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.