Intro
The 1+2 hybrids have been made for quite a while now and there’s a lot of different tunings being offered using the same driver configurations in the market. So what makes the Yume any different from the others? Would it be ‘meh’ or would it trumps over all the other similarly configured hybrids out there? It is interesting to see how a ‘new’ brand name would approach the almost overly saturated IEM space and this debut IEM by See Audio should not be looked down upon. Why? Let’s find out…
Packaging
First off, I’m not really a fan of the waifu-themed box sleeve. Yes the colour choices are attractive and it is eye-catching to be displayed on your shelf (it gives a different kind of vibe) but that particular theme is just not for me. The box itself however is more of my liking with its black on black printing. Inside, the Yume is nestled comfortably in its foam slot cut-out along with the black metal carry case resting next to a complete set of eartips, enough for the majority of people.
Fancy box sleeves aside, the IEM itself; the Yume is beautifully built. Sporting the universal custom shell design, it is made of resin and is fairly light despite the purposedly designed half-filled cavity. The smoked translucent shell is a feast to the eyes for those who love to peek at the drivers inside and the faceplate really does complete the looks. The glittery dark green complements its somewhat embossed-chrome logo printing. The fit is perfect for my ears and the stock cable while average, they are supple to the hands and behaves very well.
Functions & Specifications
- Material – Resin
- Transducer Type – 1x 9.2mm Liquid Silica Dynamic Driver, 2x Knowles Balanced Armature
- Sensitivity – 106dB SPL/mW @ 1kHz
- Impedance – 32ohms @ 1kHz
- Frequency Range – 20Hz to 20kHz
What’s In The Box
- See Audio Yume
- Silicon Eartips (XS, S, M, L) x1
- Foam Eartips (M, L) x2
- Hockey Puck Carry Case
- Replacement Nozzle Filters x2
- Rinko Stickers
Retail Price & Where To Get
This is a Malaysian Tour Unit provided by See Audio.
Sound & Tonality
See Audio Yume was tuned to have a sound signature which follows closely to the Harman target curve and supposedly an all rounder for most music genres. They are in fact a fantastic IEM once you put them in your ears. Tonality can be considered natural and timbre is just about right with somewhat typical OK-ish hybrid coherency (unless you’re really nitpicking on this part, it’s not of a concern). It is by no means groundbreaking but rather a more polished presentation of what a good hybrid IEM should sound like.
Source Used
Xduoo X2s > Xduoo XQ-10 > See Audio Yume
Hiby R2 > iFi Micro iDSD Black Label > See Audio Yume
Songs Used
Bass
Sub-bass is powerful but not overly dominant on the Yume. The rumble is done just right with enough presence to make it an intriguing listen. Mid-bass is punchy, impactful and clean which makes it quite versatile without being boomy nor sounding bloated. Upper-bass is lean, detailed and textured. There’s no significant bleed towards the lower mids…just a good mature bass and they are annoyingly addictive. I’ve found myself cranking up the volume on these just to get more fun out of it…and it gives you exactly that.
Mids
Transitioning to the lower-mids, the Yume sounds lean and clean. There is slight warmth carried over from the upper-bass which really helps with the tonality here. The mids is forward, transparent and detailed. While not being the most revealing mids, they are great considering the micro details and timbre are complementing each other very well despite can be hollow sounding at times (rarely, depending on tracks). Upper-mids can be somewhat tinny-bit thin but are never shouty which renders them to be almost perfect.
Treble
The lower-treble is pleasantly inoffensive. There’s no annoying edginess, not dull sounding and definitely no sibilance…just carefully tuned to tread between the lines. Treble however can get a little bit peaky but still nowhere near being alarming and is detailed. The sparkle is just right and the shimmer is somehow controlled despite the sometimes intrusive peak. The upper-treble on the Yume could do with a bit more air for nuances but then again it will definitely risk the already good overall treble response.
Soundstage
It is fair to say that the soundstage on the Yume is average at its best. They are slightly wider than deep but are pretty evenly distributed and what impressed me is their height. For what it’s worth, it manages to present a quite tall soundstage which gives the overall soundstage perception to be almost holographic. Layering is OK but can sometimes be a bit confusing. (YMMV)
Imaging & Separation
Imaging is precise to say the least and separation on the Yume is fantastic for the price. Everything is very well presented despite the sometimes confusing layering. By this I mean sometimes cues are percepted to be nearer than it should be, and farther when it shouldn’t. I would say that they perform excellently in this regard which actually makes them capable for some technically-inclined duty.
Driveability
The good news is that they’re not demanding of powerful sources. Most portable devices will be able to drive them pretty well. The bad news is they do scale with more power. So, that’ll leave some of us longing for that extra oomph! But fret not, even a dongle dac will do just fine to make the Yume reveal its true colours.
Synergy
The Yume will pair well with most sources with very minor changes, slightly affecting the already excellent transient response and even less on the overall sound signature. They can be ‘fun’ sounding with warm sources and can also be somewhat analytical sounding with close to neutral sources but are very enjoyable regardless what source you plug them in.
Comparison
HillAudio S8 (1DD, 2BA – Balanced Filter)
Back in the days, the S8 is probably the most pleasing IEM to listen to. Along with the tunable nozzle filters, it is among the very versatile IEM at the time. The bass is much more emphasized on the S8 with more rumble but suffers from a very slow decay which bleeds into the mids. The mids is lush sounding and warmer on the S8 as compared to the Yume. Treble however can be a bit metallic-ish sounding with sometimes offensive peaks on the S8 which renders the Yume to be a more refined, well tuned IEM.
On to technicalities, the Yume just blows the S8 away in every audible aspects. Soundstage is ever so slightly larger, layering is more defined, imaging and separation is excellent on the Yume in comparison to the S8. With that being said, it shows that the Eastern companies (in general) have indeed improved upon the tuning of their products and it is a very wise move in order to keep bringing something fresh, technically competent products on the table.
Moondrop Blessing 2 (1DD, 4BA)
Retailing for almost twice the asking price, the Blessing 2 is a honestly different IEM altogether along with a different approach on the sound signature and a more bad ass technicality. Bass is leaner, cleaner and more textured on the Blessing 2. Mids is transparent, more revealing of micro details and thinner sounding on the Blessing 2. Treble is livelier, airier and more nuanced on the Blessing 2 at the expense of it getting a bit hot. But for tonality, the Yume sounds more balanced and more pleasant overall.
The technicalities on the Yume is, like I said earlier…competent. No it won’t trade blows with the Blessing 2 but more of a benchmark on what a tehcnically capable IEM should deliver. Alas, the soundstage on the Blessing 2 is wider and taller but the Yume is perceptibly slightly deeper. Imaging is similarly precise but separation on the Blessing 2 is superior. Remember the somewhat confusing layering on the Yume? The Blessing 2 does not suffer from that.
For Who?
In my opinion, those who are fans of the ‘Harman-Target’ curve will definitely adore the Yume. Despite some minor nit-picking technical quirks, they do sound great. Needless to say that with the asking price, you really do get more than just a fancy packaging/unboxing experience…you also get a very competent IEM to add in your collection.
Verdict & Stars
I would say that the Yume will probably be the most valuable price:performance purchase and will put you in a pause for quite a while before you start looking for replacements. And it is suffice to say that the only way you will be satisfied after the Yume is with the upper-tier offerings. Yes, it is that good. Let’s just hope that the Yume is not a one-hit-wonder from See Audio.
(5 / 5)
