The art of vividness!

PROS: Balanced and highly detailed sound, excellent sub-bass extension with clean mid-bass, lifelike vocals and midrange presence, highly detailed treble, expansive soundstage and precise imaging, premium build with beautiful aesthetics, comfortable fit with good isolation for me personally.

CONS: Larger shells might not suit all ear shapes, gold-plated accents are prone to scratches, the mid-treble sizzle may take time to adjust for some listeners.

---

Introduction.

Craft Ears has steadily built a reputation for producing high-performance in-ear monitors (IEMs) that blend cutting-edge technology with meticulous craftsmanship. Their latest flagship, the Omnium, is a tri-brid IEM that showcases the company’s ability to combine multiple driver technologies into a single cohesive sound signature. With a 9.2mm liquid silicone dynamic driver, a 10mm planar magnetic driver, and a five-balanced armature array, the Omnium promises a rich and engaging sonic experience. But does it deliver on that promise? Let’s get into it!

Technical Specifications.

Driver Configuration.

Tribrid Configuration – Dynamic + Planar Magnetic + Balanced Armature

• 1 × 9.2mm LSR Dynamic Driver for low frequencies
• 1 × 10mm Planar Magnetic Driver dedicated to mid frequencies
• 1 × Balanced Armature Driver for mid-high frequencies
• 2 × Balanced Armature Drivers for high frequencies
• 2 × Balanced Armature Tweeters for ultra-high frequencies
• Crossover: 6-way crossover design

Acoustic Design.

Design: Tubeless with custom-tuned acoustic chambers and resonators

Technologies:

• SES 3.0 (Space Expanse System): Enhances soundstage and imaging
• True Load™: Flat impedance technology ensuring consistent performance across various sources
• Impedance: 12 Ω ± 0.8 Ω (10 Hz–20 kHz)
• Frequency Response: 8 Hz–40 kHz

Build & Design

• Shell Material: 3D-printed acrylic resin
• Faceplate: Handcrafted carbon fiber with 18K gold-plated over-edge design
• Connector: 0.78 mm 2-pin
• Cable: 2-pin silver-plated OCC copper. Length: 1.5 meters. Terminations: Includes both 3.5 mm single-ended and 4.4 mm balanced plugs

Included Accessories

• Craft Ears Omnium IEMs
• Custom-made detachable 2-pin cable
• Personalized protective hard case
• Dehumidifier
• Cleaning tool
• Shirt clip
• Product box

Unboxing & Accessories.

The Omnium arrives in a well-designed minimalistic package. Inside, you’ll find a Pelican-style protective case, a modular high-purity copper cable with 3.5mm and 4.4mm terminations, and six pairs of ear tips (including dual-flanged options for improved isolation). This is a little too minimalistic for audiophiles considering its flagship status and handsome asking price but will be highly appreciated by musicians for keeping it a tiny carry case based package that fits everything without you needing to carry anything else besides it.

Design, Build & Fit.

The Omnium’s 3D-printed shells are ergonomically shaped, ensuring a snug fit for most ears. The carbon fibre faceplates with 18K gold-plated inlays lend a luxurious aesthetic. While visually stunning, the gold plating is prone to scratches, requiring careful handling. Despite its somewhat larger shell, the Omnium is well-contoured, sitting securely in the ear without undue pressure. Passive noise isolation is rated at -26dB, which is effective for blocking out external noise, though tip rolling is highly recommended to achieve an optimal seal.

Cable – I quite like the stock cable, even more because it is modular and comes with both 4.4mm and 3.5mm terminations and the 2-pins are just the right size for the sockets to be a tight and secure fit. This cable is a substantial upgrade over the cheap cables SIX and FOUR came with. It is a fairly substantial gauge and yet extremely supple and easy to carry and manage. All in all, nothing to complain here.

Sound Quality.

Craft Ears Omnium delivers a highly vivid, engaging and technically proficient sound signature that balances a well done bright leaning W-shaped tuning with musicality and excellent technical performance. I’ve seen Craft Ears try and go for a version of 64 Audio’s Tia driver style upper-treble in their IEMs in the past but end up flooring the pedal and going a little too aggressive on it. This time, I’m happy to say they’ve finally done it and surpassed 64 Audio’s treble wonders. Omnium is WAY more refined compared to the previous Craft Ears Six (which I reviewed a few years back) as well as all the 64 Audio flagships. This well done W-shaped with airy upper-treble results in an expanded stage and very good technical capabilities which we shall discuss in detail over the course of this article.

