The Michelin Guide to IEMs - CanJam SoCal 2025 Edition (Part 1)

Whenever we go to an audio show, it’s always an overwhelming experience trying to navigate the mind-numbing amount of new products to check out while sharing experiences with community members. While no amount of words can do justice to the CanJam atmosphere, we can share some of our thoughts around some of the most interesting products at the show.

This time, we’re going to simplify things by taking a page out of the Michelin Guide. Precogvision and FC-Construct will give brief impressions and provide a quick score in that aforementioned Michelin style. Here’s the breakdown:

• Not recommended - The sound of this product ranges from being outright bad to merely mediocre.
• Recommended - The starting point for decent. Potentially worth a listen if you have the time.
• 1 Star - Excellent sound and one worth going out of your way for.
• 2 - 3 Stars - Excellent sound with a special sauce that makes the product stand above the rest and/or a “justifiable” price.

For the first part of this two-part CanJam SoCal 2025 show report, we’ll focus on products that are what we’d consider reasonably obtainable for those in the hobby. The second will feature products that you’ll have to be deeply committed to audio to begin even considering.

Campfire Audio Andromeda 10

Precogvision: The 10 in this IEM’s name stands not for the tenth iteration of the Andromeda - because I believe they’ve had more than this - but the 10 BA drivers that are being employed compared to the 5 used previously. For reference, the Andromeda is an IEM that holds a special place in my heart, particularly the Andromeda 2020 model which I owned for some time.

Generally, the Andromeda 10 can be considered something of a more U-shaped version of that IEM. It has significantly more bass and an even more recessed upper-midrange. What hasn’t changed? The sparkly treble response and out-of-head imaging that put the Andromeda on the roadmap. Overall, the Andromeda 2020 model remains my favorite by a decent margin, but I can’t hate the Andromeda 10 despite it being somewhat too far into left field for my tastes. Not recommended.

CrinEars Cypher

Precogvision: One word comes to mind when I hear the Cypher: safe. It’s a neutral with sub-bass boost IEM with a more relaxed upper-midrange and treble response. It noticeably lacks some energy past 10kHz; it’s not necessarily dark but it does sound more muted in that region which impacts its technical performance. This exemplifies the trend that CrinEars has been pursuing: accessible, solid tuning at a cheaper price point. However, I think it’s a bit difficult to tell whether the Cypher’s necessarily better than a lot of the $100 IEMs on the market because the segment has become heavily saturated with good options. Recommended.

CrinEars Monolith

Precogvision: One of the most noticeable things about the Monolith is how difficult it is to drive. Why? The Monolith’s calling card is its sub-bass response which is boosted to giga-bass levels under 200Hz. Moving upwards, the Monolith has a forward upper-midrange to compensate (and that becomes noticeably more present on music with less bass). I found the treble on this IEM to be fine - missing some air, possibly slightly dipped from 10-15kHz, but nothing egregious. This is definitely more my speed compared to the Cypher and, depending on its price point, I see the Monolith as a potential competitor to the FatFreq IEMs which also hail from Singapore. Recommended.

Hercules Audio Noah

Precogvision: I hear this as a scaled-back version of the Moses. Compared to the Moses, it sounds sharper in its bass shelf, and thinner, more aggressive in the upper-midrange. Similarly, the treble is heavier-sounding compared to the Moses which has a more ethereal sensation; the Noah’s definitely lacking some energy past 15kHz compared to the Moses. Overall, the Noah sounds good but not great to my ears - I’d like some more refinement to the tuning. To be fair, though, I heard this back-to-back with the Moses which sets a pretty high bar (and the Noah costs considerably less). Recommended.

Fc-Construct: For $380, the Noah is something absolutely worth experiencing. Let’s start with the bad. The midrange has a hollowness to it. But your ears adapt to this pretty fast. The treble is a bit more forward in the lower treble than the Moses, with more of that traditional crispness in the transients, though it can be a bit rough at times. What makes the Noah special is the absolute monster of a bass presentation it has. It isn’t quite as deep, big, or rumbly as the Moses. But it gets awesomely close with a fantastic sense of impact that blends an upfront midbass with the grunt of the subbass. What I especially like about it is that it doesn’t have that unusually “slow” feeling in its decay that the Moses had. Not that that was bad, but rather it’s a coloration that I don’t think would have fit in with the Noah’s tuning. 3 Stars.

Mysticraft Myth

Precogvision: The Myth sounds pretty different from the Hex, and more reminiscent of the Elysian Apostle at first listen (although I’ve only listened to the Apostle briefly a year ago). This presents itself most in the Myth’s bass response which has more ‘bounce’ and more of a liquidy presentation to it. Moving upwards, the Myth sounded slightly odd in its midrange tuning to me; I would be curious to know how the pinna rises and is notched. Like the HEX, the Myth has more of a heavy treble response compared to some of Lee’s older IEMs; however, it’s not as detailed as the HEX. My takeaway is that this is a decent IEM but not necessarily a standout, especially as the kilobuck space has become extremely competitive. Recommended.

