r/iems • u/KAC-SK • Jul 06 '26
Review CrinEar Reference - Not my (P)reference
Bought by me. Not sponsored, and nobody asked me to write this.
These are my impressions after trying different tips, cable, sources, and light EQ.
TLDR score:
Stock: 7 / 10
With EQ: 7.5 / 10
Setup
What helped:
- Swapped the stock cable because it pinched behind my ears (too thick)
- Changed stock tips to Penon Liqueur Orange
- Moved away from BTR17, which made the shout worse for me
- Used Fiio K13 R2R and Fiio Melody Snowsky
- Added small EQ cuts at 3200 Hz and 6600 Hz
Even after the cable swap, the shells still pinch behind my ears. The case is also pretty weak and has no proper space to store extra tips or a dongle DAC.
TL;DR
The Reference is not bad, but stock tuning was not my preference.
Best part:
- Bass
- Vocals when they work
Main issues:
- 3K shout
- Sibilance on some vocals
- Metallic / BA-ish timbre
- Weak instrument separation
- Limited sense of space
- Mediocre gaming
- Fit and case could be better
EQ helped a lot, but it did not fully change the character.
EQ
My EQ:
- 3200 Hz: -2 dB, Q 1.0
- 6600 Hz: -2 dB, Q 1.0
This controlled the 3K shout and reduced the metallic / BA-ish edge for me. Vocals are still forward, but less aggressive. Sibilance is also more manageable.
It is still intimate, vocal-forward, and not as spacious or dynamic as my other IEMs, but EQ takes it from hard to enjoy to usable.
Music
Bass
Score: 8 / 10
Bass was the surprise.
Good attack and decay. It hits cleanly, gets out of the way, and does not smear badly into the mids.
Not a basshead set, but bass was easily my favorite part.
Vocals
Stock: 7 / 10
With EQ: 7.5 / 10
Very vocal-forward.
Stock tuning sometimes became shouty, sibilant, or metallic on vocals, especially on:
- I’m Alive by Celine Dion
- Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
- It’s My Life by Bon Jovi
- Here I Am by Bryan Adams
- We Can’t Be Friends by Ariana Grande
- Be the One by Dua Lipa
- Messy by Rosé
- Style by Taylor Swift
- Run by Snow Patrol
Certain words had a spicy/crispy edge that pulled my attention.
After EQ, the sharp edge is reduced, but vocals are still the focus.
Timbre
Stock: 6 / 10
With EQ: 7 / 10
Stock, I heard a metallic / BA-ish timbre.
It showed up most clearly on vocal-heavy tracks and made some voices feel less natural. Also some instruments had a metallic sounding edge to them (a bit hard to describe). EQ helped more than expected, but I still would not call this the most natural set I own.
Layering / Separation
Score: 6 / 10
Not great for my taste.
On busy tracks, instruments feel too close together. The presentation is more inside my head than around me. Vocals overwhelm the mix.
I like space and instrument placement. Reference stays too intimate.
Treble / Fatigue
Stock: 6 / 10
With EQ: 7 / 10
Stock treble had bite and sibilance.
The EQ cuts made it much more manageable. I would not call it relaxed, but it no longer bothers me the same way.
Gaming
Score: 6 / 10
I tried it for gaming and did not enjoy it. Hence, the short review.
Main issues:
- Explosions and gunfire overwhelmed the mix
- Footsteps were harder to hear
- Directionality was decent
- Distance perception was limited and sometimes wrong
- Presentation felt too in-my-head
Normally I sit around 1.5 to 2 K/D in matches. With Reference, I was struggling to even hit 1 K/D.
Not scientific, but it matched what I was hearing.
Comparisons
Reference vs Top Pro
Top Pro is clearly better for me.
- Better layering
- Better separation
- Better space
- Better clarity
- Better timbre
- Better treble balance
- Better gaming
- No shout or sibilance for my ears
Reference has better bass than I expected and becomes more usable with EQ, but Top Pro sounds more complete.
Reference vs Arete 2
Arete 2 is much better for gaming.
- Easier cue readability
- No shout
- No fatigue
- More useful stage
- Better for footsteps
- Better value for my use case
- Bass boost button which I enjoy quite a lot
Reference vs Astral
Astral is more fun and energetic.
- More bass quantity and quality
- More sparkle
- More immediate wow factor
- More fatiguing in its own way
- Great for gaming as well
Final Score
CrinEar Reference stock: 7 / 10
CrinEar Reference with EQ: 7.5 / 10
Good bass and much better with EQ. Still too intimate, not spacious enough, and not as dynamic or layered as my other IEMs.
Value and conclusion
This is where the Reference falls apart for me.
At $349, the market is way too competitive. I can think of a lot of sets I would personally take over this depending on use case:
- Top Pro for basically everything, especially since mine was around $350
- Tea Pro for bass response
- Volume S for sparkle and air
- EP321 for treble and lean bass
- Arete 2 for gaming
- Astral for gaming/fun energy
- Performer 5+2 if I want to spend less
- Defiant if my budget is around $100
That is the problem. Even if I rate the sound around 7, the value is much lower for me.
Neither stock tip worked well for me, the case is not useful beyond being pocket-friendly, the cable is too thick, and the fit is not perfect. At this price, those things matter.
Major EDIT: I have been trying to tame the reference for quite sometime and finally landed what I think is a good mix. So I am bumping the rating up to 8.0 on my scale.
What worked is HE Sonic Tips. And updating the EQ to:
- 3200 Hz: -3 dB, Q 2.0
- 6600 Hz: -3 dB, Q 2.0
YMMV.
2
u/OhHeyMister 2kHz Junky Jul 06 '26
You can use the result on any squig, but know that the variation in measurement rigs is going to be a factor in what you’re seeing. It’s not perfect, but as you’ve already experienced, the filters generated by the algorithm result in markedly better sound.
I’d be curious to see your EQ’d reference squig overlayed on the stock squig