Let’s break it down…

Bass – The 9.2mm liquid silicone dynamic driver is responsible for the Omnium’s bass reproduction, and it excels in delivering a natural yet authoritative low-end response. The Omnium digs deep, with a powerful yet clean sub-bass rumble of 13dB. It’s not bloated or overdone, maintaining excellent separation from the mid-bass and is further into the soundstage rather than right up your face. Tracks with heavy electronic bass lines or cinematic orchestration sound immersive and visceral, yet never overpower the rest of the mix. The mid-bass punch is well-defined, offering quick transients and natural decay. There’s no excessive warmth or mid-bass bloat, making it ideal for those who appreciate clarity in bass-heavy tracks. One of my new test tracks for bass, Linkin Park’s Overflow sounds sublime on the Omnium. Kick drums and bass guitars maintain textural realism, ensuring they don’t smear into the lower mids. It’s not like bass plays second fiddle to the treble – it in fact maintains its charm real well.

Midrange – The 10mm planar magnetic driver brings a unique flavour to the midrange, offering a mix of smoothness and detail retrieval. Instruments such as acoustic guitars, cellos, and pianos have a rich, full-bodied presence without being overly thick, while male vocals sound natural and well-textured, making them stand out with realism. Female vocals and string instruments shine with clarity and air without becoming overly bright or shouty. The balance between warmth and detail is very well executed, making the Omnium an excellent choice for vocal-centric genres like jazz, folk, and classical. One standout feature is the layering and separation – each instrument has a well-defined space within the mix, avoiding congestion even in complex arrangements. This is one of the things I’d say classifies Omnium as a true flagship level performer.

Treble – The treble region is handled by a multi-BA driver array, and it is super crisp, sizzly, airy, and refined without becoming harsh or fatiguing. Cymbals and hi-hats have a sizzlier than natural timbre and shimmer but are refined to the point it avoids artificial sharpness. The presence of super tweeters ensures excellent airiness and extension, resulting in outstanding detail retrieval and an expansive sense of air. The treble peaks play very well with my ear resonances and I don’t find them harsh at all, just slightly bright and sizzly – making it suitable for my detail oriented listening sessions. This is the kinda treble presentation that makes songs and performances vivid and exciting, and adds a sense of realism that demands your attention. It makes music feel special and I highly appreciate Omnium for that as it made me dig through my discography collection again and re-discover my love for Radiohead and Incubus, which I had kinda lost in the every day over saturation of new releases. I’d still recommend the overly treble sensitive to be a little cautious as the north of neutral sizzle can take some time for adjustment. Yet I think the vast majority will greatly appreciate it, like I did.

Technical Performance.

Omnium’s soundstage is one of its standout qualities. The combination of driver technologies allows for a three-dimensional sense of space, making it feel wider and deeper than many competitors in its price range. Orchestral pieces and live recordings feel immersive, with clear instrument separation and a well-defined sense of positioning. Instrument placement is sharp and well-defined, allowing listeners to pinpoint sound sources with ease. Layering is superb, ensuring that even in complex passages, each element remains distinct. The planar magnetic midrange driver and multi-BA treble setup work together to extract subtle micro-details. The Omnium excels at revealing nuances in recordings, whether it’s the breath of a vocalist, the texture of a violin bow, or the decay of a cymbal crash.

Comparisons.

Empire Ears Odin.

Odin too is a W-shaped, exciting and engaging signature with a focus on clarity and depth. Both are a highly exciting W-shaped tunings with boosted bass, forward mids, and bright treble. Odin’s Weapon X dynamic driver produces thunderous sub-bass, whereas the Omnium is more controlled and less aggressive. Odin’s mids are more vivid and forward, while the Omnium is a smidgen relaxed. Odin has stronger lower-treble and more bite, while Omnium is smoother there and much airier up top. Both are holographic, but Odin has a more dramatic stage due to its more forward tuning while Omnium’s extends slightly wider and feels more open and airier. Both are detailed, clarity oriented IEMs and what one would prefer more boils down to minor signature preferences here and there rather than one being outrightly better.

Softears Enigma.

Softears Enigma is characterised by its warm sound signature and natural tonality. It delivers a warm, fuller take on the VDSF target, resulting in a laid-back signature with organic timbre. While the Enigma excels in providing a relaxed and immersive experience, the Omnium offers a more dynamic, exciting and engaging presentation with much superior technical performance – especially staging, clarity and resolution.

64 Audio Tia Trio

The 64 Audio Tia Trio is renowned for its punchy, dynamic and energetic presentation, featuring a nice dynamic driver that delivers very well done bass punch and dynamism. Its treble is characterised by upper treble airiness, adding a sense of extra sparkle and excitement over neutrality. While the upper-midrange is not the most even and accurate sounding, it doesn’t come across wonky with most songs at all. The Omnium, on the other hand, even though wanting to provide a similar house sound, offers a more balanced approach to treble as well as upper-midrange and a more spacious sound. Its treble is refined, avoiding the over-exuberance that can be present in the Tia Trio. For listeners seeking a more natural and cohesive soundstage with precise imaging, the Omnium stands out as a compelling choice. Though nothing takes away from the grand, larger than life sound Tia Trio provides, which is still very relevant, almost 8 years since its release.

