Symphonium Audio Aurora

Review - Symphonium Audio Aurora - Sonion Dual BA

                                                                                    


Website - Symphonium Audio





Specifications
  • Drivers: Sonion Dual Balanced Armature
  • Impedance: 75 Ohm
  • Sensitivity: 109dB
  • Freq. Response: 10Hz ~ 19KHz


Price: U$250.     



The packaging on the Aurora is simple yet nicely presented as found on many earphones nowadays. Outer papercard cover, all black with just the company logo on it, and inner cardboard box in black color as well, that conveniently opens with the magnetic closure. Inside there is the round case that holds the earphones and a small satin pouch with the extra ear tips and cleaner for the nozzle. The tips selection is minimal, just 3 pairs of common silicone tips in 3 sizes but there're 2 pairs of Comply Foam tips (1 pair installed on the IEMs).



Design

The Aurora design follows the all black color theme. The shells are all plastic in glossy texture. They consist of two pieces strongly attached with the SA logo on the outer part. The inner part has a very unique shape, apparently to give a more natural fit around the ears, though in practice it didn't make much difference due the straight nozzle. The nozzle is long but not thin, and has wider lip at the end of it. Tip rolling is limited; others foam tips can be used easily, though some of the extra silicone tips I tried didn't hold to the nozzle. Spinfit, Sony and even Spiral Dot were fine, but wider tips were too loose to provide a good seal.



The earpieces are comfortable, not particularly ergonomic over more standard shaped IEMs but nothing to complain about. With the wide nozzle and right tips the seal can be strong, and with the sealed design the isolation is quite good.



On the cable side, it uses a standard 0.78 2-pin connection. The sockets are recessed in the earpieces so the cable connectors attach tightly and need some strength to be removed. Quality is average, pretty usual for 2-pin cables even found on more expensive IEMs. It has a 4 strand configuration, all tightly twisted (even though it looks like braided). The guides are fixed but soft and the slider runs smoothly. The plug has good quality with the metal covering and angled shape.



Sound Quality

The Aurora uses a dual Balanced Armature unit. However, it is not the usual Knowles driver usually found on this price bracket, instead is based on a Sonion dual driver, so it was quite interesting to try. Not that I consider the type or number of drivers to be the most important characteristic as the final tuning and overall presentation are what really matters, but it is always cool to try something new.



The sound is easy to describe. It has an overall warm tonality with a strong boost on the mid-bass and midrange region, smooth and very musical. It is not equally balanced as it out of neutral and fairly colored, in a kind of different presentation than the usual Balanced Armature tuning, less focused in micro detail but instead with good dynamics (for a BA) and depth.



The bass itself is enhanced but doesn't get overwhelming. The emphasis is mainly on the mid-bass region with less gain on the upper bass, leaving a cleaner lower midrange. Sub-bass is as expected more reserved, small in impact with limited extension. Depth is actually quite good as well as texture and has better layering than the usual BA units at this price point. Speed is good but nothing above average than the typical BA strengths, however, the decay is more natural.
In comparison, the quantity is higher than the Brainwavz B200 but lower than the Brainwavz B400, though pays off with higher control, depth and refinement.

Midrange is effortless, forward and gains a similar focus as the low end. Texture is very rich, if a bit thick, and more importantly, it sounds very engaging and musical. Resolution is good but lacks some air for instruments' separation. On the other hand, it gives great texture for vocals, sweet and sibilance free thanks to the smooth and controlled upper midrange.

Treble is smooth, and maybe too smooth and laid-back to my preference for a more balanced presentation. It has enough presence to match the upper midrange just limited on the upper extension reach, and may roll-off too early. Nonetheless, it is very forgiving and doesn't show much change on different sources. The level of detail is good, though less obvious due the more laid-back nature.

Stage is around average. With the midrange forwardness it results less expansive in width but a bit better in depth. The right and left channel separation is not very pronounced nor there is much distant between both sides. The Lear Kaleido (also a dual BA based hybrid IEM) or B400 sound wider with their more v-shaped signature, however clarity and coherence are still higher on the Aurora.