CrinEar Reference | Hybrid Universal IEMs

Clear and detailed sound

I really like this IEM. It feels like you don't have any headphones on, you are just listening to music. Great tonality, sounds very resolving and clear. Definitely enough bass for me. Also, great service from Bloom. I received the IEM within a couple of days after ordering.

A reliable North Star to return to or a guide to a new appreciation

I now realize that “natural” doesn’t have to mean “boring” or overly “bright.” I'm now in my second year into this hobby, and having relied heavily on reviews and blind buying luck, it’s nice to have something in my collection that is a benchmark and thoroughly enjoyed. Moving from my favored V-shape to a reference tuning feels like someone finally cleaned the windows on my favorite tracks. I’m noticing subtleties in the details and textures that perhaps used to get buried under the “V" frequencies. I thought this could be my first return to Bloom Audio when I made the purchase, but now I believe even the most devout bass-head might appreciate hearing bass in a new way. I've have many "x Crinacle" collabs in my collection, but this is my first Crinear purchase, and I’m glad I chose the Reference as a starting point, and as a “center point” for my collection. No return authorization needed.

Honest

This set is very honest. As such, I find it to be an excellent tool for comparing source devices, a difficult task for many transducers given the subtlety of differences. But I expect they will be somewhat polarizing for the same reason. From an enjoyment perspective, I dig 'em. I suspect some won't. Thus the 4 stars. It's not a common tuning these days. Bloom was great as usual.