64 Audio U12t.

U12t is one of the most loved balanced, warm and natural BA-only IEMs, featuring deep, smooth bass and natural tonality overall. The U12t’s LID (Linear Impedance Design) + tia driver setup delivers tight, controlled bass with more rumble and physicality. U12t’s bass drivers gives it extra smoothness and organic realism, while the Omnium has better sub-bass and better layering and separation owing to its clarity oriented signature. U12t has a very smooth, warm leaning lower to mid-treble with an airy top end. Omnium is brighter but also more even and extends further with more sizzle and sparkle. Omnium feels more spacious and holographic, while U12t sound punchier and has more precise imaging.

Kinera Loki Emerald.

The Kinera Loki Emerald is liked for its technical prowess, featuring an open, airy, and expansive soundstage with exceptional detail retrieval and instrument separation. Loki sounds very slightly leaner in lower-midrange and its treble offers a sizzly mid-treble while maintaining closer to neutrality in the lower-treble and post-15kHz air region. In contrast, the Craft Ears Omnium presents a more balanced W-shaped signature, natural tonality with a similar sizzly treble response. While the Loki Emerald emphasises dynamism, technical brilliance and an energetic presentation, the Omnium comes out stronger with a more even signature across the spectrum as well as a more spacious stage, better depth layering and better imaging.

Lime Ears Pneuma V2.

Lime Ears’ Pneuma V2 is designed to be warm and musical with a slightly fuller character, emphasizing a pronounced and punchy low-end. The Omnium, while also delivering impactful bass, maintains a more balanced and more neutral approach across the frequency spectrum. Its planar midrange offers smoothness and organic realism, ensuring that vocals and instruments are rendered with lifelike accuracy. Listeners who prefer a more neutral and refined sound may find the Omnium’s tuning more to their liking compared to the Pneuma’s bass-forward coloured signature.

Symphonium x Elise Audio Europa.

Symphonium’s Europa offers a well-balanced sound signature with a refined U-shaped tuning. It boasts a 10dB sub-bass shelf, linear lower-midrange, and a slightly recessed upper-midrange, culminating in a treble response that is both linear and extended. This tuning ensures long-term listening comfort, especially at moderate to slightly higher volume levels. The Omnium, while also balanced, provides a more exciting midrange and a more energetic and exciting upper-treble, catering to listeners who prioritise clarity and technical performance over the Europa’s slightly more easy and warm approach.

Final Verdict.

Craft Ears Omnium seamlessly integrates dynamic, planar, and balanced armature technologies to deliver a rich, immersive, and highly resolving sound signature. It is technically proficient yet musically engaging, making it an excellent choice for audiophiles seeking an IEM that balances detail, musicality and clarity. While fit and handling require some care and the upper-treble can come off a little sizzly to the treble sensitive, these are minor trade-offs considering the exceptional performance the Omnium offers. If you’re in the market for a flagship IEM with holographic imaging, deep bass, and effortless detail retrieval, the Craft Ears Omnium deserves serious consideration.

---

Gear used for testing and review.

• Desktop setup – Universal Audio Apollo X4 + DROP THX AAA 789 Amp
• DAPs – iBasso DX300 | DX260 | DX180
• Phone – Apple iPhone 14PM + Kinera Celest CD-20 and Tanchjim Space

Artists I like and listen to.

• Rock – Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Switchfoot, Imagine Dragons, Daughtry, Green Day, MuteMath, X Ambassadors, Dave Matthews Band, Vertical Horizon, Our Lady Peace, Lifehouse, Fall Out Boy, Breaking Benjamin, Muse, Radiohead, Incubus, ACDC, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Biffy Clyro, I Am Giant, Normandie, Paramore, Slash & Guns N Roses, 3 Doors Down.
• Pop Rock – John Mayer, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, James Bay, Hunter Hayes, Niall Horan, Keith Urban, The Bros Landreth, Bryan Adams.
• Progressive Rock/Metal – Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson, Karnivool, Tool, Dead Letter Circus, Periphery, Lamb of God.
• Pop/Soft Rock – Ed Sheeran, Adele, Taylor Swift, OneRepublic, The Script, Gavin James, Magic Man, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, Charlie Puth, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Oasis, Panic! At the Disco, TwentyOne Pilots.
• EDM – Chainsmokers, Zedd.