Fc-Construct: For those who don’t know, Mysticraft is the Mr. Lee’s (of Elysian Acoustics) latest venture. But despite the new name, his new products have the same DNA. They’re all varying shades of an aggressive U-shaped signature, and his $1,000 “entry-level” Myth is no exception. Bass comes in with an upfront focus on the midbass impact and is followed with a subbass rumble. The treble is airy and well-extended, but arguably rough with a series of micropeaks. The midrange has a throatiness and body to it to color the timbre instead of your typical mountain of upper mids for that clarity-focused presentation. Admittedly, this is still a boutique product. It steps a little beyond the safe bounds of most IEMs where I expect some to have some gripes about its tuning. But eccentricity is what makes this hobby interesting, and the Myth toes the line well enough. Recommended.

SoftEars RSV MKII

Precogvision: For reference, the original SoftEars RSV can be considered something of a precursor to the ‘New Meta’. It had a safe, albeit well-tuned sound signature and I feel like it had a better treble response than many of the ‘New Meta’ IEMs that I’ve heard. The RSV MKII basically just leans in a more V-shaped direction by adding in more bass and lower-to-mid treble. Frankly, I’m pretty ambivalent about this IEM. I feel like the original RSV had a better tuning direction versus the RSV MKII, but the RSV MKII’s still a decent IEM. Recommended.

Fc-Construct: I heard the RSV MKII fresh as I had never heard the original before. As Precogvision mentioned, its midrange and treble follows that ‘New Meta’ signature. However, it has a rather substantial bass shelf that makes its tonal balance sound overall rather downtilted. It’s not muddy, it’s not veiled, it’s not dark. But it’s getting pretty close to those descriptors because of its bass response weighing down the already very safe ‘New Meta’ tuning. I think it’s a fine IEM, but one that doesn't quite catch my fancy. Recommended.

Symphonium Europa SE

Precogvision: The Europa is based heavily off of the Symphonium Crimson, an IEM that I find to have top-tier technical performance but that I also find to be quite finicky with ear tips and sources due to an upper-treble response that teeters the line. Relatively speaking, the Europa reduces the upper-treble compared to the Crimson and maintains about 90% of those technicalities. It’s still got fantastic bass, a soulful midrange, and extended, highly-detailed treble. Yes, Crimson’s ceiling for ‘scaling’ is higher but I’d probably prefer the Europa as someone who doesn’t invest heavily in source gear. It’s an IEM that makes almost zero mistakes - as far as the metrics I index for - and is ready to go out of the box. 2 Stars.

ThieAudio Monarch MKIV

Precogvision: To my ears, despite my heavy critiques of the Monarch IEMs, the series has made steady improvement over the years and the MKIV isn’t here to buck that trend.

I would say that I’d prefer a smoother treble response, especially at louder listening volumes. But unlike some of the other IEMs in the ThieAudio series, like the Prestige LTD, there’s a healthy sense of weight to treble transients to compensate. Moving downwards, the bass response of this IEM is genuinely good - sans some attack blur on the ‘rumble’ mode - and it doesn’t have the somewhat poofy quality that I found previous iterations (or a lot of the other ThieAudio IEMs) to exhibit.

In terms of technicalities, the detail retrieval on the MKIV is simply excellent. Like the MKII, there’s a strong sense of textural realism but it’s been taken to the next-level owing to superior treble extension. The dynamics on this IEM are also nothing to scoff at. Despite lacking some technical refinement, the Monarch retains its spot as a default, kilobuck recommendation for listeners indexing for subjective technical qualities. 1 Star.

Fc-Construct: My first impressions of the Monarch MKIV weren't the best. I thought it had a treble glare in the mid/upper treble that threw notes off, while the bass switch was either too little or too much. However, I did bring a set home for a proper review and my feelings are now a lot less negative. So stay tuned for that.

Meanwhile, what I will say is that when I was hanging around the Linsoul booth, most people came for the Monarch MKIV but left wanting to buy either the V16 Divinity or Valhalla after I recommended they try those as well. Hey, there’s more to Thieaudio than the Monarchs! Recommended.

ThieAudio Origin

Precogvision: This IEM generally sounds strongly dampened and like it lacks dynamics. I suspect a lot of this stems from a combination of the Origin’s more relaxed pinna-notch and the tame treble response. The treble is more palatable than the Prestige LTD, and I’m sure it measures quite nicely, but subjectively it sounds very lifeless. The bass on this IEM has a similar problem where it sounds quite dry, texture-wise, and hollow to the way it hits, despite it having a pretty substantial bass shelf on paper. This is a very safe-sounding IEM that doesn't nearly measure up to the price bracket it's playing in. Not recommended.

