Intro
The man, the myth, the legend — Crinacle himself — has jumped into the foray of producing his own IEMs. His company, CrinEar, introduces Project Meta as its very first model. The first 500 Metas sold out in a matter of minutes. A few days later, the next 499 sold out again in only a few short minutes. All of this happened without any official reviews or traditional hype. Crinacle certainly can draw a crowd, so to speak.
First and foremost, congrats to the lucky 999 of us who furiously clicked as fast as we could and bought something we knew nothing about – no driver config, no reviews, just a squiggly line graph and hope that this introduction would be something special. Luckily, CrinEar delivered on all accounts.
However, since the CrinEar Meta is no longer available for sale, a traditional review is fairly pointless. Instead, there will be brief sound impressions and advice on how to get the most out of the Project Meta that you already own.
Tech Specs
Driver Configuration: IT’S A MYSTERY
Sensitivity: 102 db/mW @ 1kHz
Impedance: 19Ω
Frequency Response: 2 – 44 kHz
Connector: .078mm 2 pin
Price: $249.99
Sound
Overall
First and foremost, this is a mid-centric set. But that doesn’t mean that the bass and treble are sub-par, they support the mids exceptionally in their own special ways. It’s the perfect balance of the somewhat boring Meta-style and a fun signature. It has the perfect amount of detail retrieval without becoming overwhelming, but enough to keep me interested, engaged, and wanting to keep listening for longer.
The Meta reminds me of a more mature version of the Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk. It’s smoother and less spicy than the Dusk and therefore it’s easier to listen to. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have some amazing detail retrieval or tactility either – it’s still very engaging and dynamic.
Bass
I was surprised by the bass of the Meta. The first thing that stood out was the mid bass as it sounded more elevated and punchy as compared to what the frequency response graphs would indicate. The sub bass extension is fantastic and goes down to the limits of hearing without breaking a sweat. The bass is very, very good overall. The only IEM that I’ve heard that beats the Meta in terms of overall bass quality is the Dusk, but that has two bass drivers and costs $150 more. The fact that these two IEMs are being compared to each other in terms of bass shows how well the Meta performs.
Mids
TLDR: The mids on the Meta are special.
They have a quick edge or attack, but they don’t sound like they have balanced armatures or regular planar drivers, as the Meta doesn’t suffer from the usual downsides of these driver types. They’re resolving, transparent, and sparkly without dominating or upsetting the overall balance of the sound signature. They have amazing resolution while somehow being smooth and easy to listen to.
Treble
The treble is emphasized a little bit, while still maintaining extension and natural timbre. It works in harmony with the rumbly bass and the detail of the mids to help with the overall stage and airiness without upsetting the overall smooth nature of the Meta.
Technicalities
As mentioned before, the Meta provides a perfect equilibrium of detail retrieval and incisiveness to keep things fun and interesting, without feeling overwhelmed by the details. The Meta absolutely nails it here.
To my ears, it has a wide stage, medium height, and small depth. Separation is very good for the price, although the Dusk just edges it out here.
I was surprised by the tactility in guitar plucks (Rodrigo y Gabriela) and the snap of snare drums (Slum Village & Abstract Orchestra, as well as others). Again, these details are exciting and fun, but not in a harsh or overwhelming way. Somehow the Meta finds equilibrium again.
How to Get the Most from Meta
Since the Meta is already sold out, you’re probably here to find out how to get the most from yours, so let’s begin. To be fully transparent, I borrowed some of my points here from Paul Wasabii’s video, and agree completely with him on the Meta.
If the Meta sounds v-shaped and lacks extension, turn up the volume by 2-3db. Raising the volume brings the mids back up from hiding in a dip, the treble extension comes alive, and the sub bass also stands out a little bit, bringing unity and harmony to the sound. It also helps widen out the stage and opens up instrument separation. In my experience, the Meta had to be just a tiny bit louder than my normal listening volume and everything fell into place beautifully.
If the Meta has a bright 3kHz-ish spot and lacks bass and upper treble, try going for a deeper fit, even if that means sizing down on eartips. This helps mitigate that 3kHz harshness.
I highly recommend using wide bore eartips, like the Divinus Velvet Wide Bore or the Tangzu Tang Sancai Wide Bore, as they help open up the soundstage a little more and also avoid the upper mids peak that narrow bore eartips tend to introduce.
Last, the Meta loves to scale with a good source. While the Quedlix 5k, the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini, and other dongle-style DAC/AMPs sound good with Meta, a better source like the FIIO K11 helps the Meta to shine. The K11 seems to release a little more bass, both in terms of volume and detail and speed. The mids also benefit in terms of clarity and resolution. Soundstage and imaging were affected the most, widening the stage and increasing the separation between instruments.
Conclusion
At the risk of waxing poetic, the CrinEar Project Meta is truely is something special. Crinacle said that the Project Meta was a technical exercise in producing the best that CrinEar could make, all without turning a profit on this “Project.” After spending a month with Project Meta, I absolutely believe what he said. While technically the Dusk is technically better, I’ve been reaching for the Project Meta every single time, for the overall sound signature and balance of detail and smoothness. In this way, the Project Meta punches well above its asking price and is impressive…even if we don’t know what the drivers are.
Seriously, well done CrinEar, I’ll be very much looking forward to your future releases.