 on sale. Tellingly, two of the buyers on the positive side (Jaytiss) or in the middle (Dracomies) are already selling or shelving theirs.
Where it splits· split roughly even
a complete package — build, fit and treble that should cost more
“And I think that the price on this thing is also surprisingly reasonable.”
Mark Ryan, Super* Review (video)
an $80 premium over the Daybreak for a sidegrade — wait for a sale
“If you can find the Silicons for around $160-180 on sale, sure, go for it. But for around $250... I would go for the Odysseys 1/2, Phoenixcall 2.0, Chopins, Daybreaks, P50s and more”
Jays Audio, r/iems