Fc-Construct: I found this IEM to be more similar to the Valhalla than any of the other Thieaudio products because of its thick bass and midrange tonal structure. The Origin is even thicker here than the Valhalla, but that’s where the comparisons end. The Origin is the bass specialist of the Thieaudio line-up, supposedly because of its bone conductor driver. I think its bass has a good density to it, and in some cases, preferable to the Valhalla if you really prefer a bassier response. But in general, I prefer the Valhalla across a wider range of tracks due to its greater perceived technical performance. That said, the Origin is less than half the price. Recommended.

ThieAudio Prestige LTD

Precogvision: The first thing that stands out to me about the Prestige LTD is its treble response; it’s almost comically exaggerated past 10kHz. I wasn’t even listening to a treble focused track to notice this: female vocals sound extremely oversharpened in their upper-harmonics. The treble is so pervasive that it’s probably affecting the bass response which sounds dry and poofy to my ears. I wouldn’t say the LTD’s unlistenable like the original Prestige, but it’s a pretty unnatural listen. It’s almost like someone took an average-sounding IEM, PEQ-d it to a target curve, and called it a day. This IEM no doubt measures well but it doesn’t tickle my fancy at all subjectively. Not recommended.

Fc-Construct: My memory of the Prestige LTD is fuzzy, but what I do remember is that I much rather listen to the Thieaudio V16 or Valhalla instead. There’s something about the Prestige LTD’s tuning that just doesn’t really sit right with me. Not recommended.

ThieAudio Valhalla

Precogvision: The Valhalla basically sounds like a warmer version of the Monarch MKIV on its standard setting. This presents itself in two adjustments: 1) more sub-bass and mid-bass and 2) less upper-treble. Even with the Monarch MKIV in its ‘rumble’ setting, I want to say the Valhalla sounds warmer to my ears. Overall, I don’t really have any complaints about the Valhalla: it’s just a darn good IEM. In terms of intangibles and a sense of ‘hi-fi’ sound, it’s a noticeable step above the other ThieAudio IEMs that I dislike above. Yes, it’s edged out slightly by the Monarch MKIV in the detail department. But if you want a more forgiving, coherent Monarch MKIV, some very nice titanium shells, and possibly my favorite IEM out of the lineup, then this is a solid pick. 1 Star.

Fc-Construct: Let me redirect you to my full review of the Valhalla. 2 Stars.

Yu9 Audio Que

Precogvision: I only heard this at the very end of the show, thanks to my friend Corn. Despite being pretty burnt out from listening all day, I’m glad I gave this a listen. The Que is basically what you’d get if you took the Annihilator 2021 and made it more L-shaped. It has a bass response that’s sub-bass focused albeit with strong quantity from 100-200Hz that lends to some extra bounce and rumble. Moving upwards, it exhibits an aggressive, humped rise from 1-3kHz and a gentle slope from 4-5kHz. In tandem with the warmer lower-midrange tilt, you have a midrange that is clear and forward albeit circumventing harshness. This is only aided by the Que’s excellent treble response: nearly linear up until the limits of my hearing with a series of small peaks that are so subtle as to be heard as smooth when in collective.

It stuns me that the Que is only $400 because, realistically, it plays much closer to the $700-800 mark to my ears. It’s not as detailed as something like the Monarch MKIV; however, it certainly at least competes with the Moondrop Variations. And in terms of tuning, it easily trades blows with - if not surpasses - these IEMs for my preferences. This is unequivocally a standout IEM at $400 IEM; an IEM that has redefined the price bracket to my ears. 3 Stars.

Fc-Construct: This is another IEM I first heard at Shenzhen International Audio Show. Like the Hercules Audio Noah, this is an excellent, excellent set for $400. It trades some of that immediate wow factor for a more normal tuning than the Noah. The bass has almost a two-stage action to it. Notes first land with a firm impact. Then comes an underlying rumble that solidifies the weight of these notes. It’s authoritative, but the quiet kind.

The midrange has a vocal forwardness that lends body and huskiness to the timbre. Think Adele-like. A lot of IEMs have attempted this sort of sound to varying degrees. The Que manages to get it fairly right.

The treble is by far the standout feature of the Que. There’s exceptional upper treble extension that’s smooth without sacrificing an ounce of brilliance. It’s very tastefully elevated; just enough so you can hear the transient characters that bring notes to life without forcing your focus.

The only downside of this IEM is how hard it is to get one. Not only is it hard to obtain given that it’s from a small Chinese operation that doesn’t sell through your typical IEM storefronts, it’s in such high demand that it’s hard to get it in stock. 3 Stars.

Conclusion

While this is merely a snippet of everything that CanJam SoCal 2025 had to offer, we hope this Michelin-styled guide gives you a starting point for when you get a chance to visit a big audio show yourself!