What’s in the box

• CrinEar Project Meta

• Modular stock copper and black cable

• Plastic CrinEar case

• 3-size pack of silicon tips

• 3-size pack of foam tips

• 3.5mm and 4.4mm cable terminators

• Information pamphlet

The Project Meta comes in a clean black box covered in minimal copper lettering giving general info. Inside the box, you are immediately greeted by a black panel showing off the faceplates of the Meta, once you remove this you can take out the IEMs, and underneath is the plastic hard case containing the accessories. The stock cable is very soft and ergonomic feeling, one of the best stock cables on an IEM at this price that I have seen, all of the tips are good feeling and I could see plenty using as-is, and for the case, it appears to be the same case Hisenior uses just with different branding. A very nice feeling case and I will be using it for the Meta and more.

Sound

Bass

I’m a huge fan of the bass on the Meta, it is not overbearing or bleeding into the mids at all but it still has some very nice body and weight behind it. Kicks are very satisfyingly punchy, bass guitars are gritty as they need to be, and cellos vibrate very well. Someone who might be bass-sensitive might want a less bassy set such as CrinEar’s own Project Reference, and those who want a more bass-heavy set may find the Meta to be lacking. I really don’t have any complaints in the bass region.

Midrange

The Project Meta follows the JM-1 curve very closely with nearly no deviations, so if you have tried and enjoyed another set tuned to this target you will likely enjoy this set purely for that fact. Vocals and instruments I feel are presented clearly and naturally, deeper instruments carry a very nice body and thinner instruments are smooth and clear with minimal overlap. Male vocals are bodied with no thinness and female vocals are clean without getting husky, but those who are more accustomed to a Harman tuning will likely find the upper midrange to be laid back and those who are more accustomed to an IEF target may find 1-2khz to be pushed back and 3khz to be shouty. I have no complaints about the midrange.

Treble

The treble is where I think this IEM gets a little more interesting. It doesn’t sound pushed forward or bright leaning at all and is a very pleasing and smooth listen, however the treble does have an interesting quality. The best way I can describe it is shimmery, the only other time I’ve heard this characteristic was on the Moondrop X Crinacle Dusk, the Dusk has many tuning modes and I heard this on all of them, but it sounds like “planar treble.” All that said, there is nothing wrong with it and I enjoy this presentation, it is not bright or glaring in either the lower or upper treble but it still has good texture and shines when it needs to.

Technical Performance

The techs on the Meta while good, are nothing groundbreaking. Nothing is smeary or blobby at all but it also doesn’t have the openness or accuracy that some other sets have. That said, nothing I’ve tried at this price point has come anywhere close. 

Comparisons

CrinEar Project Meta VS. Hisenior Mega5-EST

This was a fun matchup to test, both follow the JM-1 curve very closely and both are known as jacks of all trades. While the similarities on paper are extreme, they present quite differently in the ear. The Meta sounds more “linear” to my ear while the Mega5-EST is a tad more “fun” sounding. The Meta is warmer in the lower midrange while the Mega5-EST is warmer in the midbass, part of this is due to the Meta’s superior bass performance I’d say. The upper mids are very comparable on the two and I don’t have much to say there. The treble is where most of the difference lies, the Mega5-EST is darker sounding, especially in the upper treble and I find it to be smoother and more relaxed sounding than the Meta, at times I’d even call it dark with its contrast to the 3k region of the JM-1 target and I think the Meta “fixes” that.

CrinEar Project Meta VS. Kiwi Ears KE4

These are two very similarly priced and very similarly tuned IEMs, but they are not as comparable as you might think. To put it simply, the Meta excels in every way over the KE4. The KE4 has very soft and “slow” sounding bass which can get too overbearing, and the KE4 has much brighter upper treble. These 2 aspects take away from the naturalness and smoothness of the JM-1 tuning in my opinion, however, if you are someone who is looking for a more V-shaped tuning but still likes the mids on JM-1 you may prefer the KE4.

CrinEar Project Meta VS. Moondrop X Crinacle Dusk

Granted it has been a few months since I owned the Dusk but these are my thoughts to the best of my memory. 

The Dusk’s best feature for me was its DSP cable which made it easy to EQ and use with a phone, however, sound-wise the Dusk wasn’t very special to me. The best part of the Dusk’s sound was the bass, it was tight and punchy, was smooth when it needed to be, and extended deep into the sub-bass. The Meta’s bass quality is quite comparable and might even top it, I am very impressed with the bass performance on the Meta. A big gripe with the Dusk I had was the upper treble being way too bright and grainy-sounding, the Meta’s treble sounds similar to the Dusk treble but it doesn’t have the brightness or graininess I head on the Dusk. Overall I’d take a Meta over a Dusk any day.